Blu-ray Review: Bolt (2008) -- 3 Discs Including Digital Copy & DVD

Premiering First on Blu-ray 3/22
-- 2 Days Before It Dashes onto DVD

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In what Inside the Actors’ Studio host James Lipton calls his Walt Disney contribution as the “first Stanislavski animated method actor,” (following his recent work in the darkly comic Igor) playing a TV director in the film Bolt, he delivers the key line of “if the dog believes it, the audience believes it.”

The dog in question is the titular character Bolt, voiced by the charming John Travolta who-- unbeknown to himself-- is the unwitting, canine Truman Show style four-pawed star of an Inspector Gadget like superhero television series. Acting opposite his beloved “person,” Penny (Miley Cyrus), Bolt doesn't realize that the extreme stunts and heroics he carries out on a daily basis perpetually saving Penny from his cat-stroking, mad genius, arch nemesis Dr. Calico (Malcolm McDowell) are staged.

When the shooting stops-- while Penny retreats to her trailer in the hopes of playing fetch with the puppy she picked out shortly after his birth-- Bolt staunchly refuses to break character (and in fact doesn't even know he is a character) by remaining on guard, paws ready, fiercely devoted to the girl he loves. After series of misadventures finds Bolt mistakenly shipped to New York City with no idea how to return to Penny in Hollywood, the Disney comedy that boasts an inventive premise morphs into a picturesque adventure complete with humorous animal sidekicks in the long-standing tradition of Walt Disney animation.

Initially released in 3D around the 2008 Thanksgiving holiday, Bolt has the honor of becoming Disney’s first release made under the guidance of Pixar’s John Lasseter who took over the animation department following the merging of the two companies. Not to mention, Bolt was the first film to hit shelves after Disney’s bold decision to release the Oscar-nominated Bolt exclusively on Blu-ray two full days before the DVD hits shelves.

Fully committed to the Blu-ray format since Walt Disney's exceptional release of Sleeping Beauty last fall and again unfailingly loyal to their audience, they once more return with high quality two and three disc packs of their movies in a Blu-ray format that also gives families either a digital copy of the movie and/or a standard high quality DVD to prevent added expense incurred when people began making the switch from DVD to Blu-ray.

Coming off the heels of their remarkable restoration of Pinocchio, it's a bit unfair to judge the action-packed and highly contemporary Bolt with the same yardstick. Similar to Pixar’s overly long works Cars and The Incredibles, Bolt feels much longer than its 96 minute running time as it exchanges the first act’s high-tech concept to become a Disney animal road movie wherein the sidekick characters are far more entertaining than Bolt or Penny.

Yet, despite this, the movie offers some of Walt Disney Studios’ most incredibly gorgeous animation since its hand-drawn hey-day as we discover in the terrific Blu-ray extra “Creating the World of Bolt,” which analyzes the film's art direction and goal to give the work a “soft, warm, lived-in-look,” as Bolt makes his way back to Hollywood throughout the various states in the continental U.S.

Following extensive research on the techniques employed by classic American painters and dedicated to bringing back the rich hand painted history of the studio’s original animation cells while merging it into the world of CGI, the artists of Bolt inserted brushstrokes and unprecedented detail in each and every shot. The amazing achievement by the art team also involved traveling the journey Bolt would be making in the film with their cameras and sketch pads in tow to see the way light and shadow appeared to change in each new place.

And indeed, as Bolt treks back to L.A. alongside his hyper, scene-stealing hamster sidekick Rhino (incidentally Bolt’s biggest fan) and the tough New York kitten Mittens (voiced by Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Susie Essman in her first animated feature), we’re simply awestruck by the incredible attention to detail which helps elevate the film after it started to lose momentum in its final act.

Following its phenomenally exciting action-packed opening that soon gives way to pathos as we see the pain in Bolt’s eyes when he struggles to become reunited with his “person,” Essman and Disney employee turned voice actor Mark Walton (as Rhino) manage to charm us into laughs as Essman’s street-wise Mittens gives off an Oliver and Company vibe and Rhino comfortably slides into the most reliable of Disney supporting roles as Bolt’s version of Sebastian from The Little Mermaid.

