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3 stars***

Undoubtedly, this is Disney’s best animated movie in a long time; it almost takes you back to when Disney made movies where we could ‘feel’ the characters rather than their recent history of forcing us back in our seats and being ‘hit’ by clever animations, but not so much movie interest.

This is a mixture of the days when we loved the ‘101 Dalmatians’ and today’s computer generated technology. It’s the only place (almost) where you’ll see a dog, cat and hamster get along so well without chasing each other, but admittedly the dog doesn’t treat the cat so well before they become friends.

Walt Disney Animation Studios should be complemented on how well they’ve looked at the ways dogs, cats and hamsters really react in their daily lives. The little touches employed by the Disney people are excellent. One example was when Bolt when to his cabin. He turned in a few circles before sitting down. Dogs do this, but it’s rarely seen in movies, especially animated models.

The screenplay by Chris Williams and Dan Fogleman from Chris Sander’s idea is structured well to ensure that we get a good story line that’s not lame with one or two big moments strung out by long non entity sections. This script really moves along correctly, as though we have full human interface. We actually fall for the story and believe in it and the characters.

The comedy is good and matches its audience, probably from aged 9 to 99. It’s probably too worrying or frightening for kids under 9, but parents and guardians will have to judge that one.

It was made in eighteen months, which I’m told is short for this type of movie, but it still cost $150 million to make, so those DVD sales are going to have to be high to get the original costs back. Still, with games and other merchandise, it might not be the movie that makes Disney the Bolt money.

John Travolta does a really good job as Bolt giving full expression so that we really know him quite soon. I’m told that Miley Cyrus is quite big in the states at the moment (where have I been?). Her voicing of Bolt’s owner is spot on.

I wish I’d seen this in 2008 as it would have just piped Madagascar; Escape2Africa, to our annual award. Both are far more entertaining that that bore, WallE. If I wanted a lecture I’d have gone to college. I sought entertainment and Bolt certainly figures very high in that neighborhood.

It looks like we’re on a dog film run at the moment. First we had Marley & Me, now Bolt and very soon we’ll see the Hotel for Dogs movie. All we need now is 103 Dalmatians.