Bolt DVD Review

Bolt

http://www.disney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/bolt/

On DVD: March 22nd, 2009

Rated PG for some mild action and peril.

Running time: 96 minutes

Link to our theatrical Bolt reviews.

Byron Howard (dir.)

Chris Williams (dir.)

John Travolta as Bolt (voice)

Miley Cyrus as Penny (voice)

Susie Essman as Mittens (voice)

Mark Walton as Rhino (voice)

Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Calico (voice)

James Lipton as The Director (voice)

Greg Germann as The Agent (voice)

Diedrich Bader as Veteran Cat (voice)

Bolt, (voice of John Travolta), Mittens, (voice of Susie Essman), and Rhino, (voice of Mark Walton), in Disney's Bolt.

Our reviews below:

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Bolt DVD Review By John C.

**** (out of 4)

Bolt, my own personal pick for the very best dog movie in recent years, comes home on DVD today. Following the adventures of a dog, Bolt (John Travolta), who is the star of a TV show, where he plays a super dog who always has to save his person, Penny (Miley Cyrus), from grave-danger. The only problem is, he thinks he really has superpowers. So when he gets lost from the set after filming a cliffhanger episode, he sets out on an hilarious and exciting road trip to get back to his person.

Filled with funny and lovable characters, including a street-smart New York alley cat, Mittens (Susie Essman), and fan boy hamster, Rhino (Mark Walton). The pigeons with accents from whatever city they are in are always hilarious. When I reviewed the film back in November, I called it almost at the level of Pixar, while watching it again, I realized it pretty much is on the same level. Pixar is still slightly ahead in terms of realism in the animation, but Bolt is practically on the same level in terms of story and heart. The action scenes are exciting, the comedy is funny and the characters are very likable and believable for who they are. In theatres the film was in 3-D, but due to the technology for 3-D at home still being expensive and not quite up to what it should be, Bolt is just in plain old 2-D. The animation still has incredible depth to it, so the 3-D was never integral, but just a nice extra element when it was there, but when it’s not, you don’t really miss anything.

Bolt is available in three different formats. The one-disc DVD includes the brand new short film, Super Rhino. The two-disc DVD includes Super Rhino, “I Thought I Lost You” music video, In Session with John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, A New Breed of Directors: A Filmmakers’ Journey, Act, Speak! The Voices of Bolt, Creating The World of Bolt, Deleted Scenes with optional introductions and a digital copy of the film. There is also a three-disc blu-ray combo pack, which basically includes everything on the two-disc DVD set, plus a blu-ray of the film that includes all of the DVDs bonus features and more. If you have a blu-ray player, or are going to be getting one in the near future, then the three-disc is most worth your money. If you don’t really care how you see the film, and don’t mind missing out on all the bonus features, then either DVD edition would be fine.

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Bolt DVD Review By Erin V.

**** (out of 4)

I enjoyed Bolt just as much the second time around on DVD. Originally seeing it in Real D 3D was cool, and watching it again let me remember that experience which was so fun in theatres. Last year was great for animation. The three big animated movies nominated at the Oscars were all stellar, (Bolt, Kung Fu Panda, and WALL•E). I would have been happy had any of them won, (although I am glad that WALL•E won in the end.) Kung Fu Panda got the Annie last year, which meant that Bolt was the one of the three left largely unrecognized for awards last year. It’s still a really good movie, and now that it’s out on DVD, you should really add it to your collection.

The Bolt DVD has about 40 minutes, or so, of great special features. I enjoyed the ‘making of’ videos, and the funny new short ‘Super Rhino’. The DVD/Blu-ray combo pack is worth getting, since once you do make the switch to Blu, (if you haven’t already), you have both. This deal also comes with a digital copy for your iPod. One of the advantages of this set is that even if you’re still waiting to be able to view your Blu-ray, you still get the above mentioned 40 minutes of extras on the regular DVD. Granted, the Blu-ray has a lot more.

For a lot of fun, go out and get the Bolt DVD. This is one that you will probably want to view again and again.