And while overall, the premise itself is rock-solid and would’ve probably been able to be given a green-light on that strength of that ingenious concept alone, unfortunately as a whole the work feels a bit uneven once Bolt arrives in New York City. Possibly, the screenwriting team of Dan Fogelman and Chris Williams may have been a bit more successful if the storyline would’ve found a better payoff or balance between Bolt’s Truman Show like existence and discovery that although he isn’t a real bona fide “super dog,” his superb affection for his “person “will make him feel like one anyway.

And instead of simply sending him on the predictable ups and downs of a clichéd journey motif (despite the beauty) that Disney has exhausted in the past to better much result in the live action film Homeward Bound and in Pixar’s original Toy Story, by milking the opener of what the director called the set of a Michael Bay type TV show and Hollywood jokes, perhaps it would’ve kept the energy level and pacing it established much better than it did by the closing credits.

Of course, as a sucker for Disney’s four-legged friend films and having really enjoyed the outside-the-box approach of Beverly Hills Chihuahua—Bolt doesn’t disappoint overall and the unique image of a dog, a cat, and a hamster going on the road like a 3D animated version of Jack Kerouac is good fun indeed. However, in the end, I think playing with the idea of the Stanislavski method animation actor approach would’ve given it a few more paws up.

In its gorgeously packaged three disc release of the Blu-ray that comes loaded with extras including a new short starring Rhino as he gets to live out his own Bolt-like superhero fantasy, a music video and in-studio voice session footage featuring Travolta and Cyrus, Disney’s BD-live network capabilities, DBox Motion options, art galleries, a filmmaker featurette, interactive games and more—the highlight for me was definitely the aforementioned “Creating the World of Bolt.”

For in it, once again audiences can sit back and simply marvel at the level of commitment and artistry served up by those who work in Disney animation. Also offering a digital copy (compatible with both PC and Apple computers and portable players) as well as a standard DVD of the film, Bolt is also hitting the street this week along with the hotly anticipated two-disc DVD version of Lilo and Stitch with the bonus of purchasers of both titles getting the opportunity to obtain a Bolt plush toy.

DVD Review: Fred Claus (2007)

Flying onto DVD & Blu-ray on November 25




Click Here to View the Trailer & Photo Gallery

Talk about the ultimate black sheep-- Jan Brady has nothing on Fred Claus. The older brother of the boy who would become St. Nicolas, Fred discovered at a young age that sainthood is a tough act to follow. Driven to rage by being constantly overshadowed by his brother's accomplishments and given an annual reminder of his success with the incessant caroling, holiday displays and more-- Fred (played by Vince Vaughn) decided that since he didn't want to join the family business making toys at the North Pole, he'd move to Chicago and become the polar opposite of his brother Santa (Paul Giamati).

Instead of selflessly delivering goods, Fred becomes a repo-man, taking away flat screen televisions and elaborate presents he sometimes moves directly into his own apartment and delivering monologues to his young neighbor Slam urging him not to "drink the Kool-Aid" that is Christmas by being "a cheerleader for Santa Claus," whom he likens to a megalomaniac embodiment of a shell game con artist. An inconsiderate and absent-minded boyfriend to the lovely British meter maid Wanda (Rachel Weisz taking on a Dickensian, wrong-side-of-London accent), when Fred ends up in the slammer following a hilarious confrontation with a veritable army of Salvation Army santas (that seem to be as stealthy as soldiers), he's forced to call his brother for help.

With St. Nick's wife Annette (Miranda Richardson) trying to convince her "closet-eater" husband to practice tough love which doesn't quite fit the saintly mandate, Santa strikes a deal with his brother offering him financial assistance for an upcoming business venture if he'll come work for the handout at the North Pole. Grudgingly, Fred agrees and predictably, he wreaks endless havoc from taking out his frustration with carols by inspiring an impromptu Elvis Presley dance party to helping a shy Elf (Christopher Guest and Kath and Kim scene stealer John Michael Higgins) make a love connection with the mathematically gifted yet Victoria's Secret styled hot elf (Elizabeth Banks) to getting in a wicked snowball fight with his brother until ultimately the family stages an intervention.

