A Movie Review by Cyberwulfe
When Universal Studios released Balto to theaters in December of 1995, I was eager to see it. Something in that movie had spoken to me. A cry that would go unanswered until April '96 when Balto came to video because I went to see Toy Story and I couldn't find anyone who would go with me to see Balto!
I read the junior novelization (my little sister had borrowed it from the school library) right after the movie was released to video, and I loved it (the book); that is until I actually saw the movie four days later when I rented it one Wednesday night. Forced to go to bed I woke the next day at 6:00 am to allow time for the movie and school preparation. Every friend I met at school learned everything about that movie that day. To tell you the truth, I watched it every morning and every day after school that week (I paid 99˘ and got it for seven days) I couldn't believe how much of the movie had been cut out or rewritten for the book that I read. Nevertheless, I bought the movie two weeks later. Yay!
How can I write about a movie that has been written about so many times? I've read good reviews and bad reviews. From the young and the old; including a crappy review by Roger Ebert (and he actually does this for a living?) This sixteen year old has something to say: Balto is the best movie I've ever seen since Star Wars: Return Of The Jedi! It had interesting characters, a wonderful storyline; not only because it was based on a true story, but because of the imaginative minds at Universal, and excellent animation with a hint of computer effects. It covers a lot of movie styles such as comedy, action/adventure, romance, suspense, and a true story. I rate it ten stars (out of five of course- duh!)
Based in Nome Alaska, 1925, the kind hearted Balto, part wolf-part husky, lives on the outskirts of town in an old fishing trawler with his best friend Boris the Russian Snow Goose, and is occasionally visited by two young polar bear cubs Muk and Luk. Balto falls in love with one of the dogs in town, a rust and cream coloured husky named Jenna. Jenna is also sought after by Steele, a rather large Alaskan Malamute who; with his gang of dogs Nikki, Kaltag, and Star, also bullies Balto as well as Boris. This leads to various encounters at the films beginning.
Balto finally decides to `ask Jenna out on a date' one night. When he finds Jenna she is sadly looking through one of the hospital's windows. After asking her if she would like to 'go chase a few sticks by moonlight' Balto realizes that something is wrong. He finds out that Jenna's girl Rosy is sick and helps her find out what is wrong. Rosy; as well as more than eighteen other children, has diphtheria, a rather deadly disease that; if left untreated, will block her windpipe and cause her to suffocate.
Another encounter with Steele occurs and Balto ends up being accused of stealing a string of sausages from the butcher's meat locker. A telegram is sent requesting anti-toxin but all routes of transport are blocked. The only way is for a sled team to race 600 miles to Nenana and get the medicine from a train that was sent from Juneau. The team is decided by means of a race, which Balto wins. Steele then tricks the musher into leaving Balto behind by stepping on Balto's foot which causes Balto to yelp in pain. Seeing Balto bear his teeth, the musher decided not to use him," He might turn on me!" Steele laughs as he walks off to be strapped to the sled. Balto returns sadly to his boat and watches as the team leaves Nome that night.
The team successfully reaches Nenana and aquires the medicine but they end up sliding down a cliff and the musher is knocked unconscious. A message is sent to Nome: the team is lost. The children will not survive. Balto decides to strike out on his own and find the team. Boris, Muk and Luk accompany him and they are soon on their way. Jenna finds out what they have done and then follows as well.
By scraping bark off the bottom of trees along the way Balto makes a crude trail to follow. A few days later, Balto and his group are attacked by a grizzly bear. Just as the bear is about to kill Balto, Jenna arrives and saves him. Balto slides down a hill and onto a frozen lake, followed closely by the bear. But the bear's weight causes the ice to break and he and Balto are pulled beneath the frozen waves. Muk and Luk dive in to rescue him as Jenna and Boris anxiously wait near the hole left in the ice by the two bears. Balto is retrieved safely; still alive and well. Jenna, however, was injured during the encounter with the bear. Balto sends Boris, Muk and Luk home dragging Jenna behind them on a pine branch, but first she gives Balto her bandanna for warmth.
Balto continues on his journey and eventually finds the team. Steele is not very eager to receive help from the wolf/dog and a fight begins. Balto bears Steele's onslaught and almost reaches his goal: the medicine. Sleele then grabs Balto's foot and slams him against a rock. Thinking the fight is over, Steele laughs over his fallen foe. But Balto rises and the enraged Steele goes for the kill. Striking out for Balto's throat he only manages to reach Jenna's bandanna. The knot in the bandanna comes undone and Steele falls off a cliff. Balto assumes role of lead dog and takes the sled team, with the medicine and the musher safely secured to the sled. Steele vows to take revenge and wrecks Balto's trail by scraping the bark off of every tree he sees. Balto and the team fall for the trick and go the wrong way. They slide down a steep slope which results in Balto and the medicine falling off a cliff.
