
Paula and I took little Kaid and Jayla to see the movie last Sunday over in Wytheville (Marquee Cinemas behind Lowe's - a treasure few seem to know exists), and, unlike so many "cartoons" that are made these days targeted toward adults (Wall-E being the best recent example), Bolt was delightful entertainment for the 6-year-olds. A good thing.
Paula enjoyed the part of the movie in which the cat (seen at left) "Mittens," a stray, made it known (what, you thought the animals didn't talk to each other in the movie?) that she had been declawed by her former owners and then abandoned on the streets when they moved. Paula was so revolted by the thought, and being the animal-rights person that she is, knowing that it happens in real life all too often, shouted an obscenity about the former owners that required that I put my hands over childrens' ears for a brief moment.
Then there's that rotund little hamster, "Rhino," who is probably the most entertaining character in the flick. You gotta see him in action. He'll capture your heart. And you'll laugh uproariously at his antics.
As for the 3D imagery, a review from Kevin Coll:
Lastly, perhaps the 3D experience made this movie that much better. As Disney’s first ever, production, to be filmed in 3D from its inception, I felt immersed from the beginning. Also unlike other 3D films, such as Journey to the Center of the Earth, this movie didn’t rely on “gadgety” actions to heighten the 3D experience it used it as a vehicle to bring the audience into the world of BOLT in such a fantastic way. I truly enjoyed the movie in this capacity and would recommend it to almost anyone as it made going to the movie fun again!Fun. That's certainly what Bolt (3D) was, from start to finish. In these troubled times, it's just what the doctor ordered.
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* I understand that The Dark Knight has a lock on Best Picture this year, but that's not my view. The latest Batman installment was, in my opinion, the typically convoluted Batman movie (what exactly was Maggie Gyllenhall's character supposed to be about anyway?), with a few more special effects.
I will say that Heath Ledger gave the performance of the year in his role as The Joker. I went in thinking that all the adulation that was being heaped upon him was only out of sympathy for his untimely death, but no. He did a superb job with the role. One of the best I've ever seen.
That doesn't make the movie that much better though. If only it had had a coherent plotline ...