Balto Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
The true story of an American hero
His story became a legend. His adventure is one you'll never forget.
Part Dog. Part Wolf. All Hero.
A half-wolf, half-husky named Balto gets a chance to become a hero when an outbreak of diphtheria threatens the children of Nome, Alaska in the winter of 1925. He leads a dog team on a 600-mile trip across the Alaskan wilderness to get medical supplies. The film is based on a true story which inspired the Iditarod dog sled race.
| Kevin Bacon | Balto |
| Bob Hoskins | Boris the Goose |
| Bridget Fonda | Jenna |
| Jim Cummings | Steele the Sled Dog |
| Phil Collins | Muk and Luk |
| Jack Angel | Nikki |
| Danny Mann | Kaltag |
| Robbie Rist | Star |
| Juliette Brewer | Rosy, Dixie |
| Sandra Dickinson | Slyvie or Sylvie |
| Miriam Margolyes | Grandma Rosy, Extra Voices |
| Lola Bates-Campbell | Granddaughter |
| Donald Sinden | Doc |
| Simon Wells |
6.40 out of 10 (3209 votes)
Visitor Reviews
One of the best animated movies ever!
posted on 07 Jul 2009I have just absolutely positively loved this movie ever since I can remember. Balto is a social outcast 'cause he's a cross between husky and wolf and the other huskies (especially the ring leader Steele- excellently voiced by Jim Cummings) love to taunt him. Balto's only friends are Boris the Russain goose (voiced by the ever excellent Bob Hoskins), Muk & Luk the polar bears and Jenna, a gorgeous female husky voiced by Bridget Fonda. A diphtheria epidemic breaks out (the story is based on the Alaskin diphtheria epidemic) and all of the children are infected with it, including Jenna's owner, Rosie. Steele & the other husky's are assigned to bring back vaccine to the town but they get lost, and so Balto sets out to find them and bring back the vaccine.All in all, beautiful animation, a breathtaking music score and an absolute stellar cast make this underrated gem a perfect family flick that even adults will get hooked into.
Not as good as Disney, but still very enjoyable **spoilers**
posted on 16 Jun 2009If you're expecting Disney-level entertainment, then this might not be your cup of tea. There are plently of Disney and non-Disney animated flicks I'd rather watch than this. The plot is based on the true story of Balto, a half-wolf dog who saved the town of Nome, Alaska, from a diphiteria outbreak. Told from the dog's point of view, it appears to be an attempt at Disney-esque glory. Well, it's not. The humor aspect is where the film falls. Its humor is geared at six year olds. While this is not necessarily a problem, EVERY joke seems to be a kiddie one. Disney and Dreamworks have a great combination of child and adult humor (need I name the titles?). The characters are no great shakes, either: while the main characters are okay, the goose (Bob Hopkins) and polar bears (none other than Phil Collins) are annoying, and the film could be better off without them (as if knowing this, there is a thirty-five minute section where they do not appear). Still, this film is quite good. The animation isn't anything we haven't see before, but it's nonetheless very good. James Horner's musical score (lacking the standard Disney singing animals AND lyrical songs, period) is superb. And the voice acting! Kevin Bacon ("Tremors", "Hollow Man") brings his all-American charm into the role of Balto; he may not be the best actor out there, but here, he just fits. Hoskins and Collins are okay, just given bad characters. Bridget Fonda is good as Balto's love interest. British actress Miriam Margoyles (whom I fondly remember as Edmund Blackadder's Puritain aunt in "Blackadder II") appears in a cameo as the little girl who is Fonda's master when all grown up. And of course, Jim Cummings, aka the world's greatest voice actor, as Steele, steals every scene as only he can. Overall, flawed, but a very good film nonetheless. Seven stars.
