Balto Review

Even though Togo led his team through the longest and most hazardous stretch of country during the 1925 serum run from Nenana to Nome, Balto was the one who got the movie. It may not stay true to the actual tale, but it still very entertaining.

When the story begins, Balto, a wolf-dog hybrid, is shunned by the citizens of Nome. The only friends he has are Boris the goose and Muk and Luk, two polar bears. They learn that a dogsled race is finishing in Nome and go to watch. At the race, Balto sees Rosy and Jenna, a young girl and her dog. He is smitten with Jenna, and when Rosy's hat blows away, Balto retrieves it to show off. However, when he tries to give it back to Rosy, her parents pull her away. Steele, the leader of the winning dogsled team, insults Balto, as he seemingly does a lot, and Balto and Boris leave town.

Soon after, Rosy and several other children fall ill with diphtheria, and the doctor is out of antitoxin. Sea and air routes fail, and the closet railroad only goes to Nenana, about 500 miles away as the crow flies (though the trip is longer). The town decides to send out a dog team, and holds a race to pick the dogs. Balto unofficially enters and wins, but, since he is part wolf, is not allowed to lead the team. The dog team sets off, led by Steele.

However, Steele and his team get lost on the way back and the musher is knocked unconscious. News of the event reaches Nome, and Balto, Boris, Muk, and Luk set out on a rescue mission. The rest I'd rather not spoil.

Now, let's start out with the characters. Balto, despite being a dog, is one of my favorite protagonists. He has the personality of a fantasy hero, smart, strong, brave, loyal, etc. What makes him different is how developed he is. You truly grow to love this dog. Boris is funny to watch, and Muk and Luk are hilarious. Jenna is also a very good character.

While this movie seems sweet and innocent, it might scare little kids. There are several scenes that genuinely scared me when I was little, such as the grizzly bear fight. Combine scenes like that with the rather dark atmosphere of the movie, and you have something that might not be entirely appropriate for the young ones.

Still, I enjoyed it when I was 8, and I still enjoy it now. This movie isn't made by Disney, but it still has that all-ages charm to it. Brilliant movie to pick up and watch. It also has two sequels, "Balto: Wolf Quest", and "Balto 3: Wings of Change". I would recommend the second, but the third made up for lost "straight-to-video-disease".