Good dog!
You can tell that I'm a parent, since I haven't seen Quantum of Solace yet, but I have seen Bolt. And it's really very good; better than I expected, in fact. If you haven't been following, Disney's animation division has been a shell of its former self for years, and has been unable to make the transition to computer animation, not even as well as Dreamworks, which seems to be settling for the crumbs that Pixar leaves behind. So Disney and Pixar merged last year, this is the first Disney animation since Pixar's John Lasseter took over, and it shows.
The story isn't particularly original, but it's serviceable, and the characterizations are great. Bolt (the dog) is confused, but never stupid, which I think is critical. He acts consistently with what he knows; he's just proceeding from a false premise (that he's a super-dog, and not an actor on a TV show). There are plenty of "awww" moments, unless you have no soul (an important caveat), and the movie has plenty of heart, which I think is what separates movies like this, and any given Pixar film, from Disney's more recent efforts, like Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons (don't remember those, do you?).
The opening scene of the movie, which is essentially the TV show from the audience's point of view, is quite excellent, and stands up with any Michael Bay actioner, even while making fun of that genre. It's very reminiscent of the fight scene on the island in The Incredibles. That may be worth the price of admission right there. Bottom line: It's not an "instant classic" Disney movie that you'll need to see even if you don't have kids, but if you're a parent dreading another Space Chimps, you can relax and see Bolt with confidence.
The story isn't particularly original, but it's serviceable, and the characterizations are great. Bolt (the dog) is confused, but never stupid, which I think is critical. He acts consistently with what he knows; he's just proceeding from a false premise (that he's a super-dog, and not an actor on a TV show). There are plenty of "awww" moments, unless you have no soul (an important caveat), and the movie has plenty of heart, which I think is what separates movies like this, and any given Pixar film, from Disney's more recent efforts, like Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons (don't remember those, do you?).
The opening scene of the movie, which is essentially the TV show from the audience's point of view, is quite excellent, and stands up with any Michael Bay actioner, even while making fun of that genre. It's very reminiscent of the fight scene on the island in The Incredibles. That may be worth the price of admission right there. Bottom line: It's not an "instant classic" Disney movie that you'll need to see even if you don't have kids, but if you're a parent dreading another Space Chimps, you can relax and see Bolt with confidence.