Excellent Family Movie!!
posted on 21 Apr 2009My 11 year old daughter requested this on DVD when our video deck went out and I was quite surprised because it was not a "new" movie. My daughter went on to relate that this was a true story and it touched her deeply - all very positive when you have so much negative in the media today. She went on to say that there is actually a Balto statue in New York City that we could visit. There is a strong message in this movie - and a positive one at that that leaves a lasting impression! Buy with confidence - you and your kids won't be sorry!
Doggy masterpiece!
posted on 22 Mar 2009If you are only going to buy a video this christmas, make sure it's the doggy masterpiece Balto!
It has everything, great heroes, one of the most brute cartoon villians, beautyful landscapes and computeranimation, majestic music, and so lively an atmosphere, so you think you are caught in the snowy wilderness with the dogs!
The only backdraw is the end credit song 'Reach For The Light', i think they should have replaced the small kids with a hundred man big choir in the background!
I can't wait for 'Balto II', and the original 'Balto' on DVD, i hope there are going to be many great extra feauteres!
A beautifully-crafted animated tale for the whole family
posted on 20 Jan 20092D Animation has fallen on some very tough times in recent years, with the advent of 3D computer-generated movies. It's not that one is really better than the other is; they're simply two different mediums. It's that one should not suffocate the other one in the market, as they both have their own specialties and peculiarities.One of the last fully 2D hand-drawn movies made was 'Balto', out of Steven Spielberg's Amblimation Animation Studios (which then closed down forever following 'Balto''s lukewarm reception). It was a cruel twist of fate that 'Balto' was released at the same time as Pixar's groundbreaking 'Toy Story', for the latter definitely attracted all the glances and sucked Balto's steam dry. Considering all that 'Balto' is about, that's somewhat of a crime against animation in itself.But enough of the melodrama. 'Balto' is based, of course, on the true story of the real-life 1925 Serum Run to bring back antitoxin to stricken Nome, Alaska, which was overtaken by a vicious bout of diphtheria. Although the real story wasn't quite as stylized as depicted in this movie, the film certainly holds a proud candle to the real men and their dogs that risked their lives against insane odds and became heroes (even though in the end, only one dog was remembered).In the cold winter of 1925, the town of Nome is cheering their dogsled teams as they fiercely compete to win the annual race. One of the onlookers is Balto (Kevin Bacon), a wolfdog with a gentle spirit and a brave heart. However, his half-wolf status results in him being feared by the townspeople and disdained by the other pedigreed dogs (led by the cunningly malicious Steele), and he finds himself depressed and lonely most of the time. His only friends consist of an unlikely trio: a flightless Russian goose named Boris (voiced by Bob Hoskins, and with an accent and mannerisms that can't help but crack you up), and two polar bear siblings, Muk and Luk (Phil Collins), who can't swim.Balto soon falls smitten with Jenna, a beautiful husky who belongs to a little girl named Rosy, who is the only human so far to be friendly to Balto. However, as the infection hits, all the children – Rosy included – fall dangerously ill, and the town is out of medicine. I'll let you look up the conditions on getting new antitoxin for yourself (this is a review, not a historical paper), and now Nome must send their best and fastest dogs on a dangerous race against time to retrieve the waiting serum at the town of Nenana – some 700 miles away or so. The team faces deadly blizzards, treacherous ice and unpredictable climates, and soon, as can be predicted, they end up hopelessly lost. It's now up to Balto and his ragtag team of mismatched friends to battle their way through the Alaskan winter wilderness to try and bring the medicine back home, and save both the team, and the stricken children back in Nome.Being a music aficionado, the first thing that I fell in love with about this movie was James Horner's beautiful score. I would even be bold enough to state it can rival his work on 