Bolt is a story about a Dog (named Bolt!) who is the star of a hit TV show. In the TV show Bolt has super powers and saves the world time and time again, with his trusty sidekick (and owner) Penny. To keep the show ‘real’ the producers create elaborate ways to keep Bolt ignorant of the fact that he’s on a TV show – he actually thinks he has superpowers. This is great for TV and makes working with a dog a lot easier. But then the inevitable happens, one day when Bolt is being pout to bed in his trailer, he sees Penny arguing with the show producer and take this as a hostile action. Believing he has to escape to save his friend, Bolt devises a plan to escape and finds himself in the outside work, lost and alone, and without his super powers.Bolt is on a journey of discovery and along the way picks up a couple of friends, one a huge fan and one a cynic. Together they help Bolt discover who he really is and find his way home to a predictable but lovely ending where Bolt discovers that a true hero is formed in the heart and not through super powers.
Seeing Bolt in 3D was fantastic. It wasn’t over the top, but a rather subtle approach to 3D and I think this worked well. 3D seems to be the emerging technology of choice, especially for animations and kids movies, however, if overused (as in Journey to the Centre of the Earth) it just creates an eye bleeding mess. Bolt’s use of 3D was careful and well constructed, adding depth without trying to be too clever.
Bolt is a worthy start to the 2009 movie year, one that the whole family can enjoy. It’s fun, action packed and has a great message wrapped in the age old story of self discovery.
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