In one scene in the middle of the film, Bolt gets a lesson from Mittens on how to look cute and hence grab the affection of picnicers for food.  With flopped ears and pouty smile, Bolt wins a lot of ‘aw’s from the audience at the promo screening.  Disney has perfected the art of cuteness.  Fortunately, the directors have not forgotten to include other human traits like goofiness (for hilarity) and intelligence (for the adult audience) into their characters of the new Disney animated movie.

The latest entry in 3D Disney Digital arrives in the form of super-dog BOLT (John Travolta) where every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue at least until the cameras stop rolling.  But all good things come to an end and the canine star of a hit TV show is lost from her master or mistress Penny (Miley Cyrus) as in this case, into the real world.  Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and with the help of two unlikely traveling companions in the form of a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (Susie Essman) and a TV-obsessed hamster in a plastic ball named Rhino (Mark Walton).  As in all animated films, a message is mandatory.  The obvious one here is that one does not need superpowers to be a hero.

Just as SHREK had two side-kicks (the donkey and the musketeer cat), Bolt has two with Mittens and Rhino.  Why two is a good question.  Perhaps for the reason that if one might not work, the other will.  How is that for cutting the odds in the art of formula filmmaking?

The opportunity for 3D is most appropriate when Bolt is filming his action super hero scenes.  The human brain adapts to the 3D technology very quickly and the gimmick is largely unnoticed during the film’s middle section.

As far as formulaic filmmaking goes and family styled entertainment BOLT delivers.  A song is provided and sung by Miley Cyrus for her die-hard fans.  And the 3D digital will be enough to get audiences out to the theatres instead of staying at home using their downloading PC software. 
And the award for the cutest voice characterization goes to Mark Walton for cutesy Rhino.