Balto
/Poor Balto. He's going into freezing coldness to find the dog he doesn't like and bring medicine back to a town that doesn't like him.
~ Boris
quick fox: B- | Copper
winding dragon
Balto (1995) is one of those early childhood nostalgia films for me, so I figured I’d revisit it and see how the film holds up after two decades.
Based on true events, the story follows the wolf-dog Balto as a diphtheria epidemic strikes the children of Nome, Ala. Balto (Kevin Bacon) faces the bitter elements to lead a team of sled dogs to deliver medicine to the town. Along the way, he hopes to win the heart of Jenna (Bridget Fonda) and prove to Steele (Jim Cummings) and the rest of the town that he’s more than his breeding.
The plot structure of Balto reminds me of another ’90s animated film, Once Upon a Forest, as they both feature heroes going from point A to point B to retrieve medicine for the gravely ill. The problem with Balto is that the space between A and B is just a snowy wasteland, so in order to create danger and excitement, the film adds what you’d expect, namely frozen lakes, rocky cliffs, and sharp icicles. To fill in extra space the film sprinkles in several side characters for comedic effect, though to be honest, most of the characters outside of the main four I don’t find to be too entertaining. Maybe I just find it strange when one random dog is talking in a Boston accent, the other in a Brooklyn, and the main canine cast seem to be Midwestern(?).The two most annoying characters, though, are the two polar bears who are the nephews of Boris. The goose. Yeah, I didn’t get it either. (Maybe it’s because Kung Fu Panda played the same joke better.)
The film is at its best when the characters try to outwit each other, either with sharp jibes or witty retorts. Otherwise, the movie resorts to characters being hit on the head and animal puns to get a quick laugh. Not that I minded—sometimes a little head-bopping violence is appreciated. And even with Balto’s overall light-hearted tone, there are a few nicely put-together serious moments, such as when you see the carpenter making children-sized coffins.
Balto also has an amazing soundtrack thanks to the legendary James Horner, and the credit’s song “Reach for the Light” is a surprisingly sentimental piece for the movie. As for the animation itself, Amblin Entertainment did a remarkable job with the character designs and frosty landscapes.
Balto is given more leeway than perhaps other films because of the nostalgia factor for me, and the fact that I recognize, despite some of its flaws, it really is a children’s film. It is more than watchable, but the film knew its target audience, and Balto is an above average children’s movie. I recommend the film to anyone who loves taking nostalgia trips into the ’90s, or someone who wants to add another degree to Kevin Bacon.