The other strong element besides the characters in Bolt is the story. It's a pretty simplistic one, but it's so well executed that you don't mind the familiarity. In many ways, Bolt is The Truman Show combined with a road picture. Granted it's The Truman Show if that story had been about a dog who was the star of an action TV show, but that's really the core of this plot. Bolt slowly learns that everything he believed about the world isn't really true, which provides not only much of the delightfully funny moments, but is also the heart of the movie as well. Bolt paces it's gags well and perfectly places the few tender moments so that they don't drag down the film or feel abrupt. This is just a well-crafted story filled with engaging characters, and it's been a while since I've been able to say that about anyone other than Pixar.

You know, the fact is that one day we're all going to discover that reality isn't really what we thought it was, just like Bolt did. We all have certain beliefs and preconceptions about what reality is, what right and wrong is, what started this whole crazy thing called life; and with so many different opinions about that, how can we know what's really real? That's a good question, and one that many people struggle with. To be honest, I really feel that it's a gamble. I'm a Christian, and you might say that's what I'm betting my eternity on. Now, if I happen to be wrong about Christianity, well, as a Christian I've lived a "good life," so regardless of what reality may really be, I'm going to be okay. However, what if Christianity is right? It's the only claim out there that says we can never be "good enough" on our own and that we must accept one reality; that Jesus Christ died on a cross and rose from the dead to pay the price for our sins because God loves us so much he wanted to make a way for us to get to heaven. Well, it just seems to me that Christianity is the safer bet... especially when I read in the Bible that it says one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Talk about having your reality destroyed and your world turned upside down. Imagine what that would be like if you were betting Christianity is wrong. You think Bolt felt frightened, disillusioned, confused and perplexed? That's nothing. The fact is we can either confess Christ now by choice, or later when no choice is left. That's a reality we'll all eventually face... or maybe not... but do you want to risk it?

Bolt features some top notch voice acting, really funny gags and some delightful characters, and a story that's instantly familiar but still feels fresh. It's been difficult recently to find a movie that a whole family can truly enjoy; either they're too kiddy or they're too uneven in their attempt to appeal to both grown-ups and adults. In the tradition of classic cartoons like Looney Tunes, Bolt finds a way to appeal to both. Kids will love this movie filled with cute, cuddly characters, and parents will enjoy the fact that the humor isn't all potty and that the dialogue isn't dumbed down to make kids laugh. I love movies that make you feel good after you've left the theater, and Bolt does exactly that. It would seem that lighting has finally struck twice as Disney finally starts to close the gap with industry leading Pixar; and having a larger variety of good, quality animated family films is a win-win situation

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