'Titanic' (1997), though I suspect many wouldn't perhaps agree. The pieces are always moving and magical, and truly bring the scenes to life in ways that couldn't have been accomplished without it.The hand-drawn animation in this movie is excellent, one of the best in many years. The winter scenery is beautiful, and the characters are all well-drawn and animated. The voice acting is largely solid (especially for Boris, for whom I've already expressed my amusement), yet some of them seem to fall a bit short. Kevin Bacon seems slightly flat as Balto, and Bridget Fonda (Jenna) seems slightly dispassionate at times.There are many things to be enjoyed concerning this film. For me, it's that while it does follow a traditional formula seen in animated family movies, it seems to leave out all the annoying bits (such as those irritating sing-along songs, for starters). There are the standard bumbling sidekicks, but they're more akin to comic relief than to actually accompanying the hero through his entire journey, and that's not to mention the humor in this film is genuinely funny and pleasant, not forced or contrived like in most animated movies.Some would be a little surprised to find some of the themes in this film are rather more grim and dark than in most other family-oriented animation films; there's a very real sense of impending mortality, especially towards the children of Nome, as demonstrated in one scene where we see several small coffins being made. In contrast, there are also some truly beautiful scenes, such as a little trick Balto teaches Jenna that leads to a mountainside being illuminated by artificial Northern Lights.If you haven't seen 'Balto' yet, do yourself (and the movie) a favor and grab it while it's still available in some areas (took me weeks to find my own DVD). Sure, it's applicable largely to younger audiences, but any adult capable of connecting with an emotion now and then will likely enjoy the movie to some extent. I for one love it and heartily recommend it to anyone who craves some good and decent 2D animation, those markets being so barren these days.* * * * * For reminding us what traditional animation was like with its magic and beauty, I award 'Balto' 8.5 bottle of antitoxin out of 10.PS – Was I the only one who was surprised to learn it was Phil Collins who voiced Muk & Luk? Was I also the only one who totally failed to recognize this legendary singer's voice? So shamed …
An epic cartoon!
posted on 15 Jan 2009Balto is one of the most emotive, epic and interesting cartoons movies I have ever seen in years.
Based on a true story happened in 1925, the film deals with the raffles a half dog and half wolf creature named Balto will have to face to reach its goal. To bring from one miles away medicines for the diphtheria, that almost makes some children of that village pass away.
Funny sequences ornament this well told story. There will an implacable enemy Steele, a beauty dog, fierce animals, hair raising sequences and of course, the snowy and windy weather.
A movie for kids and adults too. Lovable, entertained and recommended. Don't let it pass in front of you.
Pretty Good
posted on 18 Dec 2008Before I even saw this video, I had no idea there was a flu epidermic in Nome, Alaska in 1925. According to this movie, it's based on a true story and they really had to send a sled team out in the bitter cold to rescue the inhabitants of Nome from the disease.Whether or not the writers actually followed the story as it really happened is anybody's guess really but its still a great movie nonetheless. The characters (Balto, Steele, Jenna, Rosie, Boris, Muk and Luk) are well-developed and anyone can but themselves in their shoes and know what's going on. Kevin Bacon does a great job as Balto and Phil Collins plays the innocent Muk and Luk (polar bear cubs that hate to swim).The soundtrack fits the scenes well and the action on the screen and I've noticed no goof ups that can sometimes happen to the best film studios.
Watch it tonight! Eight stars out of ten on my ratings scale.
good movie,little bit realistic would have been nice
posted on 13 Nov 2008A movie that finally shows the iditarod,yeah.Its nice to know some one out there thinks Balto was from Alaska and not the lower 48.Seeing the point he only ran the last leg of the trip it puts some importance on the people in Nome.Thank You Disney
Ridiculous.
