Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #210 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-06-15
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 92 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Ostensibly a funny animated film about a dog who thinks he has superpowers, Bolt is also a movie about friendship, perseverance, and the power of believing in oneself. Everyone knows that superheroes on television are not real, but TV star super dog Bolt (John Travolta) is a canine star who was carefully raised to believe that he really possesses superpowers. In true loyal canine style, Bolt is completely devoted to his human co-star Penny (Miley Cyrus). When Penny is captured by the evil Dr. Calico (Malcolm McDowell) in their latest television episode and Bolt gets accidentally let loose in the real world, he sets off on a journey to save her. Bolt is confounded when his super powers are suddenly ineffective, but inspiration strikes and Bolt quickly discovers the mysterious, power-stealing effects of Styrofoam packing peanuts. An encounter with alley cat Mittens (Susie Essman) gives Bolt some eye-opening lessons about being a real dog in the real world, while star-struck, ball-enclosed hamster Rhino (Mark Walton) revels in the opportunity to serve as Bolt's sidekick in the quest to rescue Penny. The trio traverses the United States from waffle house to waffle house on a hysterical quest to find Penny and prove that the relationship between Penny and Bolt is real. In the end, Bolt, Mittens, and Rhino learn that everyone is special in their own way and they discover the true power of believing in oneself and one's friends. Selected cinemas showed Bolt in 3-D, but the film is probably equally enjoyable in the traditional format. A fun film with a nice message and a huge dose of cute, Bolt is good entertainment for the entire family. --Tami Horiuchi

DVD Description
From the creator of Cars and Finding Nemo, meet Disney's newest hero, Bolt and his faithful hamster sidekick Rhino, in the fully awesome comedy adventure event of the year. As the star of the biggest TV show in Hollywood, Bolt's life is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue. So when the super pup is accidentally shipped to New York City and separated from Penney, his beloved co-star and owner, Bolt immediately springs into action to save her from the forces of evil. But he's not alone. With the help of Rhino, his number one fan and loyal partner, and a crafty alley cat named Mittens, they embark on an extraordinary mission filled with high flying, action-packed stunts. Showcasing the vocal talents of John Travolta and teen sensation Miley Cyrus, this movie will have your whole family cheering for the good guys.

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Synopsis
In this 2008 computer-animated Disney film, an adorable dog named Bolt (voiced by John Travolta) has been trained to believe that he has superpowers, and that his young owner, Penny (Miley Cyrus), is in perpetual peril, thanks to the schemes of the dastardly Dr. Calico (Malcolm McDowell). However, the loving and protective Bolt and his human companion are really actors in a popular TV show, a production that goes to great lengths to make sure its star pooch remains in the dark about his fictitious life. When Bolt is accidentally transported off of his show's Hollywood lot, he must find his way back home and contend with his not-so-super reality, aided by a scrappy alley cat (Susie Essman) and a very enthusiastic hamster (Mark Walton).


Helmed by animation vets and first-time feature directors Byron Howard and Chris Williams, BOLT benefits from executive producer John Lasseter's sterling Pixar touch, often echoing themes of that beloved company's canon, particularly 1995's groundbreaking TOY STORY. A fun movie that will delight children, BOLT is excellent family fare and easily one of the finest dog-themed films in cinema history.

Customer Reviews

Top dog :)
Sorry 'Sera69' but I have to disagree. I've just come back from watching this film at the cinema with my 7 year old daughter and we thoroughly loved it. As we left the cinema there were families already telling their children they would buy it when it came out on dvd, and I would too.

If you go to watch it with the same over critical eye as 'Sera69' then I guess you too would be disappointed, but hey come on it's just a bit of fun. Lets not get all 'Barry Norman' and serious on what is just some light hearted entertainment, which lets face it, is aimed at kids. As for the laughs, I laughed out loud, as did so many others sat around me.

So, in summary, if you want to watch something with more of an adult theme then watch something aimed at an older audience, if not go and watch this film, you and your children won't be disappointed!!

We loved it!!
My kids liked this as much as Monsters, Inc. and The Incredibles. We especially loved the charming characters and the animation style that is very crisp, colorful, exciting and easy to watch. We enjoyed Bolt's journey of discovery and naivety. I'm sure we will watch this several times over the summer.

Very high standard of animation
I have just returned from a packed-out cinema where the 3D version of this film was shown. At the end, nearly everybody applauded - myself included - because although it took a while to really appeal to me, my own personal conclusion was that it was very high in quality from a technical perspective. As entertainment fare it may not quite (and I mean quite) be up there with the very best of them but it would in all honesty seem churlish to knock it. After all, the primary audience will be children and there can be no doubt what they thought about it; I was accompanied by my two primary-school age daughters and two of their friends, and they gave it a unanimous thumbs-up. I asked them on the way home if they had ever seen a better film, and I was impressed with their comments! They shared my own view that it wasn't the funniest of all time (they mentioned Madagascar and Ice Age as examples of bigger laughs) but they nevertheless said that as a quality film Bolt was as good as anything they had seen.

There's little point in trying to place Bolt in the pecking-order of all-time greatest animated films - everyone will have their favourite. Some still say that Toy Story remains at the top. I still think Shrek could be the one. But what I remember thinking throughout this latest offering from John Lasseter was that the attention to detail in the animation across all four corners of the screen (all backgrounds etc) was awesome, the best I have ever seen. So it was clear that it wasn't put together cheaply or on a tight budget; this is superb animation at its cutting edge.

The story, while simple enough, takes a while to get going. It reminded me of the confusion Buzz Lightyear felt (in Toy Story) when he discovered he didn't have super-powers. Bolt is a dog who thinks he really is the 'superdog' he plays in his TV show because his TV-producer owners never let him off the studio set. He believes he actually has those powers that are of course created by special effects and so on. One thing he is right about, however, is that his make-believe owner in the show, a girl called Penny, really does love him both off set as well as on. So when he accidentally gets shipped from Hollywood to New York, his sole objective is to find his way back to her. The larger part of the running time therefore becomes something of a road movie, during which Bolt is accompanied by Mittens, a stray female cat, and later on a Hamster called Rhino. Rhino recognises Bolt and at first thinks he really is the superdog he has seen on TV; Mittens is far more sceptical and eventually assumes the responsibility of training Bolt how to be a normal dog - chasing sticks and burying bones for example. The chemistry between the three road-going friends is the highlight of the film, watching how they eventually bond together and generally look out for each other when danger appears. Although it's not a big deal, I suppose there are some positive underlying messages for children to learn here, about friendship, loyalty and teamwork.

The script is variable. Early on, during the shooting in Hollywood studios, I began to worry if this was up there with the best. Thankfully things improved when Bolt, Mittens and Rhino set out on their long trip across America and there were more than enough comedic moments and witty one-liners to make up for the uncertain opening. It isn't, therefore, a barrel of laughs from end to end but it does have its comic moments. On several occasions I found myself simply awe-struck by the animation standard; as for the 3D thing, well, I'm not sure that it was needed. I could have lived without it but on occasions I (along with everybody else in the cinema) jerked my head back because it looked as if something was about to actually hit me. Amusing, but not essential, and I doubt that the DVD will be any the worse for being standard 2D.

We were unanimous in our view that this was a much better film than Wall:E or Kung Fu Panda, two fairly recent films in this peer group, and on a par with Madagascar 2. Is it worth the trip to the cinema? Oh yes. Will we be buying it on DVD later on? Without a doubt. This is one for the permanent collection alongside the very best animated movies, and I recommend it strongly.