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Bolt DVD Review By Nicole

**** (out of 4)

After seeing Bolt again, I realize this is actually a 4 star movie, not 31/2 like I had originally rated it. Seeing Bolt again on the small screen was just as exciting as when I first saw it in theatres. The story, animation, voice work, and score are some of the best in Disney history.

The extras on the DVD are excellent. The short film “Super Rhino”, is really funny and cute. There is also a music video with John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, which splices scenes from the recording studio, and images from the film. The making of featurettes are really interesting. I really enjoyed the featurette on how the animation backgrounds were done. I really liked how the animators wanted the backgrounds to look like a painting. To see how this was achieved was interesting to me as an artist. I also liked the featurette about the directors, and the one about the voice actors. I like how all the voice actors fit the characters in the movie. I would have liked to see a featurette about the score on the DVD. There are also two deleted scenes, which show some of the early plans for the story. This is one DVD you will definitely want to own.

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Bolt DVD Review By Maureen

***1/2 (out of 4)

Having originally seen Bolt in 3D at a theatre I wasn’t sure the movie would be as enjoyable on DVD with a smaller screen and 2D. Well the DVD didn’t disappoint. The animation is so well done with a lot of depth in the scenes that Bolt is still one of the better animated movies that I’ve seen.

Bolt’s storyline, the action, the voice acting by John Travolta and Miley Cyrus and the excellent animation all add up to a really fun movie. What I like about seeing a movie again on DVD is catching some of the lines and humour I missed the first time in theatres.

This is one DVD that belongs in a family collection. There are a lot of extras on the DVD and it’s nice having the DVD/BluRay combo for those households that are in the process of switching over or adding on BluRay. Treat the family and bring Bolt home.

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Bolt DVD Review By Tony

*** (out of 4)

Read original theatrical Bolt review here.

The BluRay release includes a DVD for folks like us who don’t yet have a BluRay player. Though the BluRay disc has some extra material, the DVD has all the features you would expect. It is fun to hear from the two young directors carrying on the Disney animation tradition with their mentor John Lasseter. We also meet the main voice actors and can watch how their voices are used in their scenes. There is also a short with the hamster Rhino as the hero–in the same vein as the internet Mater shorts from Cars.

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Consensus: Bolt is still a very entertaining movie on DVD. This will be a must add to your collection that you will want to watch for years to come. ***1/2 (Out of 4)

PIXAR goes home empty-handed at the 36th Annual Annie Awards, DreamWorks Animation SKG takes home the top prize for Kung Fu Panda, sweeping the awards

Results from Variety.com’s Awards Central.

Well, the results are in and while I am surprised at the fact that WALL•E did not take home the Best Feature, and Best Feature Director, the majority of the production awards I had guessed would be going to Kung Fu Panda/Secrets Of The Furious Five. The one in particular that I missed and kind of knew all along was that Dustin Hoffman was going to be taking home the prize for voice acting. I chose Ian McShane, also for Kung Fu Panda, fully aware that it would probably be his co-star as mentioned above. Admittedly, when there were more than one animator/production designer/etc. nominated for Kung Fu Panda, I guessed and picked one. And on these, I only picked the wrong one once, in the Storyboarding Feature category.

I am quite pleased that I was able to sucessfully call both of the music awards, and several of the others as well. My feeling all along was that, while this may sound unusual, Kung Fu Panda has a more animated feel to it that WALL•E, and seemed more like an Annie Award contender. But, that’s just my take. Who knows how close these races were? This does beg the question though. Does WALL•E have serious competition at the Oscars? The Annie Awards do not always pick the same winner as the Oscars, as many may recall that Cars took home the Annie Award in 2006 at the 34th Annual Annie Awards, while the Oscar that year went to Happy Feet.

So WALL•E does not take home any awards, nor does Bolt. All of the movie awards this year went to Kung Fu Panda, I believe. It all comes down to the vote, I guess, and I am willing to bet that some of these races were very close indeed.

- Erin V.