posted on 18 Jun 2008I come from Alaska, and I really hated this movie. It was much too difficult for me to get past all the inaccuracies and wild plot holes in the movie to enjoy it in any sense of the word.The story is based on the true story of the beginnings of the Iditarod, a dog sled race to and from Nome, Alaska. The original story is that Nome had an outbreak of diphtheria, so a dog sled was sent out to get medicine from Anchorage. It's a great story and an amazing race to watch.Here are the problems; and there are quite a few that I will miss. To begin with, using a dog sled to get around was *not* unusual. It wasn't a pasttime in Nome. It was a way of life. It was the only way to efficiently get anywhere in that day and age. Using a dog sled to get to Anchorage wasn't some kind of last resort.Wolf/husky mixes were not only *not* outcast back then, but they were desirable. Domesticated dogs were bred with wolves specifically for their strength and endurance. Even now people are proud to say they have a wolf mix, even though I believe they are illegal in Anchorage.Then we have all the little inconsistencies. A sunset in Nome, Alaska? In winter? You don't even get sunsets in Anchorage, let alone in Nome. There was the portrayal of polar bears as cute, cuddly, hamster-looking things; this especially irritated me because a polar bear in the Alaska Zoo, Binky, mauled several people who were under the impression that polar bears are just that - cute and cuddly. Then they show people, even little kids, traipsing about outside wearing simple coats. This in a town that averages 0 degrees Fahrenheit from December to March. Then they show fat, hairless, sharpei-looking mutts pulling sleds, and not the gorgeous huskies and malamutes and wolf breeds that are really used. It's not only insulting to reality, but it's absolutely ridiculous to believe that a short-haired fat dog would even survive up there, let alone pull a sled.Etc, etc, etc.A cartoon is a cartoon and is meant to be enjoyed, and not be true to reality. After all, the dogs do talk, and kiss, and fall in love, and ave social humanesque cliques and so on. But for crying out loud, couldn't the director have even made an *effort* at showing Nome for what it really was?
EXCELLENT!!!!!
posted on 30 Mar 2008Excellent movie!!! I LOVE the charactor's Boris is the funny one! So are Muk and Luk!:) I also like Jenna and Balto!
GREAT movie for all ages! I hear there's gonna be a Balto II: The Wolf Quest coming Febuary 19,2002!It's about Balto's daughter Aleu her brothers and sister's are adopted. She is NOT because she looks like a wolf. She runs away to live with the wolves.Balto goes to find her and the quest begins...
One of the best animated movies of all time!
posted on 15 Mar 2008There is no film quite like Balto. It features top notch animation on par with any Disney film, an all star voice cast, a simple but well done plot (which is acutally based on a true story!). The best part, no annoying songs every 10 to 15 minutes! A must buy for fans of animation, at any age!
Balto: A dog to be remembered!
posted on 05 Mar 2008On an abandoned wooden ship near the town of Nome, Alaska lives Balto a wolf, who is also half husky. He lived with his long time friend Boris, who is a Russian Snowgoose. One day he meets the beautiful Husky Jenna and her kind hearted owner, Rosie and a deadly disease hits the town and there is no more serum for the disease. Sadly, Rosie catches the disease. Balto then embarks on a journey to help find the serum and save the kids, as well the town of Nome. There he must battle the dangerous animals of the wild and a mean and cold hearted sled dog named Steele who plans to destroy him! I think that this movie is one of the best movies for children that I have seen in a while. It's so adventurous and you'll go sliding to the edge of your seat. It will leave you speechless. It's a story about courage, love, and stupidity. After the success of this film they made two sequels which are just as good as the original, and there are even rumors of a fourth film to be made.
Wonderful Movie
posted on 21 Dec 2007Personally I thought this movie was wonderful. It captured the essence of what really happened. Although many parts we're exaggerated, I still found the story heart warming. If you are into history like me, this story closely follows the introduction of the Diptheria epidemic that hit Nome, Alaska. It also shows that neither plane, nor boat could get through. The train was only able to get from Anchorage to Nanana, Alaska and needed sled dogs to go across six hundred miles. It was able to follow history most of the time, but I am glad they were able to get the "feeling" of of the story across even though they had to make up a few parts. I recommend this movie for Kids, and for animal lovers and for any one who loves a good tale.
