Bolt 2 1/2 Stars—Harmless as a puppy, “Bolt” comes bounding into theaters, stumbling over its big, goofy paws, wagging its fluffy tail and begging to play ball. It’s sweet and eager to please but, sadly, nothing terribly special: Girl finds dog, girl loses dog, girl gets dog back. You’ve seen this sort of thing countless times before, namely in any movie with the word “Lassie” in the title. This animated 3-D adventure follows a scrappy, white shelter mutt named Bolt (voiced by John Travolta) who isn’t a superhero, but he plays one on TV. Trouble is, he has no idea he’s an actor in a role. He thinks he’s really saving plucky, young Penny (Miley Cyrus)—his “person,” as he’s so proud to call her—from bad guys and explosions over and over again. When Bolt accidentally gets shipped across the country from Hollywood to New York City, in totally contrived fashion, he must make that tried-and-true, intrepid trek back home. PG for some mild action and peril. 96 min.—Christy Lemire



Twilight 1 1/2 Stars—Teenage girls will surely squeal with delight throughout this feverishly awaited adaptation of the hugely selling vampire novel. But much of what made the relationship between Edward and the smitten Bella Swan work in Stephenie Meyer’s breezy book is stripped away on screen. The lively banter—the way in which Edward and Bella teased and toyed with one another about their respective immortality and humanity—is pretty much completely gone, and all that’s left is one-note, adolescent angst. At first, Edward fights his all-consuming attraction to Bella but eventually finds he can’t stay away. Good thing, too, because she’ll need him to protect her from even greater dangers than the one he potentially presents—and that’s where “Twilight” really collapses in a heap of cheesy visual effects. PG-13 for some violence and a scene of sensuality. 121 min.—Christy Lemire



RATINGS: 4 stars: Excellent; 3 stars: Good; 2 stars: Fair; 1 star: Poor