It is argued among Disney fans as to which movie started the new era of amazing films known as the Disney revival. Some say it started with Tangled, others say it started with The Princess and the Frog, but I believe that the Disney revival started with a little-known movie called Bolt. not only was it well received by critics and audiences at the time, but it also was the first Disney movie in a long time to receive the Best Animated Feature category since Brother Bear. looking back at Bolt in 2021, while it’s true that it had a few bumps in the road, I still believe this is still a pretty well-crafted animated feature that’s simple in its premise, but delightful in its execution.
Bolt (John Travolta) is unlike any dog you’d ever known as he has been altered with superpowers to protect and aid Penny (Miley Cyrus) to help her save her dad from Dr. Callico and his evil henchman. Bolt often finds himself taking down the bad guys using his powers that are unlike anything any human being has ever seen. The catch is that everything Bolt thinks is real is all an illusion as he is just a tv star made to think he’s a real superpowered dog. One day, he escapes the studio and accidentally gets himself shipped from Hollywood to New York City. Bolt quickly begins to realize that his “powers'' aren't working and that not everything is what it seems. When he mistakes a cat named Mittens for one of Callico’s evil henchmen he forces her to help him get home to his owner through a cross country road trip while also running into a superfan hamster named Rhino and having Bolt learning to be a normal dog along the journey.
If part of the story sounds familiar, it’s probably because the whole plotline of Bolt learning his life is a lie is the same as Buzz Lightyear's story arc in Toy Story. However, I always say that just because something has been done before doesn’t mean it can’t be done again and the film’s execution proves that. I’ll admit that when I was younger I was pretty disappointed that the film wasn’t about Bolt being a superpowered dog the whole time, but looking back years later, I find that even when the plot focuses on Bolt learning from Mittens how to be a real dog is surprisingly charming and it can lead to a lot of great payoffs both funny and sincere. Now originally the concept was conceived by Chris Sanders who was the director of Lilo and Stitch and his story would have been much different in tone and feel compared to the final product. While it’s sad that he would unfortunately be removed from the film all together, it’s still great to see Disney back on its feet after a slew of films that ranged from being Ok to just dreadful.
The cast of characters has a lot to offer and some of them do a surprising job of using their talents to make the movie as entertaining as it can be. John Travolta does the voice for Bolt but you could never tell it is him because he gets so lost in the role that you're not hearing the celebrity, you just hear and see Bolt himself. I also love Mittens as her sarcastic and snarky attitude works really well against Bolt’s alter ego which leads to probably the best and funniest moments in the entire movie. Then there is Rhino who is a tad bit annoying at times, but isn’t without his own set of charming moments that are fun to watch. The only character i will admit was somewhat wrongfully cast is Miley Cyrus as Penny. Not that she does a terrible job compared to many other studios that shoehorn in pop stars in animated movies, but they still could have gotten an actual tween to play the role and it would have made her reactions to Bolt being gone even more powerful.
The Animation has different amounts of visual splendor. The visuals for the tv show segments in the beginning are really cool with high octane action and great use of how bolt uses his powers. The other side of the animation is the majority of what the movie is about as it features simple and lovely landscapes from the tall rustic buildings of New York to the simple farmlands of the mid U.S country. It should also be fair to mention that the backgrounds of the film feature a digitally painted scenery that blends in so well with the movie that it’s hard to even tell if it was CG-generated or not. The music was done by John Powell and much like the animation, tunes can range from being action-packed and suspenseful to being simple slice of life music. There is also a great song for the soundtrack called Barking at the Moon by Jenny Lewis which is both adorable and pleasing to the ears.
It may have some drawbacks when compared to most of the films in the Disney Renaissance, but Bolt is miles above everything Disney was releasing at the time and that along with it’s hilarious comedy and loveable characters is why I think this movie is the film that started the Disney Revival Era. Bolt is a movie that retains why Disney is the animation studio to be reckoned with while also telling a simple yet effective story of a dog learning to be a much better version of himself through trial and error. This is the film that proved that Disney was coming back with a vengeance and things would only get even better from here on out.
(Final Grade B+)