A.S.K. AIR
I think we can think of a movie we loved from our childhood that was massively
overlooked by most people around us. This is certainly true of a lot of animated films,
and even ones sanctioned by the biggest media conglomerates out there.
Bolt is a 2008 movie directed by Chris Williams and Byron Howard and produced
by Disney. It stars John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, and honestly, not enough people talk
about this movie. For a Disney movie, this flick has always been regarded as underrated from the
little I’ve heard people talk about it. It managed to double its production budget at the box office,
and has been generally regarded as pretty decent by the critics, but I hardly hear
anyone talk about it these days aside from the basic discussion about how cute the dog is. So
why don’t we take a look at Bolt and truly see how this modern classic holds up in retrospect.
[Bolt Theme Intro]
The movie starts with the castle Disney logo. Doesn’t that just fill ya up with
nostalgia? We start with the girl, Penny, adopting the doggo, Bolt,
from a pet store. The relationship between Bolt and Penny really keeps this movie together and
I actually think they have fantastic chemistry through everything we see on screen. We quickly
transition to some action scenes involving Bolt as a superpowered dog with laser vision trying
to protect Penny from these evil henchmen who work for the Green-Eyed Man. I will say,
these action scenes are shot very well. Totally immersed in the action. At first, it seems this
is the main plot but afterward we see that it’s just a TV show that these two star in,
and Bolt is just a regular dog, who is just a bit delusional about his situation and actually
thinks he’s a superpowered dog set out to protect Penny. The set it specifically designed in a way
to shoot discreetly so as to not inform Bolt of their true intentions, while they choreograph
everything he does and orchestrate the actors around him as real people. Kinda like Truman
Show meets Marmaduke. I mean, we even get a Matrix reference in here. (clip) We meet Penny’s agent,
who is probably my favorite character in this whole movie. He’s got some phenomenal moments!
He’s this skinny Neil Patrick Harris-looking guy who always has this line about putting a
pin in it when he wants to tell Penny what to do. I love every second this guy has on screen. Wait,
is he actually voiced by Neil Patrick Harris? Nope. Damnit, that would’ve been good.
He’s voiced by this dude. Who was also in some other children’s movies,
Sweet November…even Child’s Play. Eh, still beats this, right?
While we’re on the topic of voice actors, John Travolta does a fantastic job here. A bit past
his prime but the voice actually fits the character unlike most new animated animal
voices. Miley Cyrus also does fantastic as a 7-year-old girl. Totally doesn’t sound
unnatural or anything. (clip) My favorite was obviously Randy Savage playing the role
of the ‘Thug’. (clip) I have no clue who or where this thug came in, but I respect it.
(clip) I’m with the doggo on this one. Cats are scum. You guys can
quote me on that. I do like pigeons though. They call me the pigeon man.
After Penny gets captured by the on-set villain the last time Bolt sees her,
he frantically escapes the facility he’s held captive in,
in hopes of finding her. The movie from here on shifts into the real world. Up until now,
we’ve experienced this movie’s homage to action-filled spy films,
references to other properties, and overall action that felt energetic and exciting. From here on,
we shift into reality as Bolt falls into a box of styrofoam packing peanuts and is sent into cargo.
Eventually, he’s transported to New York City, where all the pigeons have a strong New York
accent. (clip) Honestly, I find that hilarious. Do the Boston pigeons all think they’re Italian,
too? Bolt is determined to go back to Penny, so the pigeons unite him with a cat named Mittens
to go on a road trip back to Hollywood and reunite with his person. Bolt basically holds her captive
alongside him, as she helps him navigate back home. But after they get stranded at a campsite,
Bolt learns to beg for food, as he realizes what being a dog is really like. Along the way,
they meet a hamster named Rhino, who is also pretty likable all things considered,
as the three of them now venture across America back to California through various
means of transportation. (pictures of california) Ehhhh, I don’t know about
that one guys…maybe Walter White is taking pets in…I hear Albuquerque is nice this time of year…
On the topic of the hamster, I heard the animators
literally studied a hamster ball to get the animation right. In general,
the animation is super well done here…even the pigeon movements are really realistic in
this film and look like real pigeons. I would know, ya know, being the pigeon man and all.
Along their trip, Bolt comes to grips with not being superpowered in the real world and matures
after Mittens gives him some tough love. The progression here and their character dynamic
reminds me heavily of Buzz and Woody in the first Toy Story. Bolt’s realization that he’s
just been delusional all this time comes in the exact same form that Buzz’s did in that
film. Even Mittens turns out to like Jessie! (clip) Did every character eat out of Toy
Story’s bowl or something? NOW HOLD ON, if Rhino had an owner that left him in the field to die,
you better tell me now!!!! I SWEAR TO GOD, IF THE AGENT IS GONNA BE STINKY PETE I’M WALKING!
(clip) I love this hamster! Why don’t they give him his own spinoff? (clip) …I
now understand. So Mittens gets separated from them and taken to an animal shelter,
and Bolt and Rhino bust her out, and the scene ends with a fricking gas truck exploding! Here
the film takes a shift from this adventure thriller to a more laid back road trip,
as the characters have all basically developed, and all that’s left to do is go back to LA and
see Penny again. This whole scene felt super cartoony which drastically contrasts with the
themes we had prior. It’s totally a tipping point as most of the characters have matured
in some way, and from here on it’s all about working together to achieve a common goal.
We get a nice montage with the awesome song you heard earlier playing, as we go through
the Midwest, into the South, and towards the West. The warm and summery feeling you get here,
coupled with the nostalgia I get from seeing this flick all the time when I was younger, just makes
it so enjoyable to watch. Bolt and Mittens have a great dynamic on screen that doesn’t really feel
like a cliche cat and dog story to me. Bolt comes to grips with being a dog,
as exemplified by the scenes of him sticking his tongue out the window, learning to fetch,
and even playing with other dogs. Mittens comes to find an attraction to him and even builds him a
little bed while they stop in Vegas, but is sadly rejected as Bolt still hasn’t given up on Penny.
After he gets back to Hollywood, Bolt sees Penny with another lookalike dog, and nearly gives up
hope on her. But after the studio catches fire, and no one saves the MAIN STAR of the TV SHOW…Bolt
runs in and saves her, and we live happily ever after. You’re telling me not ONE person
bothered saving the little girl in the fire? This is some deus ex machina type stuff, bro.
Bolt uses his super bark which was previously established to only be in the show, to alert the
firefighters to their location, bringing his whole arc full circle. Penny ends up quitting the show,
which doesn’t stop them from replacing her with another girl in the very next
episode. They even throw in a plastic surgery trope in there. Gotta love it.
All in all, Bolt does a great job telling its story and delivering on some nice
themes and a wholesome vibe. Compared to Disney’s catalogue of films today, this absolutely smashes
competition, and as I discussed in my Downfall of Pixar video that you should definitely check out,
modern animated films in this style are rare to find nowadays. Even compared to other Disney CG
films around this time like Meet the Robinsons or Chicken Little, this movie does a much
better job in telling its story. But what do you think? Is this movie actually good or am I just
biased from the nostalgia? Do you appreciate the anti-cat prejudice in this film as much as I do,
or are you a cat-loving cretin? Leave all your thoughts in the comments below,
and be sure to like and subscribe for more. All the socials will be below for you to follow,
and with all that said, I’ll see you beautiful ladies and jellyfish, in the next one.