Bolt

Bolt is good family entertainment, with enough warmth to make its familiar story worth following. Directors Chris Williams and Byron Howard begin with a television-action parody that promises a sharper comedy than the film consistently delivers. The opening is lively, but it also raises expectations for invention that the more conventional adventure cannot quite meet. We would still choose it for an evening shared with children, provided the adults are not expecting every joke to have a second meaning.

John Travolta gives Bolt a tenderness that matters more than any knowing joke could. His voice performance allows the character to sound vulnerable without making every exchange a plea for sympathy, and that keeps the sentiment manageable. We were moved more than we expected by the softness in his delivery. It gives the character enough feeling to hold our attention when the story begins to look familiar.

Susie Essman makes Mittens a useful corrective to all that sweetness, though the screenplay by Chris Williams and Dan Fogelman sometimes leans too heavily on disagreement. The banter between Bolt and Mittens can become repetitive, as though another argument were enough to move things along. She helps by making the sharpness funny rather than merely abrasive. There is warmth in the performance too, and the film benefits whenever she suggests something beyond the next complaint.

Then there is Rhino, the hamster voiced by Mark Walton, who supplies an unreasonable amount of the comic energy. His performance gives the part enough force to enliven the film’s slower stretches without becoming exhausting. The enthusiasm is infectious, although it is telling how often we find ourselves waiting for him. His contribution matters particularly when the bickering begins to drag, and his broad comedy is easier to enjoy than some of the dialogue surrounding it.

Tim Mertens’s editing has to accommodate the action spoof and the gentler character comedy, and the changes of pace are not always comfortable. The opening moves with assurance; elsewhere, exchanges linger after their comic point is clear. John Powell’s music is less distinctive than the voice work, although it suits the adventure. Neither the score nor a brisk cut can do much about conversations that have already given us their funniest line.

The animation handles fast action cleanly, and its visual jokes are often more engaging than the banter. What it lacks is a comparably inventive supply of things for these characters to do and say. Family animation need not reinvent the adventure story, but it does need to keep finding fresh business between the expected turns. At 98 minutes, Bolt occasionally feels longer than it should, chiefly because its arguments start repeating themselves.

The modest ambition is not a fault in itself: an affectionate central performance and some good jokes can be plenty for a family film. Here they are, even if the livelier opening leaves us wishing the writing had stayed as alert. Choose it for the voices and the gentle humour; anyone hoping for a sustained television satire should lower those expectations.