2008 Annie Awards Predictions

Here are John C. and Erin V.’s predictions for the 36th Annual Annie Awards. We will post a list of winners later in the night. EDIT: Winners now included in bold-italic. Our correct guesses are also in bold type.

John C. had 8/24 correct guesses and Erin V. had 13/24. Needless to say, we call the movie categories quite a bit better it seems...

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

Best Animated Feature

Wall·E – Pixar Animation Studios - John C.

Wall·E – Pixar Animation Studios - Erin V.

Winner - “Kung Fu Panda,” DreamWorks Animation

Best Animated Home Entertainment Production

Batman: Gotham Knight – Warner Bros. Animation - John C.

Batman: Gotham Knight – Warner Bros. Animation - Erin V.

Winner - “Futurama: The Beast With a Billion Backs,” The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Best Animated Short Subject

Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death – Aardman Animations Ltd. - John C.

Presto – Pixar Animation Studios - Erin V.

Winner - “Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death,” Aardman Animations Ltd.

Best Animated Television Commercial

Sarah – Z Animation - John C.

United Airlines “Heart” – Duck Studios - Erin V.

Winner - United Airlines “Heart,” Duck Studios

Best Animated Television Production

The Simpsons – Gracie Films/Fox TV - John C.

The Simpsons – Gracie Films/Fox TV - Erin V.

Winner - “Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II,” ShadowMachine

Best Animated Television Production Produced for Children

A Miser Brothers Christmas – Warner Bros. Animation in association with ABC Family & Cuppa Coffee Studios - John C.

A Miser Brothers Christmas – Warner Bros. Animation in association with ABC Family & Cuppa Coffee Studios - Erin V.

Winner - Animated Television Production Produced for Children “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” Nickelodeon

Best Animated Video Game

Kung Fu Panda – Activision - John C.

Kung Fu Panda – Activision - Erin V.

Winner - “Kung Fu Panda,” Activision

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

Animated Effects

Li-Ming Lawrence Lee “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation - John C.

Li-Ming Lawrence Lee “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation - Erin V.

Winner - Li-Ming Lawrence Lee “Kung Fu Panda,” DreamWorks Animation

Character Animation in a Feature Production

Jeff Gabor “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who” – Blue Sky Studios - John C.

James Baxter “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation - Erin V.

Winner - James Baxter “Kung Fu Panda,” DreamWorks Animation

Character Animation in a Television Production or Short Form

Pierre Perifel “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation - John C.

Pierre Perifel “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation - Erin V.

Winner - Pierre Perifel “Secrets of the Furious Five,” DreamWorks Animation

Character Design in an Animated Feature Production

Sang Jun Lee “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who” – Blue Sky Studios - John C.

Nico Marlet “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation - Erin V.

Winner - Nico Marlet, “Kung Fu Panda,” DreamWorks Animation

Character Design in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Nico Marlet “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation - John C.

Nico Marlet “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation - Erin V.

Winner - Nico Marlet, “Secrets of the Furious Five,” DreamWorks Animation

Directing in an Animated Feature Production

Andrew Stanton “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios - John C.

Andrew Stanton “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios - Erin V.

Winner - John Stevenson & Mark Osborne, “Kung Fu Panda,” DreamWorks Animation

Directing in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Alan Smart - SpongeBob SquarePants “Penny Foolish” – Nickelodeon - John C.

Alan Smart - SpongeBob SquarePants “Penny Foolish” – Nickelodeon - Erin V.

Winner - Joaquim Dos Santos, “Avatar: The Last Airbender: Sozin’s Comet Pt. 3,” Nickelodeon

Music in an Animated Feature Production

Hans Zimmer & John Powell – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation - John C.

Hans Zimmer & John Powell – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation - Erin V.

Winner - Hans Zimmer & John Powell, “Kung Fu Panda,” DreamWorks Animation

Music in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Kevin Kiner – “Star Wars The Clone Wars: Rising Malevolence” – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd. - John C.

Henry Jackman, Hans Zimmer & John Powell – “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation - Erin V.

