Dog Star

Bolt, Disney�s latest attempt at replicating the CG success of Pixar, opens with an extended action sequence as thrilling as any from their sister studio. Here�s the set-up: �A brilliant scientist is captured by a nefarious villain and it is up to his daughter, a spy kid named Penny, to rescue him. But how can a little girl accomplish this seemingly impossible task, you say? Well, it helps that Penny�s loyal pet Bolt is actually a genetically altered super-canine with such amazing powers as super-speed, laser vision and even a �super-bark�. The evil villain�s henchmen bring out the big guns to stop them, but they are no match for the powerful pooch.�

(c) Disney

And cut. It is here we discover that what we just saw (exploding helicopters, menacing motorcycles, child endangerment) was all part of the elaborately choreographed filming of a television action show. See, Penny (voiced, surprisingly un-annoyingly, by Miley Cyrus) is just an actress (and, apparently, a highly trained stunt person) and Bolt (voiced by a miscast, too old for the part John Travolta � wasn�t Zac Efron available?) is just a regular dog.

The twist, as revealed in an exposition-heavy monologue by the show�s manic method director (voiced, with a sly wink to his day job as host of Inside the Actors Studio, by James Lipton), is that Bolt doesn�t know he�s in a TV show. The reason being is that, if the dog believes the danger is real, his performance on screen will be more believable (in other words, a canine version of The Truman Show). However, ironically, this has the opposite effect on the film itself, as all believability is thrown out the window at this point.