Way to go, Balto!
posted on 26 Oct 2007I have seen this a dozen times at least and I still love this movie.The characters are great and Kevin Bacon did a fine job as Balto. Jim Cummings did a fabulous job portraying Steele as well, making the malamute just so gosh-darn-cool for a baddie. The story, while perhaps not entirely acurate with history, is still a good one and I love to watch this on a cold winter's day with a cup of hot cocoa.Highly recommended!
Old dog with old tricks, but pleasant enough.
posted on 16 Oct 2007My Take: Good family entertainment with pleasant animation yet familiar plot elements.Universal may have released THE LAND BEFORE TIME which was a terrific family animated adventure and, in my opinion, a worthy Disney contender in the 80's (not exactly the best time for Disney until THE LITTLE MERMAID came along), but they're still not Disney. With reaping one mighty triumph after another, classic after classic, Disney has proved to be at the top of their game (a game which they themselves started by the way). Universal, with former Disney animator Don Bluth working alongside them, is one of Disney's first business rival, a studio challenging Disney with their own animated efforts. Besides THE LAND BEFORE TIME (certainly the best of the bunch), there's AN American TAIL and its sequel, both of which doesn't match Disney's regal highness.By 1995, Universal released another contender to the Disney throne. It's BALTO, an animated adventure supposedly based on true events of a courageous sled dog mellowed down to kids movie material (talking animals, wild antics, mild fictional perils). For an animated film, BALTO fulfills all the requirements: a pristine animated environment filled with interactive characters, a stylish voice cast, fast pacing and all the essential trappings to drag both adults and kids to purchase. But while it fulfills being an animated adventure, it rarely succeeds on being a brilliant one. It's appealing for kids, with maybe a few tidbits to attract adult attention, but it's still miles away from Disney territory.The film is less a true story as mere fairy tale, as Balto (voiced by Kevin Bacon), an Ugly Duckling of a half-wolf (half-husky, half-wolf) usually tormented and embarrassed by the other sled dogs, including the cream-of-the-crop town "hero" Steel (voiced by Jim Cummings). His only real friends in the world is a talkative goose named Boris (voiced by Bob Hoskins) and a pair of twin polar bear cubs (voiced by Phil Collins). Pretty soon, a dangerous epidemic plagues the small Nome town, and after the sled team sent to pick up the antitoxins have failed, Balto seeks a chance to play hero as he sets of on his own to find the team, bring the medicine back to the ill-stricken town and have a monument inscribed before him (Okay, that last one wasn't exactly part of his plans!). Along the way, the film manages to provide a few good moments, including a battle against a giant Grizzly bear (why it isn't hibernating at this time of the year I don't know) which might scare the kids a little, but is no doubt some of the film's more exciting moments. There's also an avalanche (two actually, one on a cave).The voice cast is adequate, as is the animation, but BALTO can't help but fall short. The characters, story and everything else, while good, are not Disney caliber and definitely feel more like a forced imitation. But as pure family entertainment, I didn't mind taking BALTO out for a spin. Therefore, I suggest a worthy rental would do just fine.Rating: *** out of 5.
The best animated movie ever.
posted on 14 Oct 2007I have this on LD for 5 years now and I have watched this at least a dozen times and when I showed it to my 2 years old daughter last week end, she loved it and asked me to play over and over. This is a fantastic movie. It has everything you can expect from a movie: Suspence, tears, action, laughter. All at the right proportions. I understand this movie was not a big box office hit when it was released in 1995. But I think Steven Spielberg (producer) should release this on DVD. It is a very good animated feature and can match the best Disney offering. Higly recommended for any age group. Superb.
I LOVE THIS MOVIE!!!!!!!:-)
posted on 19 Aug 2009I love this movie!! The best dog story i've ever seen!! I love: Balto, Jenna, Muk, Luk and Boris!! (Boris is SOO FUNNY!!) Kids and Adults will love this movie!! It has:
Action
Adventure
Romance
Comedy
AND
FUN!!!!:-) THIS IS A MUST SEE!!!!