Winner - Henry Jackman, Hans Zimmer & John Powell, “Secrets of the Furious Five,” DreamWorks Animation

Production Design in an Animated Feature Production

Ralph Eggleston “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios - John C.

Ralph Eggleston “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios - Erin V.

Winner - Tang Heng, “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Production Design in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Andy Harkness “Glago’s Guest” – Walt Disney Animation Studios - John C.

Tang Heng “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation - Erin V.

Winner - Tang Heng, “Secrets of the Furious Five” - DreamWorks Animation

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production

Ronnie Del Carmen – “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios - John C.

Alessandro Carloni – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation - Erin V.

Winner - Jen Yuh Nelson, “Kung Fu Panda” - DreamWorks Animation

Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Chris Williams “Glago’s Guest” – Walt Disney Animation Studios - John C.

Chris Williams “Glago’s Guest” – Walt Disney Animation Studios - Erin V.

Winner - Chris Williams, “Glago’s Guest” - Walt Disney Animation Studios

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production

Mark Walton – Voice of Rhino – “Bolt” – Walt Disney Animation Studios - John C.

Ian McShane – Voice of Tai Lung – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation - Erin V.

Winner - Dustin Hoffman, Voice of Shifu, “Kung Fu Panda” - DreamWorks Animation

Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Ahmed Best – Voice of Jar Jar Binks – “Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II” - ShadowMachine - John C.

Ahmed Best – Voice of Jar Jar Binks – “Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II” - ShadowMachine - Erin V.

Winner - Ahmed Best, Voice of Jar Jar Binks, “Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II” - ShadowMachine

Writing in an Animated Feature Production

Ari Folman – “Waltz With Bashir” – Sony Pictures Classics, Bridgit Folman, Les Films D'ici, Razor Films - John C.

Jon Aibel & Glenn Berger – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation - Erin V.

Winner - Jonathan Aibel & Glenn Berger, “Kung Fu Panda” - DreamWorks Animation

Writing in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Paul McEvoy and Todd Berger – “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation - John C.

Paul McEvoy and Todd Berger – “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation - Erin V.

Winner - Tom Root, Douglas Goldstein, Hugh Davidson, Mike Fasolo, Seth Green, Dan Milano, Matthew Senreich, Kevin Shinick, Zeb Wells, Breckin Meyer, “Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II” - ShadowMachine

Updated at 4:00am on Saturday, January 31st, 2009.

The Annie Awards - Animation's Highest Honour

http://www.annieawards.org/

The 36th Annual Annie Awards will take place on Friday, January 30, 2009, at UCLA's Royce Hall in Los Angeles, California.

The pre-reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by the Annie Awards ceremony at 8 p.m. and post-award party at 10 p.m.  All events are held at Royce Hall.  Winners now in Bold type.  

2008 Annie Award Nominations by Category

PRODUCTION CATEGORIES

Best Animated Feature

Bolt – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Kung Fu Panda – DreamWorks Animation

$9.99 – Sherman Pictures/Lama Films

Wall·E – Pixar Animation Studios

Waltz With Bashir – Sony Pictures Classics, Bridgit Folman, Les Films D'ici, Razor Films 

Best Animated Home Entertainment Production

Batman: Gotham Knight – Warner Bros. Animation

Christmas Is Here Again – Easy To Dream Entertainment in association with Renegade Animation

Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs – The Curiosity Company in association with 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

Justice League: The New Frontier – Warner Bros. Animation

The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning – DisneyToon Studios

Best Animated Short Subject

Glago’s Guest – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Hot Dog – Bill Plympton Studio

Presto – Pixar Animation Studios

Sebastian’s Voodoo – Joaquin Baldwin

Wallace & Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death – Aardman Animations Ltd.

