Chris Zhang

Get a stirring bowl and a spoon, and follow my instructions. Pour in some comedy and adventure, add a pinch of drama, stir in some amazing animation, sprinkle a few excellently-portrayed characters on top, then put it on the big screen for about two hours. What do you get? Bolt! The Avengers, Justice League, and other superheroes can all step aside as there is a new hero in the house: Bolt, who is taking over the box office. Proving true to the trend, Bolt is an adventure movie. However, there is a twist, as the main character is not a human, but a dog. The plot follows Bolt, a White Swiss Shepherd who stars in a TV series called Bolt. Bolt and his owner, Penny, use superpowers to fight Dr. Calico, who has kidnapped Penny’s father. However, Bolt believes that everything that happens in the TV show is real. After a cliffhanger episode where Penny is captured, Bolt thinks this is true and secretly boards the back of a delivery truck, but he is sealed in a box being shipped to New York. In New York, he meets Mittens the cat, who tells Bolt that he needs to go back to Hollywood to find Penny. Along the way, Bolt and Mittens meet Rhino, a hamster who is a huge fan of Bolt. Will they rescue Penny? You’ll have to watch the movie to know. Together, will they be able to make it back to Hollywood safely? The animation was superb, and the fact that it was filmed in 2008 does not change that at all. Both the frames and characters are very clear and have many small details. The style of animation is cartoon-like but not overly so, which makes it look modern but still has a cartoon feel to it. The movie is also hilarious, as one of its genres is comedy. Bolt and his friends create a humorous atmosphere, making jokes every so often and sarcastically exaggerating things. For example, the box Bolt is trapped in contains styrofoam peanuts, and he thinks this stops his powers. Mittens then threatens to “unleash the power of styrofoam packing peanuts” 🤣 🤣 🤣 if Bolt doesn’t untie her. One negative factor of Bolt is its lack of backstory. The film does not explain how multiple characters got where they are. For example, the opening scene shows Penny adopting Bolt as a puppy. However, no information is given about how Penny became a movie star. Overall, I would rate this movie 5/5. I would recommend this film to children aged 5-14; however, even though it classifies as PG, adults will still enjoy Bolt. It is a great movie to watch during the school holidays with your family.