by joshSobel on Sun Nov 16, 2008 1:10 am
I just got back from an early screening of Disney's "Bolt" in 3D. I've had high hopes for Bolt ever since I found that John Lasseter (Pixar guru and director of Toy Story, Toy Story 2, A Bug's Life, and Cars) was now the creative overseer of not only Pixar, but Disney as well. I had been constantly hearing that he was whipping Disney back into shape and turning them into a once again successful animation studio. Ever since Disney stopped creating traditionally animated movies, they've been in a steep decline. Under Lasseter's supervision, Bolt was hopefully going to be the turning point for Disney animation.
The question is: Did it succeed?
The answer: For the most part.
Bolt succeeds on a number of levels, but it also has a few flaws that really hinder it. It's certainly not at a "Pixarian" level, but it's certainly a massive jump from "Chicken Little" and "Meet the Robinsons." It's biggest flaw is the fact that it's really just not an interesting story. But even so, Lasseter made sure that the simple, perhaps even cliché story they were working with was executed in the best way.
Partially what makes Pixar movies so great, is the unbelievably realistic sense of heart and emotion that the characters go through. Now that Lasseter is overseeing everything, he's been trying to implement Pixar's expertise into Disney's films as well. With Bolt, there's definitely character development, struggles, and heart, but it all seems a bit too familiar. It's all very stereotypical.
Another flaw Bolt has that doesn't affect the movie tremendously is the fact that a pretty decent chunk of the first half of the movie is paced out extremely slowly. Even the dialogue could have been sped up quite a bit. But it gains a lot of speed once it's half way through.
Negative criticism aside, it's still a lot better than the majority of animated movies popping out today. It's got great character design, decent animation (though not very nuanced), good heart for what it was working with, and there's two or three parts that had me barreling uncontrollably with laughter.
It's worth seeing, but it's just not that exceptional in the end. It's good, but it's also forgettable. It’s still a far cry from any of Pixar's films. Although it's not exactly the jump I was hoping for from Disney, it certainly proves that Lasseter is proving to be a giant positive influence on them. Lasseter probably came in halfway through this project, meaning that future animated Disney films will continue to get better with Lasseter on board from the beginning. Especially with Disney now returning to traditional animation with "The Princess and the Frog," which will be directed by the directing veterans of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin (Bolt was directed by two first time directors).
-Recap-
Positive:
-Great character designs
-Good animation, though not as nuanced as Pixar's
-Beautiful colors and scenery
-Can be downright hilarious at a few parts
-Heartfelt emotional struggles, though cliché
-Executed well for the simple story they were working with
-A big jump from Disney's recent animated failures
-Digital 3D effect is very impressive (Definitely see it in 3D if you can afford an extra $2)
Negative:
-Slowly paced for the first half
-Simple and uninteresting story
-Emotional struggles are far too familiar
-It's not exceptional in any way; it doesn't stand out and is pretty forgettable
Overall: 7/10