Best Animated Television Commercial

Giant Monster – Curious Pictures

Long Legs Mr. Hyde – Curious Pictures

Rotofugi: The Collectors – Screen Novelties/RSA Films

Sarah – Z Animation

United Airlines “Heart” – Duck Studios

Best Animated Television Production

King of the Hill – 20th Century Fox TV

Moral Orel – ShadowMachine

Phineas and Ferb – Disney Television Animation

Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II - ShadowMachine

The Simpsons – Gracie Films/Fox TV

Best Animated Television Production Produced for Children

A Miser Brothers Christmas – Warner Bros. Animation in association with ABC Family & Cuppa Coffee Studios

Avatar: The Last Airbender – Nickelodeon

Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends “Destination Imagination” – Cartoon Network Studios

The Mighty B! – Nickelodeon

Underfist: Halloween Bash – Cartoon Network Studios

Best Animated Video Game

Dead Space – Electronic Arts

Kung Fu Panda – Activision

Wall·E – Heavy Iron Studios, a division of THQ, Inc.

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT CATEGORIES

Animated Effects

Alen Lai “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who” – Blue Sky Studios

Li-Ming Lawrence Lee “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Fangwei Lee “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” – DreamWorks Animation

Kevin Lee “Bolt” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Enrique Vila “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios

Character Animation in a Feature Production

James Baxter “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Jeff Gabor “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who” – Blue Sky Studios

Philippe Le Brun “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Victor Navone “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios

Dan Wagner “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Character Animation in a Television Production or Short Form

Sandro Cleuzo “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation

Joshua A. Jennings “Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II” - ShadowMachine 

Pierre Perifel “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation

Character Design in an Animated Feature Production

Valerie Hadida “Igor” – Exodus Film Group

Sang Jun Lee “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who” – Blue Sky Studios

Nico Marlet “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Character Design in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Bryan Arnett – Mighty B! “Bat Mitzah Crashers” – Nickelodeon

Ben Balistreri - Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends “Mondo Coco” – Cartoon Network Studios

Sean Galloway “The Spectacular Spider-Man” – Sony Pictures Television

Jorge Gutierrez – El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera “The Good, The Bad, The Tigre” – Nickelodeon

Nico Marlet “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation

Directing in an Animated Feature Production

Sam Fell, Rob Stevenhagen “The Tale Of Despereaux” – Universal Pictures

Ari Folman “Waltz With Bashir” – Sony Pictures Classics, Bridgit Folman, Les Films D'ici, Razor Films 

Tatia Rosenthal “9.99” – Sherman Pictures/ Lama Films

John Stevenson & Mark Osborne “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Andrew Stanton “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios

Directing in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Bob Anderson - The Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror XIX” – Gracie Films/Fox TV

Joaquim Dos Santos – Avatar: The Last Airbender “Sozin’s Comet Pt. 3” – Nickelodeon

Craig McCracken, Rob Renzetti - Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends “Destination Imagination” – Cartoon Network Studios

Chris McKay – Moral Orel “Passing” – ShadowMachine

Alan Smart - SpongeBob SquarePants “Penny Foolish” – Nickelodeon

Music in an Animated Feature Production

Kevin Manthei – “Batman: Gotham Knight” – Warner Bros. Animation

John Powell – “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who” – Blue Sky Studios

Max Richter – “Waltz With Bashir” – Sony Pictures Classics, Bridgit Folman, Les Films D'ici, Razor Films 

William Ross – “The Tale Of Despereaux” – Universal Pictures

Hans Zimmer & John Powell – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Music in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Carl Finch & Brave Combo - Click and Clack’s “As the Wrench Turns” – CTTV Productions

Henry Jackman, Hans Zimmer & John Powell – “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation

Kevin Kiner – “Star Wars The Clone Wars: Rising Malevolence” – Lucasfilm Animation Ltd.

