THE CRITIC-AL LIST
5 STAR FAB - 1 STAR RUBBISH

The Crazies
Case 39
The Wolfman
Legion
The Lovely Bones
Black Death
Daybreakers
Avatar
The Stepfather
Ninja Assassin
The Descent: Part 2
Amer
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
The Box
2012
Disney's A Christmas Carol
The Horseman
Solomon Kane
Pandorum
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
District 9
An Education
G.I. Joe: The Rise Of The Cobra
Orphan
A Perfect Getaway
The Imaginarium Of
Doctor Parnassus
Up
Harry Potter
And The Half-Blood Prince
The Taking of Pelham 123
Transformers
The Revenge Of The Fallen
Antichrist
Terminator Salvation
Last House On The Left
Inglorious Basterds
Angels & Demons
Adventureland
Star Trek
Crank: High Voltage
Coraline
Dragonball Evolution
Let The Right One In
Drag Me To Hell
Race to Witch Mountain
Knowing
Monsters Vs. Aliens
Not Quite Hollywood
Lesbian Vampire Killers
Martyrs
The Children
Surveillance
Watchmen
The Unborn
The International
Friday The 13th
Franklyn
Push
Punisher:War Zone
The Uninvited
Amusement
The Good The Bad And
The Weird
Hush
Underworld
The RIse OF The Lycans
My Bloody Valentine
Bolt
Slumdog Millionaire

Directed by Byron Howard and Chris Williams. With the voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Suse Essman, Mark Walton, Malcolm McDowell, James Lipton are Greg Germann. Family animation, USA, 96 min. Web site

In the current spate of dog movies (MARLEY & ME, HOTEL FOR DOGS) one truly stands out. It might not be quite up to the high standard of WALL-E but the first digital Disney cartoon produced by ex-Pixar’s John Lasseter is a wonderfully family-friendly amalgam of imaginative action, visual wit, cultural savvy and gentle character comedy.

Directors Bryon Howard and Chris Williams’ charmer is a canine TRUMAN SHOW in which TV superhero Bolt, a cute white shepherd dog (winningly voiced by John Travolta), thinks his exploits and powers are genuine. Until a packing accident has him shipped to Manhattan where reality bites during his INCREDIBLE JOURNEY back to LA and caring co-star Penny (HANNAH MONTANA’s Miley Cyrus). Okay, the usual sickly messages of loyalty, family and believing in oneself that no animation movies can seem to do without are all present and correct. Yet here they are at least given a reasonably unsentimental spin in a clever narrative shot through with terrific supporting characters (especially Mark Walton as Rhino, the TV obsessed hamster), aesthetically pleasing excitement and heart-warming fun.

The superb 3D version fills out the colourful environment for an all-encompassing richness rather than existing solely to throw effects from the screen.

Alan Jones

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