REEL CRITICS:

Disney and Pixar have combined forces again to produce a top-notch animated film with mainstream appeal for the whole family. Not surprisingly, talking animals are at the heart of the story with John Travolta voicing the title character. “Bolt� is a lovable super dog with his own TV show and delusions about his manufactured powers.

Bolt goes through many changes as circumstances take him a long way from Hollywood. He encounters a worldly wise cat who teaches him the reality of his situation. A pet hamster fan of the television Bolt steals the show when he joins the team as a comical sidekick.

Bolt matures as his new pals help him realize the truth of his life. He lets go of his pretensions and starts working to solve his problems using his real abilities. There are great life lessons in this plot for the kids in the audience. But there’s also sophisticated dialogue to amuse their parents. In the tradition of “Shrek� and “The Incredibles,� this film will entertain viewers of all ages.

A ‘perverse fairy tale’ of winning millions

I’ll just start out by saying I loved “Slumdog Millionaire.� Directed by Danny Boyle (“Trainspotting�) and stunningly acted and photographed, it is unlike anything I’ve seen and is sure to be remembered come Oscar time.

The film opens with Jamal (Dev Patel) being tortured by police, who suspect him of cheating on the Indian version of “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire?� A young man who grew up in the desperate squalor of Mumbai, the police think such a “slumdog� could not possibly have won $10 million rupees unless he cheated.

Since childhood, life has not been at all kind for the orphaned Jamal and his older brother Salim (Madhur Mittal) and Latika (Freida Pinto), the doe-eyed beauty and love of Jamal’s life.

The screenplay is very clever in how it jumps around in time to show how each of the questions from the game show somehow correlate to events in the lives of these three. The story will take you through an ever-changing kaleidoscope of tragedy, violence, romance and suspense.

The cast is terrific, especially the children who play the main characters at various ages. Also noteworthy is Anil Kapoor as a conniving game show host.

Their adventures play out like a perverse fairy tale that will leave you feeling exhausted yet exhilarated at the end.

JOHN DEPKO is a Costa Mesa resident and a senior investigator for the Orange County public defender’s office. SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant for a financial services company.