Guy Moon – Back at the Barnyard “Cowman: The Uddered Avenger” – Nickelodeon/Omation

Guy Michelmore – “Growing Up Creepie: Rockabye Freakie” – Taffy Entertainment LLC

Production Design in an Animated Feature Production

Ralph Eggleston “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios

Paul Felix “Bolt” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Tang Heng “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Evgeni Tomov “The Tale Of Despereaux” – Universal Pictures

Raymond Zibach “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Production Design in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Andy Harkness “Glago’s Guest” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Tang Heng “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation

Seonna Hong – The Mighty B! “Bee Patients” – Nickelodeon

Dan Krall – Chowder “The Heavy Sleeper” – Cartoon Network Studios

Raymond Zibach “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation

Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production

Alessandro Carloni – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Ronnie Del Carmen – “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios

Joe Mateo “Bolt” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Jen Yuh Nelson – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Rob Stevenhagen – “The Tale Of Despereaux” – Universal Pictures

Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Butch Hartman – Fairly OddParents “Mission: Responsible” – Nickelodeon

Andy Kelly – Ni Hao, Kai-Lan “Twirly Whirly Flyers” – Nickelodeon Productions/Nelvana

Andy Schuhler – “Secret of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation

Eddie Trigueros “The Mighty B! “Name Shame”– Nickelodeon

Chris Williams “Glago’s Guest” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production

Ben Burtt – Voice of Wall·E – “Wall·E” – Pixar Animation Studios

Dustin Hoffman – Voice of Shifu – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

James Hong – Voice of Mr. Ping – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Ian McShane – Voice of Tai Lung – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation

Mark Walton – Voice of Rhino – “Bolt” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

Voice Acting in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Ahmed Best – Voice of Jar Jar Binks – “Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II” - ShadowMachine

Seth MacFarlane – Voice of Peter Griffin – Family Guy “I Dream of Jesus” – Fox TV Animation/Fuzzy Door Productions

Dwight Schultz – Voice of Mung Daal – Chowder “Apprentice Games” – Cartoon Network Studios

Writing in an Animated Feature Production

Jon Aibel & Glenn Berger – “Kung Fu Panda” – DreamWorks Animation 

Etan Cohen and Eric Darnell & Tom McGrath – “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa” – DreamWorks Animation

Ari Folman – “Waltz With Bashir” – Sony Pictures Classics, Bridgit Folman, Les Films D'ici, Razor Films 

Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio – “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears A Who” – Blue Sky Studios

Writing in an Animated Television Production or Short Form

Joel H. Cohen – The Simpsons “The Debarted” – Gracie Films/Fox TV

Scott Kreamer – El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera “Mustache Love” – Nickelodeon

Paul McEvoy and Todd Berger – “Secrets of the Furious Five” – DreamWorks Animation

Tom Root, Douglas Goldstein, Hugh Davidson, Mike Fasolo, Seth Green, Dan Milano, Matthew Senreich, Kevin Shinick, Zeb Wells, Breckin Meyer – “Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II” – ShadowMachine

Chris Williams – “Glago’s Guest” – Walt Disney Animation Studios

JURIED AWARDS

Winsor McCay recipients - Mike Judge, John Lasseter and Nick Park for career contributions to the art of animation

June Foray award - Bill Turner for significant and benevolent or charitable impact on the art and industry of animation

Certificate of Merit award - Amir Avni, Mike Fontanelli, Kathy Turner, Alex Vassilev

Bolt

November 21st, 2008

Rated PG for some mild action and peril.

Byron Howard (dir.)

Chris Williams (dir.)

John Travolta as Bolt (voice)

Miley Cyrus as Penny (voice)

Susie Essman as Mittens (voice)

Mark Walton as Rhino (voice)

Malcolm McDowell as Dr. Calico (voice)

James Lipton as The Director (voice)

Greg Germann as The Agent (voice)

Diedrich Bader as Veteran Cat (voice)

Our reviews below:

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Bolt Review By John C.

**** (out of four)

When a poster has the name of Miley Cyrus, and is advertising a Disney movie about a dog that will be presented in 3-D, it could easily just be a cash grab. But Bolt is not. The 3-D is not the old red and blue, it’s the digital kind where two images (one for the left eye and one for the right) flick back and forth at a higher frame rate then usual film, so when you wear the special glasses, it gives the illusion of depth, (without the glasses, it just looks like a perfect double image), the glasses draw the light into your eyes, so that each eye sees pretty much the same thing. You can get more info on Real D 3-D at it’s official website www.reald.com, or on Wikipedia.

