The Cinema for 11/21/08: Bolt

From Disney's movie Bolt, via mlive.com

Good, positive reviews, if not of the spectacular level of Pixar's sole creations, for Disney's Bolt are in as the movie, including this one: hits theaters today:

BOLT immediately establishes a tone of gentle jokiness -- in a frenetic opening chase that could have been designed for the sequel to THE INCREDIBLES -- and proceeds to build upon it by bringing in beautifully defined characters with strong, engaging personalities. There's no real villain in the story, which means the challenges Bolt and his friends face often involve overcoming their own mindsets and attitudes instead of fighting off an enemy.

Bolt (voice provided by John Travolta) is both the prized pet and screen partner of young actress Penny (Miley Cyrus, whose slightly gruff line-readings give a potentially sticky-sweet character a hint of edginess); they co-star together in a TV series that looks like a mad mash-up of "Lassie" and "Mission: Impossible."

Still, it is lacking that quality of the likes of "Wall-E" and "Finding Nemo", just to name a few:

Though every frame is great to look at, "Bolt's" script - by the co-writers of "Mulan" and "Cars" - lacks the wit of its closest Pixar relative, "The Incredibles." Rhino and some goofy pigeons provide the few laughs once the tale goes cross-country. Plus, Penny's heartsickness takes a backseat to the action; we're left to wonder if Bolt's return will result in something like a contract renewal, or 15% for the smarmy agent. That wasn't part of "The Incredible Journey" or "The Aristocats."

Still, any Disney movie that doesn't need to fully rely on the whole PIXAR staff is yet, is still pretty decent, is certainly an encouraging sign for Mickey Mouse's company.