Bolt' (PG)(out of four)

In an era where reality television passes for real life and Hollywood stars are mere caricatures of themselves, the new Disney cartoon "Bolt" has bark and bite. Adding the wit of "Shrek" to the speed of "The Incredibles," "Bolt" takes moviegoers on a wild ride that never lets up during its 96 minutes.

When we first meet Bolt, he's a super dog who can scale tall buildings in a single bound, fight off bad guys, and who possesses a super bark that can literally break pavement into tiny little pieces. The pooch (pleasantly voiced by John Travolta) has only one goal in mind, and that's to keep his owner Penny (voiced by Miley Cyrus) safe from harm. She's his "person" and that's his job.

The fast-paced opening of the movie finds Bolt and Penny in a pickle. Her father, the professor, is being held by the Green Eyed Man, and only Bolt and Penny can get him unglued from his predicament.

The movie really achieves the buy-in factor as you watch the fearless pair trying to navigate some evil forces.

Not one to give away plots (the ride is more fun if you don't know what the surprise element is after the first 15 minutes of the movie), we can say that when Bolt gets separated from Penny, he embarks on a typical fish out of water, or should we say pup out of water, excursion.

Along the way he picks up some great sidekicks, one a chubby hamster in a ball named Rhino who worships the ground Bolt walks on. Actually, Rhino (the voice of Disney animator Mark Walton) has such audience appeal that he's sure to have his own show on the Disney Channel any day.

An alley cat named Mittens (the voice of comedian Susie Essman) starts out as Bolt's nemesis, but their journey helps them discover the true meaning of friendship. This is a Disney cartoon, of course.

If you can, see the movie in 3-D, which makes the colors more alive and the action more, well, action-packed. "Bolt" does have the honor of being the first Disney cartoon designed from inception for 3-D.

Inside Hollywood jokes will keep parents entertained, while the antics of the pup and his pals can all but ensure minimal wiggling from the kindergarten set.