Since when i did my analysis of the animation contenders i hadn't seen Bolt (which doesn't qualify for BAFTA but does for the Oscars) it seems only fair now i have to give it a mention.
I have to admit Bolt was a pleasant surprise. Between cutesy trailering, a DreamWorks-esque placing of star names on the poster and documented issues with the film, such as the style and design being changed significantly half way through, i had kind of written this off. But lo! Here we have a genuinely funny family film. It has no pretensions of Pixar's grace and beauty, this is intended purely to entertain kids and the adults. Nothing wrong with that and it completely works at that.
The sidekick character of Rhino (a hamster in a running ball) is inspired and really helps the film avoid a center-stage lag. There's nothing stunningly original here - in fact fans of Inspector Gadget may find the TV show within the film strikingly familiar - and the voice cast, with the excpetion of Rhino (Mark Walton), don't particularly stand out. But at the same time they all work. I saw the film in 3D, which i continue to love, but here, as with 2006's Monster House the film is actually worth seeing regardless of 3D, which has been rare so far with the relaunch of the technology (yes Polar Express, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Beowulf, i'm looking at you!).
Awards chances: It isn't going to threaten the triumvirate of WALL-E, Kung Fu Panda and Waltz With Bashir for the three nominations but it's better than most of the others i've seen and kids will love it.
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