Balto chien-loup, héros des neiges

I grew up watching this movie multiple, multiple times as a kid. I had not seen it in probably 15 years when my mother dug it up on Netflix last night and I got to relive this dog-lovers classic. But unlike the last time I watched, I did no research done on the actual true story...but that's for later.

Balto is the story of a half-dog/half-wolf who is the subject of intolerance by the living beings of Nome in the year 1925. Even though he has friends like Boris, the Russian Goose, and Muk & Luk, 2 goofy, fun loving polar bears, He desperately tries to fit in, but no matter what he does, the townsfolk don't trust his wolf side and the dogs of the town wish he would simply cease to exist, especially the vicious husky Steele. But when a sickness overtakes a wave of children in the town, including young Rosie, who's dog Jenna takes a liking to Balto, Balto takes it upon himself to help save the children, with Boris informing him "A dog cannot make this journey alone....but maybe a wolf can."

Now with every "based on a true story" line there's got to be alterations to the story. and some alterations, like adding in comic relief in the form of a Russian goose and a british-accented polar bear are totally acceptable.

But there are details that are left out. For example, The sled run was not made by one dog team, it was actually multiple mushers and 2 leaders - Togo (who we can assume is whom Steele is based upon.) and Balto, a trained, single breed Siberan husky. Togo ran most of the run, but Balto only ran the last leg of the course, and therefore got all the fame. If you really want to know the true story, just dig up the trivia section.

The voice actors do a really good job, although Kevin Bacon sounds too good to play the role of a stray dog like Balto. Bob Hoskins definitely got the Russian snow goose role down very well, although having Robin Williams there would've been really, really fun (But too recognizable...and expensive.) Bridget Fonda for Jenna, She's got the beautiful girl voice. Phil Collins, the guy from Genesis for Muk & Luk, he's not bad but it feels out of place because of his british accent. Rick Moranis & Dave Thomas (Bob & Doug McKenzie) Would've been perfect, but they came later for brother bear. Jim Cummings? What can you say, the guy's a Voice-over legend but you can hear the traces of Tigger in his voice (Tigger from Winnie the pooh, Cummings also provides his voice) And finally, the uncredited Frank Welker as the bear. No really. give him credit. He made a killer angry bear.

Animation-wise, it's very well done. Amblination/DreamWorks always have been able to hold a candle up to Disney (even though Disney's got the firehose to douse it.) look for a cute little reference to E.T. during one scene.

As long as it's still up on Netflix, give this one a view.

It's not hard to see why this movie wasn't particularly popular (check out the scene where the carpenter is shown sadly preparing small coffins), but that doesn't mean it isn't worth a look. It's actually one of the best underrated animated films of the 90's. The drama is real, the visuals are beautiful, and the story ends happily. The live action prologue and epilogue are a little distracting, but they're made up for by a random (and hilarious) visual shout-out to "E.T."

It is only my opinion, but this was probably one of the best animated movies I have ever viewed. I cannot understand why someone could disagree against this movie. Character voicing was superb, full of life and very well constructed. Aniamtion was beautiful, with smooth backgrounds and even up to the little details such as footprints left behind in the snow. The music was probably the best part of all, with the excellent orchestral background, full of dramatic phrases during an intense part of the movie. It especially sounds great when you're supporting surround sound.

This movie was a great movie and people think it was one of the greatest letdowns in the 1990's. In my opinion, it was the greatest animated movie and I would recommend that you should watch it with your family or with a friend. It is a fantastic movie...

This film has a seriousness and drama to it that will surprise you. There are no songs, and it has an adult feel to it, with mature themes and exciting action. The voice characters are its main failing, with Kevin Bacon giving rather flat performance to Balto, and there is an overall lack of conviction in most of the other voices as well. But this movie has good story and excellent pacing- there are several gripping action sequences, and very few childish moments. Balto is an excellent family film, and will keep adults and older kids enthralled and entertained. I think it's a little too serious for very young kids to enjoy, though. It has realism and is not light hearted. There are ideas about sickness, death and prejudice which are used very well to move this story along and help resolve it in the end. This is a hero story with a feel-good ending, and plenty of adventure along the way. The art and appearance is interesting and unique, mostly classic animation with a few computer assisted scenes-- the overall look is tidy and quality, with some charm and humor that will get you smiling. It has a live action entry and closure (including a view of the Balto statue in Central Park) which acts as a tie-together, and the true story behind this movie gives it additional appeal. This film, like the WB's 'Iron Giant', has been breezed over by the public and not gotten the recognition it deserves. I would recommend Balto for anyone who likes dogs, realism, or just a smooth, enjoyable film.

This is a great children's movie. But, being a kid's movie doesn't mean that it isn't good for others. This film entertains audiences of all ages. I first saw this movie when I was seven. And to this day, I still love it. Kevin Bacon supplies the voice of Balto, a half-bred wolf who risks his life to travel in the cold of Alaska to retrieve a sled of dogs that were lost while bringing antibiodics back to the town of Nome to stop an epidemic. BALTO is a film to see on a cold, Sunday when you have nothing better to do. You will enjoy this film greatly. After viewing it once, you will want to see it again. I lost track of how many times I have seen this film. But it has been more than thirty times. See this movie. It's well worth seeing. This one is one that I am proud to have in my video collection.....5/5.