Staying true to the books, and not glancing over the details ... loved it! Intense and building, making me already begin the countdown to part 2. Saw it at midnight, seeing it again today with my kids! (Mom note: A little more intense than previous ones, might be too intense for those under 10.)
We saw this movie during AMC's Summer Camp program. While both of my children had read the books, they both, (9yo & 10 yo) found it very intense and scary. Their quote was that "compared to Spiderwick, Harry Potter & tHBP was like a sweet little flower."
This movie was, to quote Rhino, "Totally Awesome!" It was refreshing to see an animated feature that did not include any adult humor. The adults that saw it with me loved it as much and laughed as hard as the kids did. The family dynamics that emerge between Bolt, Mittens, and Rhino are heartwarming, entertaining, and hilarious! We left the movie with the kids asking, "Can we see it again in the theater? " and "Can we get this one on DVD when it comes out?" This is a Disney hit, and while Miley Cyrus is one of the voices, there are no Hannah Montana references, and she does not sing. This was not a movie made simply to capitalize on the HM phenomenon! Bolt to the theaters and see this movie!!!! :)