Shadow Reviews #13: Bolt (2008)

Instructions

My Review: ⭐ Bolt is just a dumb movie. I mean, I never really have much expectation of 2000s Disney 3D animation (there’s a fine difference between Disney’s CGI movies and Pixar’s masterpieces), but every time I watch it (this was, what, the 12th time, my sister picks it a lot), I find myself wanting to do something else. Even doomscrolling is more entertaining than this movie. So, why do I hate it? Well, first of all, it’s important to note what I DON’T hate. Or essentially, the positives of the film. Bolt is a likeable character, yes, there is a charming aspect to his naivete. And I really liked the action sequence in Act 1, it was well directed. In fact, Act 1 is where all the good ideas of the film are used, I actually enjoy Act 1. Everything goes downhill after that. Yes, I understand The Truman Show aspect of the film, the idea of a methodically sheltered actor discovering he is only an actor and not the fantastic and unique individual (or in this case, dog) he thinks he is. And then he realizes his true self and that’s the driving force behind the 60 minutes left of the movie, yadda yadda yadda. And that’s not a bad idea for a film, it just gets really boring really fast if its not executed well. In this case, Bolt utterly failed in that concept. It’s incredibly predictable, once Bolt meets Mittens we know exactly where the action is going and its much less high stakes. Some may say that’s more real of a story, but it fails to fairly charm me. Rhino is an unnecessary character. As a true fan of Bolt, yes, he serves to reinforce (and yet accidentally destroy?) the titular character’s delusion. But aside from that, he does not serve much purpose. Additionally, Mittens annoyed me. I don’t know why, I’m more of a cat person myself, but there was something lacking in her personality. Perhaps an actual relatability? Perhaps the real reason why I hate Bolt is that I never feel a sense of dramatic importance. I never feel any real danger until the climax. A movie with a unsatisfactory Act 2 is a movie that does not deserve to be watched. Some may disagree; Act 3 is the “centerpiece” of the film. But if Act 2 keeps you interested, Act 3 should thrill you. Act 3 in Bolt just renewed my interest briefly until the predictable ending, to the same extent that Act 2 SHOULD be doing. And that’s when you know a movie is wrong. Some people may really like this movie. I disagree, but I can see where one might be charmed. Myself, I’d rather see Bolt being the action film which the titular character thinks he’s in instead of dissecting it for favor of an underwhelming road trip version of The Truman’ Show. What I watched it on: DVD Other critics: Rotten Tomatoes: 90% Metacritic: 67, "generably favorable reviews"