When a once-untouchable studio like Walt Disney Animation releases such atrocious slop like Chicken Little and Meet the Robinsons as another powerhouse like Pixar embarrasses it annually, it’s not a surprise when the former tries to buy out the latter. After the Walt Disney Company did just that, it was still hard to imagine that its animation studio could avoid the CGI hat trick of shame. Well… surprise! Their newest film, Bolt, has the magic touch and should contend with DreamWorks’ Kung Fu Panda and Pixar’s WALL-E for this year’s best animated feature. Bolt, which plays like a canine Truman Show, electrifies from the beginning and maintains the buzz for nearly the entire film. John Travolta and Miley Cyrus are the headliners, but it’s Susie Essman’s voice talent that stands out remarkably. At its visual best during the action-packed TV sequences, Bolt is indeed “fully awesome,” and even better if you manage to catch it in 3D in select theaters.
