Balto returns with a new generation in a new adventure.
I rented this cartoon at the local Hollywood Video today, I've wanted to see the first one because of one single character- Jenna, but I always turned away from it because it felt cheesy and corny as heck. When Balto 2 came out, I just felt uneasy and the back of my mind kept uttering the words 'Disney sequels, Disney sequels!' which made as much sense as having the Secret of Nimh II.
And other unnecessary sequels thereafter.
In fact, I felt reluctant to even take it home since the cover did little for me to even try to understand it. First there's the subtitle "Wolf Quest", and the fact that this time Balto's daughter (Aleu) is the culprit of the new "adventure". I smelt "Little Mermaid II" synopsis.
Then there's the little quote saying, "The Adventures of a True American Hero continues!" Oh boy.
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Being that Mark Hamill voices Balto, I was wondering
if he would break into laughter ala Joker from the animated Batman series.
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All of these doubts soon vanished away once the movie started showing some good storytelling and amazing work in behalf of canine anatomy. The animation does justice to these creatures.
| Also, Aleu shows all sings of a renegade teenaged daughter, who is a lot more convincing than, say, Simba's daughter in Lion King II. Aleu's motives come from both anger and the longing of finding who she is and what is her purpose in the world, whereas the lioness just wants to be "King", something that pretty much was already done in the first movie. Scar's son? Pfft... |
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This comes from the fact that, unlike most of her siblings, Aleu resembled more of a Wolf on behalf of Balto's lineage. For this reason, she was overlooked by kids and dogowners as a pup, and also hunted by pelt-dealers in the wild. After she finds out the truth behind her heritage (and I use that word VERY loosely, so don't bug me), she embarks on a journey on her own to find answers.
So, what goes on with the "American hero" in the meantime? Besides having nightmares depicting Native American spirits and having conflicts with his own call of the wild, he simply goes after Aleu to bring her back to civilization. All the while the rest of the characters (Jenna, that damn goose and those very, very stupid bear-looking things) try to follow them both.
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As you can see, Balto has gone some major changes
on his design, it seems in Balto 2 he lost much of his wild side.
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And here is where it gets very good: The sidekicks are forgotten, human interaction is nil, and the only characters halfway through are Balto and Aleu, both challenged byspirits of the wild and their own lineage. Another character I took a liking to was that cute Fox Balto finds along the way. She was a true Vixen. Amazing that Universal challenges Disney on its own game.
Perhaps one of the most noticeable things in Balto 2 is that, in some instances, it mirrors events/characters found in The Sight, by David Clemens-Davies. You may see this whenever Aleu's eyes shine with wisdom of things she can only see beyond her father's comprehension. Other tidbits appear here and there, but I can't say much without spoiling it.
On that note, The Sight was published in 2000, while this movie was displayed in 2001...coincidence?
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In the end, Aleu chooses her own path while Balto nods to her decision. Something I find quite refreshing since not even Shrek 2 triumphed in the role of "being different and wanting to belong" department. |
This is a fine animated film, and has become one of my top favorites of all time. Period. Now, if there was an alternate cover where the dumb sidekicks could be omitted...that would make it even better. In fact, this version of the cover makes it just right.
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Balto 3? I am not sure. The movie felt as if it could open some possibilities about it, but since it has been more than 3 years since its release, it is pretty doubtful. Besides, I don't want Universal pictures to mess poor shaggy hero here. Let's just leave it at Balto+Jenna = one more litter, then life continues its course.
UPDATE: Oh yeah, there is a Balto 3, but is not what would anyone expected...click HERE for details. |
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With this being said, this animate film lived up to be the greatest "sequel" ever produced, whereas the likes of Lion King II, Secret of NIMH II, and any other animated continuation were just plain dull. My inner child is pleased.
However, with all these positive feelings, there are also a few points here and there about the way this movie was depicted on the cover-
AS READ ON THE BACK OF THE MOVIE BOX:
"...Balto understands she must follow her heart."
Nope. He simply wants her to forget about her heritage, and doesn't even get it until the last legs of the movie.
"Aleu will seek her true path, tangle with a renegade wolf pack leader..."
No. She didn't tangled with the "bad" guy at all. In fact, the leader was an old wolf, not the young renegade canine that wanted to lead the pack.
"A true American hero returns..."
So GI Joe makes an appearance? In fact, when did Balto ever leave? He is seen sleeping inside a boat most of the time.
Really, I am not ranting about the film itself, but the innate way people narrate the synopsis of this great movie.
BALTO 2: WOLF QUEST
Voice Talents: Balto- Mark Hammill, Aleu- Lacey Chabert.
Released: 2001 By: Universal Pictures.
STORY: 10
CHARACTERS: 10
ANIMATION: 9
MUSIC/SINGINGCRAP: 7
OWN/RENT? Own it. In fact, if there is a DVD version...nab it fast. Forget the first film. Seriously.
All images here (except for some icons) are Copyright 2001 Universal Pictures. This is just a damn review.