# Bolt: Wasn't there a movie exactly like this a few years ago? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 14, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726 "2008-11-14T16:57:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/1 "2008-11-14T16:57:05Z")
I can’t remember what it was called, but I strongly remember a movie with almost the exact same plot like, less than 5 years ago. Tv/movie star dog gets lost somehow, has to find his way back home, hilarity ensues. Does anyone know what I’m talking about? Anyway, this movie looks like the ultimate in sanitized, status quo blandness. I don’t think I’ve ever been less excited about a movie under the Disney banner. And I really **really** wish they would go back to using professional voice actors rather than established actors and teen-sensations. When I see a little dog on screen, I want to hear a little dog’s voice, not Vincent freakin’ Vega. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/2 "2008-11-14T17:05:10Z")
[Firehouse Dog](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0476995/)? Hollywood dog escapes, gets adopted by a firehouse, gets great press for his amazing feats, returns to Hollywood, then goes back to the firehouse? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/3 "2008-11-14T17:07:57Z")
I don’t know, but those three pigeons look suspiciously like the Goodfeathers from _Animaniacs_. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/4 "2008-11-14T17:12:21Z")
Every talking pet movie ever is about them becoming lost and acquiring a rag-tag group of friends to help them out. FTR, when I saw the trailer for _Bolt_ before _Wall-E_, I thought it looked great, in a cute and fun sort of way. I do agree about voice actors, though. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/5 "2008-11-14T18:13:40Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > When I see a little dog on screen, I want to hear a little dog’s voice, not Vincent freakin’ Vega. From your experience, what do little dogs sound like when they talk to you? You seem to have a very clear idea of it. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/6 "2008-11-14T18:29:25Z")
I think we should look into this further. Perhaps we should arrange a field trip. _I’ll get my ball!_ ---
**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/7 "2008-11-14T18:39:13Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > I don’t know, but those three pigeons look suspiciously like the Goodfeathers from _Animaniacs_. Yeah, I was thinkin’ that, too. Anyway, looks harmless, I’ll probably take my kid some weekend when we’ve got nothing better to do. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/8 "2008-11-14T18:45:10Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > I don’t know, but those three pigeons look suspiciously like the Goodfeathers from _Animaniacs_. This drives me crazy whenever I see the commercial. They even sort of talk like them. The movie looks cute, though. I’ll watch it when it winds up on TV. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/9 "2008-11-14T19:31:09Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > From your experience, what do little dogs sound like when they talk to you? You seem to have a very clear idea of it. No . . . What I’m saying is that a professional voice actor will create a voice that matches the character. John Travolta is just going to be John Travolta. It’s a pretty simple concept . . . Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse don’t sound like a duck and a mouse, but they have believable character voices that took some element of creativity to come up with. If they were created today they’d be voiced by the Jonas Brothers. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/10 "2008-11-14T19:39:34Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse don’t sound like a duck and a mouse Donald’s voice is reminicent of sounds a duck might make. And Mickey’s high-pitched voice can remind one of the high-pitched squeaking of a mouse. As for what a small dog would sound like, if not an action star (which Bolt is), in my mind, wouldn’t you have to go with a child or something? (Some people have complained at the casting of Miley Cyrus as Bolt’s human co-star, but I have no qualms- the character is a young girl, something Ms. Cyrus also happens to be. If she was, say, the voice of the main character or something, _then_ it would be really out of place.) ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/11 "2008-11-14T19:47:46Z")
> [@mobo85](#): > > Donald’s voice is reminicent of sounds a duck might make. And Mickey’s high-pitched voice can remind one of the high-pitched squeaking of a mouse. > > As for what a small dog would sound like, if not an action star (which Bolt is), in my mind, wouldn’t you have to go with a child or something? (Some people have complained at the casting of Miley Cyrus as Bolt’s human co-star, but I have no qualms- the character is a young girl, something Ms. Cyrus also happens to be. If she was, say, the voice of the main character or something, _then_ it would be really out of place.) The point is that it’s a voice actor’s job to come up with the right voice. A screen actor is just going to use their natural voice. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/12 "2008-11-14T20:01:12Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > The point is that it’s a voice actor’s job to come up with the right voice. I guess you have a point . I was thinking about the fact that in many cases some veteran voice actors do a certain kind of voice so many times, that type of voice is easily identifiable- Cree Summer doing a sassy black girl, Tress MacNeille doing a female business person, Daran Norris doing a “shifty salesman”-type, etc. Even Mel Blanc had a few “stock characters” he used from time to time. But, then again, all of these vets (and many others) have also created characters that have unique voices and are so identifiable with their characters, you couldn’t imagine any other voice for them. A few years ago, one veteran voice artist (I think it was Tom Kenny) was complaining about the fact that studios went for recognizable names for animated film voices rather than veteran voice actors. I guess he has a point. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/13 "2008-11-14T20:03:43Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse don’t sound like a duck and a mouse, but they have believable character voices that took some element of creativity to come up with. **If they were created today they’d be voiced by the Jonas Brothers.** and my head just exploded… ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/14 "2008-11-14T20:03:44Z")
Cisco: > [@](#): > > When I see a little dog on screen, I want to hear a little dog’s voice, not Vincent freakin’ Vega. David Berkowitz, is that you? ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/15 "2008-11-14T20:08:42Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > and my head just exploded… Ever watch _The Backyardigans_? Before they made it big, one of the Jonases was the voice of the penguin. And before _he_ made it big, the youngest of the _Wizards of Waverly Place_ was Diego. And when she was a kid, Fergie was Charlie Brown’s sister. Now _those_ made my head explode. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/16 "2008-11-14T20:25:24Z")
> [@cmkeller](#): > > Cisco: > > David Berkowitz, is that you? If it is, I don’t think there’ll really be all that much difference between what the little dog says and what Vincent Vega would say. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/17 "2008-11-14T20:47:10Z")
You know what they call a cheeseburger in France? Go kill that nubile young woman. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/18 "2008-11-14T20:56:33Z")
Are you seriously dissing a movie that has the following exchange? **Bolt:** There’s a guard. **Hamster in a ball:** I’ll go snap his neck. That’s fucking awesome and almost makes want to throw down $9.50 for a theater showing of Bolt. ---
**Author:** ![norvalnormal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f19dbf/32.png) [@norvalnormal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norvalnormal)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/19 "2008-11-14T21:09:11Z")
Note to OP: Either you ain’t nuts or we are identically delusional–I am virtually certain I saw _Bolt_ in its entirety on TV (Disney Channel?) several months ago … ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726/20 "2008-11-14T21:15:23Z")
> [@](#): > > I can’t remember what it was called, but I strongly remember a movie with almost the exact same plot like, less than 5 years ago. Tv/movie star dog gets lost somehow, has to find his way back home, hilarity ensues. Does anyone know what I’m talking about? Substitute an automobile for a dog and you’ve got the plot of _Cars_. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bolt-wasnt-there-a-movie-exactly-like-this-a-few-years-ago/472726.md?page=2)