The film would be great if you didn’t see it in 3-D, but the extra 3 dollars make the experience a bit better and more fun. But enough about 3-D, and on to my thoughts on the film. The story is a lot of fun, and the premise is interesting for an animated movie, where a character who plays a hero on a TV show thinks it’s all real, and is shocked to find out it’s not, (it could be described as a cross between Toy Story, The Truman Show, and is also a bit like Tropic Thunder, only in reverse), The characters are fun and funny, (especially the pigeons, who are hilarious), and the animation and visuals are great.

The action scenes are exciting, on and off the Bolt TV show, including car chases, set pieces on the back of moving vehicles, and one impressive grand finale, (which, be warned, could be scary and disturbing to some young kids, so take the PG rating into effect). John Travolta is perfectly cast as Bolt, as are Susie Essman as Mittens the cat and Mark Walton as Rhino the hamster.

It’s not quite up to the standards of Pixar, but Pixar has set the bar so high that nothing else can really compare no matter how good it is. Bolt is though, the closest Disney has ever gotten to Pixar, and it is really great. Having quite enjoyed Disney’s other two CGI movies, and really loving this, I actually can’t wait to see what they come out with next.

2008 has been a great year for animation, and Bolt should not be missed, so go see it with kids, or just go by yourself, and either way you’re sure to have a great time. I can’t really resist saying this, so I won’t, Bolt is truly fully awesome.

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Bolt Review By Erin V.

**** (out of four)

In the new Disney movie, the title character Bolt, (voice of John Travolta), is the star of a TV show - which he thinks is real. And so, when an episode is taped with a cliffhanger, he believes that his owner, Penny, (voice of Miley Cyrus), who plays his owner on the show as well, is truly in grave danger. Since filming will not resume until the following week, he doesn’t know that she’s all right and breaks out of his trailer at the studio. He ends up accidentally brought across the country where he starts his efforts to try to find her. As he journeys back to California from New York he teams up with a cat named Mittens, (voice of Susie Essman), and a hamster named Rhino, (voice of Mark Walton), who like Bolt, believes that the show is real.

The fact that Bolt believes his powers so deeply, even in the ‘real world’, makes his delusion very real in the sense that, you really believe that he believes this. At first he easily finds an answer to anything that challenges his delusions, but it gets harder for him. The characters are very appealing in this movie, especially Bolt, Mittens, and Rhino. Each one has their own unique personality, and that’s one of the many things that makes this movie really work.

The voice cast does a great job in helping to bring the characters to life here, and John Powell’s musical score is amazing in the action, quieter, and more emotional scenes. I liked the design of the animal characters especially, and the scenery was very good. The Real D digital 3D actually works well, (unlike the red and blue 3D), and was especially effective in providing a sense of depth in landscape scenes. The chase scenes that are in this movie look spectacular using these effects, and unlike some 3D movies, it was not used as a reason to throw stuff at the screen, but instead to help move the story along.

I would definitely go see this movie again, and I would recommend it as well. While this isn’t WALL•E, it is a very well made film, and a very enjoyable one at that. Older kids, and adults will probably really enjoy it, but just take into account though, that the rating is a mild PG and with good reason. There are scenes here that could be very frightening to young children.

If you’re looking for something to go to, Bolt is one of the must see movies in theatres right now. This is a quality movie, and one that will be enjoyed by the whole family.

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Bolt Review By Nicole

***1/2 (out of four)

Bolt is a white German Shepherd, who stars as a superdog in a television program, along with a girl named Penny. Problem is, Bolt has the delusion that he really is a superdog. (Penny, in the meantime, wants Bolt to be a pet and not an actor, who lives in a trailer.) When a cliffhanger episode of the Bolt TV program finishes filming, Bolt believes Penny is really in danger, and sets off to find her. He gets lost along the way, and meets up with other animals, a cat named Mittens, and a hamster named Rhino. Together, they set off on a series of cross-country adventures, in a quest to find Penny. In the end, Bolt realizes that one doesn’t have to be a superdog to be a hero.

