My goddaughter, Lillian Baker, is about as opinionated as they come, just as you’d expect from Kyle Baker’s oldest child. This week, I took her and her younger sister, Jackie (also my close, personal friend) to see Bolt, the new animated feature from the Walt Disney Studios.

Bolt is the story of a dog who doesn’t know that the television show in which he stars is fictional. He thinks he really does have super-powers, and that an evil mastermind is really trying to kidnap Penny, his person. Due to a series of misunderstandings and oddball events, he gets shipped across the country from Hollywood to New York. The movie follows his attempt to get home, as he is befriended by a cat with a Manhattan attitude and a hamster from Ohio who, as fate would have it, is a total fanboy. They travel across the country, with stops in the Midwest and Las Vegas. It features the voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Susie Essman, Malcolm McDowell, James Lipton and Mark Walton.
This was Jackie’s first movie in a movie theater, and we eagerly awaited to see what she thought.
MT: So, what was your favorite part?

JB: I don’t know what part was my favorite.

LB: I liked the hamster. Also, I liked the birds, especially when the pigeons in Los Angeles, trying to sell Bolt a story, said, ‘This is how you blew it with Nemo.” And the fat guy getting hit in the face with the hamster ball is always funny.

MT: I thought it started out a little slow. When he got to New York and met the cat, things started to pick up. Once they met the hamster, named Rhino, things really moved. If you liked the pitches by the pigeons, you’ll love LA. Did you like the animation?

LB: It was pretty good.
MT: I thought the 3D effects were great. They didn’t over-do it, and everything looked really crisp. Are you a fan of Miley Cyrus? She was the voice of Penny.

LB: Her singing is so-so but she’s a good actor. I didn’t even think about it being her.

MT: Do you think boys would like Bolt?

LB: If they’re looking for action and adventure, maybe boys between the ages of six and four. And boys of any age who like comedy, probably.

MT: You thought it was a comedy. You weren’t scared at any of it?
LB: We see a lot of movies and they all sort of turn out like that. The only thing that kind of spooked me was at the end, when they said, ‘We had to completely do over your face.’ I thought that was real.
MT: Jackie, do you have a favorite movie?

JB: I like Dora and Diego.
LB: Are we going to take Jackie with us the next time we go?

MT: It will depend on what we see. Some of the movies we like might be too scary for her, since she’s five. You’re ten and I’m 55, so we can tell that more is fake in the movies than she does.
JB: I’m not afraid of zombies.