By this point the film which seems to draw a large majority of its humor from taking a cynical view of the holiday with mean-spirited jokes (think Bad Santa-- the PG rated version) begins to grow long-winded, not sure whether or not it's masquerading as a comedy about sibling rivalry a la Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly's Stepbrothers or as a companion piece to the much lighter, brighter, and surprisingly contemporary yet nostalgic Will Ferrell vehicle Elf.

The beautifully packaged DVD and Blu-ray disc from Warner Brothers which offers feature length commentary by its filmmaker David Dobkin also adds more than twenty-five minutes of additional scenes, some of which further shift the story's theme from "naughty" to "nice" as well as the opportunity to view it in either its theatrical widescreen aspect ratio which is enhanced for widescreen televisions or in a formatted full-screen version to fit the standard square shape. Additionally, offering both language and subtitle options for English, Spanish, and French speakers-- one of the true audio highlights in its sharp Dolby Digital 5.1 surround is the movie's terrific soundtrack which contains not just holiday classics but other less-than-predictable songs which make the film much more effective including The Byrds' cover of Bob Dylan's "My Back Pages," although only certain numbers made it onto its incredible companion album you can explore below.

Filled with Vaughn's trademark whirlwind monologues and seemingly spontaneous references and jokes that make even uneven films like The Break-Up work, he elevates it well and the Jingle All the Way meets National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation inspired chaotic chase through the streets early on is a complete joy as is a ridiculously creative and funny meeting for Siblings Anonymous where recovering siblings like Frank Stallone, Roger Clinton, and Stephen Baldwin air their frustrations with their famous brothers. Yet, while that is hands-down one of the most ingenious portions of the film, especially when Stephen nearly comes to blows with Fred Claus until he begins repeating his mantra, "that's not Alec," the jokes and tenor of a film which finds Santa being threatened by a struggling economy when efficiency expert Kevin Spacey arrives all too ready to fire him with a three strikes system, doesn't quite know which audience for which it's playing.

Far too nasty for young children and with jokes such as the "I'm a recovering sibling" scene that are sure to go over their head-- it seems like it's shooting for the demographic Vaughn usually reaches of young men who latched onto his frat-pack comedy alongside Owen Wilson--Wedding Crashers (from Claus director David Dobkin who also directed Vaughn in the darker indie Clay Pigeons). Yet, in its indecision in awkwardly moving from a storybook like opening (similar to Elf which was made by his Swingers pal Jon Favreau) to an angry, embittered tale of family dysfunction that always comes to the front burner during the holidays, it loses some of its focus in an overly long second half.

Additionally, while we know it's Fred's story after all as our narrator reminds us, it is a Christmas movie and unfortunately, wastes its lovable Sideways and American Splendor curmudgeon star Paul Giamatti as a spineless Santa who eats his feelings to such an extent that he's developed acid reflux, insomnia, and problems in the sack. The same goes for the film's other Oscar winners and nominees like Kathy Bates, Miranda Richardson, Rachel Weisz, and Kevin Spacey (who does have one brilliant in-joke about wanting to be Superman as a nod to his Lex Luthor role in the newest Warner Brothers film) who aren't given enough to work with and especially in one plot that is endearing, too little time is spent on the cute John Michael Higgins and Elizabeth Banks subplot.

Yet despite its many, many flaws, and an overwhelming urge to go back into the cutting room and trim away at least fifteen minutes, there's enough good stuff in the film to make it watchable and even memorable but it's muddled by its angry script from Cars and Bolt screenwriter Dan Fogelman (who despite this, deserves ample kudos along with story creator Jessie Nelson for a wonderful premise), that I'm guessing went through too many rewrites which led to such a thematically confusing finished product.

While for fans of Vaughn, like myself, who've been enjoying his career ever since he went to "Vegas, baby, Vegas," even though admittedly he seems to play the same character repeatedly (aside from a few wonderful against-type roles in movies like A Cool, Dry Place and Into the Wild), it's worth a look, especially if you have a thing for holiday movies and it makes a nice companion piece to the superior Elf.

Still unfortunately for Claus, Vaughn definitely said it best when he told Favreau he was "so money [that he didn't] even know it" in Swingers as ultimately, it's Favreau's Elf that in the future is destined to become a new contemporary Christmas classic.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

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