Bolt is a fun movie. John Powell’s score is exhilarating and amazing, and really captures the mood of the film. Some of the funniest parts of the movie are the scenes which make fun of the entertainment industry, (especially the way media exploits child actors). One of Disney’s finest, Bolt contains some of the best action sequences in animation. While not quite Pixar, this film has the quality of being an animated movie which doesn’t try to be too cute. Some scenes involving characters in peril will frighten young children, but this film is still a good one to bring the family to. The Real D 3D works quite well, and adds an element of depth to the animation, but even without the 3D, this movie is still worth seeing. Bolt is one movie you don’t want to miss this holiday season.

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Bolt Review By Maureen

***1/2 (out of four)

I really enjoyed seeing Bolt. I especially enjoyed the Real D, 3D experience. There are a lot of exciting chase scenes, explosions and a fire that really worked in 3D. Even the non-action scenes worked well.

This movie would still work well even if you couldn’t see it in 3D. It has a good story line, lots of action, a good soundtrack, funny dialogue, very likable characters, and a strong cast, (including Miley Cyrus as Penny). Bolt is well voiced by John Travolta, and Mittens the cat, (Susie Essman), and Rhino the hamster, (Mark Walton), are fun to watch. Also fun to watch are the pigeons. As is often the case in animated films, a lot of the humour will go over kids heads. Some of the scenes are scary for younger viewers. Because the Bolt story line involves a story within a story, younger kids will have trouble differentiating between the Bolt TV show scenes and the Bolt real life scenes. A lot of the action may seem too real.

Overall, at the heart of this story is a friendship between a girl and her dog, and the friendship between Bolt, Mittens, and Rhino as they go on their adventure to reunite Bolt with his person, Penny. It is the thread of friendship that makes this movie really nice to watch. The action, the humour, and the special effects make it all the more special. I would highly recommend this one for families to see either in 3D or not. This is a real holiday treat. Just keep in mind the mild PG for the youngest of viewers.

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Bolt Review By Tony

*** (out of four)

Bolt, the latest Disney animated feature is better than the two previous ones, Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons. With Pixar’s John Lasseter as executive producer, it combines some of the qualities of Pixar with the weaknesses of Disney. (In my opinion Pixar is to Disney as Mac is to PC.) The two clips available on Apple.com illustrate what I mean. The opening Chase clip, up to Pixar’s high standards, would not be out of place among the classic film car chases. The Rescue clip on the other hand typifies the heavy-handed slapstick and negative stereotypes of previous Disney films. Some have suggested that the skinny figures painted by El Greco came from some form of astigmatism. Maybe the opposite is true for some Disney artists. It is refreshing that plus-size characters are used, but making them spherical in shape is just grotesque. Moreover, as in Chicken Little, the relative sizes of characters are inconsistent. Bolt is usually shown to be not much bigger than the cat Mittens and the hamster Rhino, and in the chase scene is tiny beside his “human” Penny standing on her scooter. However, when Penny gets down and hugs him, Bolt is almost as big as she is and his head is actually bigger than hers.

Despite these minor problems, Bolt is really a good film. It has a well-written script and excellent voice actors. The use of special effects and other superhero conventions are well lampooned. The premise of an actor on a cross-country mission who finds out he really does not have super powers and has to rely on others (reminiscent of Buzz Lightyear) is a strong one. In his first voice acting role, John Travolta captures the irony of this perfectly. The minor characters are also well drawn and acted. Watch for the obnoxious agent, the perfectionist director, and the regional pigeons, especially the New Yorkers and the Hollywood partners.

The Disney Digital 3D™ theatrical version added nice depth without any of the problems of earlier 3D systems, but you wouldn’t miss all that much without it–the 1080p high definition clips we saw on our big imac were also beautiful to watch. In other words, unlike some recent 3D blockbusters, Bolt doesn’t need to be in 3D to be worth seeing.

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Consensus: Bolt is a very entertaining movie, especially in 3D. It is well made, has likable characters, and good voice acting. This will be a movie no doubt enjoyed by families for years to come. ***1/2 (out of four)