dir. Chris Williams, Byron Howard, USA, 2008, 103'
This time, in choosing from among the ranks of classic animal protagonists, the filmmakers have taken a liking to Bolt, the dog. He lives with the notion that he can maintain his superhero qualities even outside his reality show studio. A similar idea has appeared in the cinemas already (The Truman Show, 1998); Bolt seems to represent its animated parody.
Bolt and the girl Penny are the stars of a popular series; one day however, shooting has to stop and the "superhero" leaves the studio gates believing that the tricks and special effects of his tv world are part of life even on the streets of an American city. He sets out on a journey full of adventures with the cat Mittens and the funny hamster Rhino. Thanks to the sarcasm of Mittens and the humour of Rhino, the dog's journey to "save" Penny becomes the necessary detached perspective.
The film was made in the production studio of the famous Walt Disney Company which has yet again satisfied the principle of 3D animation. The smart sketches of the minor characters (pigeons) are quite a telling proof that a former "Pixarian", John Lasseter, has become the creative director of the Walt Disney Animations Studio.
Jan Černík