Meanwhile, Jenna has arrived safely in Nome and is telling her story. The dogs still jeer Balto, saying that he could never find the team. Then Steele bursts in and tells the team that the team is dead, the medicine was lost, and Balto had fallen off a cliff. Jenna doesn't believe him and uses a neat little trick that Balto taught her to make a Northern Lights effect on a nearby mountain as a sort of beacon for Balto to find his way home.
Balto manages to dig himself out and admits he has failed by losing the medicine and technically killing Rosy and the other children. He is approached by a white wolf who howls at him. Balto turns away, ashamed, and the wolf leaves. While his head is turned, Balto notices the medicine sticking out of the snow. He looks up the steep cliff and hears the words spoken to him by Boris just a few days before," Let me tell you something Balto, a dog cannot make this journey alone. But, maybe a wolf can!" Balto is filled with a new strength. He howls, bringing back the wolf. They howl together and Balto climbs up the cliff with the medicine. He is spotted by Kaltag who; along with the other dogs, encourage Balto who makes it safely to the top. They continue on the journey, only this time Balto uses his nose to find the right trail.
The team encounters many obstacles and loses one of the vials of anti-toxin but manage to make it safely back to Nome. Steele is still telling his story and when Balto arrives all the other dogs, his friends and followers, walk out on him. (Chew on that, Steele!)
The movie ends with Balto and Jenna nuzzling each other (you can tell the way they look at each other where this leads) and then the scene pans up to the Northern Lights as it morphs into a howling wolf. (Takes a breath). Cool, huh?
The music was excellent (Woo hoo! Go James Horner!) and it seemed that almost every main character has his/her own personal score. These are derived from the soundtrack (that I paid $25 for and it was only available on CD!): Balto's theme is the basis for most of the tracks in the movie. I would give the track Boris and Balto to Boris since Balto's theme is played umpteen million times during the movie, either faster or slower. At the end of the dogsled race at the beginning of the movie when Steele is talking to Jenna you can hear an old style piano like the kind you would find in a saloon during an old western movie. I would call it Steele's theme. This theme is played again at the end of the movie when Steele is 'dumped'. Muk and Luk's theme, I would say, is at the beginning of Rosy Goes To The Doctor. Later in that track you hear flutes signaling that Jenna is in the scene. She is represented by flutes at the end of Grizzly Bear and at the beginning of Jenna/ Telegraphing The News. The wolf; a character who only has about thirty seconds of screen time, also has his own theme, Heritage Of The Wolf (my personal favorite). The other characters, Nikki, Kaltag, Star, and the other dogs don't really have their own themes. I'm still looking though.
The characters were very life-like and full of personality. Balto is the kind but lonely rejected wolf/dog who cares for his friends as well as Jenna. Boris is a grumpy, complainer with a good amount of knowledge and a great deal of sarcasm. Muk and Luk are still young and; as shown throughout the movie, just want to play and have fun. Jenna is a very popular character in the movie. She has many friends and is admired by almost everyone; even Balto. She is loving and strong and pure of heart. Steele is the basic loser of the movie. No personality other than the tough guy attitude that I've seen in a lot of other movies. Nikki, Kaltag, and Star are really good characters, they are just under Steele's influence (Star's the coolest!). They eventually drop Steele for Balto, leaving him with no friends at all. The other minor characters fit into the story well with their appearances, random phrases, and some semi-important scenes. The movie could not have been what it was without them.
As for nit-picking, I could do little. Just a few things off the top of my head: In the opening credits, it says : Voice talents Robbie Rist but in the ending credits it says: Voice of Star- Robby Rist. They spelled Robbie's name wrong! And when they call for medicine it shows two men packing it. They wrap a rope around the box but when they carry it out of the building the rope is gone! Next, when Balto and Steele fight, Steele grabs Balto and slams him against a rock. Balto falls to the ground and faces away from the rock. When the scene fades to a different angle, Balto is facing the rock! Finally, when Steele tells everyone that Balto is dead, Jenna grabs her bandanna and runs out of the old mill. A few minutes later she does the neat Northern Lights effect on a nearby mountain and she is wearing her bandanna. At the end of the movie when Balto comes back she is standing with her paws on Rosy's hospital bed with her bandanna in front of her, and when she finally meets Balto she has it on again.
Balto; a movie for kids, grown-ups, and everyone in between. If you've never actually seen the movie I recommend you go spend the two bucks or so that it costs to rent it. It'll really be worthwhile. So I would like to dedicate this review to the `Indomitable spirit of the sled dogs'. Especially to Balto. Thank you Balto. I would have been lost without you.
Universal Studios & Amblin Entertainment, Kevin Bacon, Bridget Fonda, Bob Hoskins, Phil Collins, James Horner, Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Steve Winwood, Cliff Ruby & Elana Lesser, David Steven Cohen, Roger S. H. Schulman, Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy, Bonne Radford, Steve Hickner, Simon Wells, as well as everyone else who made it and the uncredited extras who voiced the characters!