Balto (1995)
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A half-breed wolfdog must overcome prejudice to lead a life-saving sled team through a blizzard.
The story
In 1925, a wolfdog named Balto lives on the outskirts of Nome, Alaska, where he is ridiculed for his half-breed heritage. When a severe winter storm strikes, the town is hit by a diphtheria outbreak, and medicine must be transported by sled from the nearest rail line. A dog race is held to determine the best team for the mission. Balto enters and wins, but is disqualified after his heritage is exposed. When the official team becomes stranded in a blizzard with an unconscious musher, Balto sets out on a perilous journey to find them and deliver the life-saving medicine.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1925, Balto, a wolfdog living in Nome, Alaska, is mocked for his heritage. When a diphtheria outbreak occurs and a blizzard prevents air or sea transport of medicine, a dog race is held to select a sled team. Balto wins but is disqualified by the arrogant Steele. When the official team gets stranded in a blizzard, Balto sets out to find them. He faces a grizzly bear attack, where Jenna (Rosy's dog) helps him by intervening. Balto eventually finds the stranded team, but Steele refuses help and falls off a cliff. Balto takes charge, navigating a sabotaged trail. After falling off a cliff himself, Balto is guided by a white wolf and manages to drag the medicine back up to the team. They return to Nome just in time to save the children. Steele is exposed as a liar and abandoned. In the present day, an elderly Rosy thanks Balto for saving her life.
- First release year
- 1995
- Runtime (minutes)
- 78
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Simon Wells
- Writers
- Cliff Ruby · screenplay; Elana Lesser · screenplay; David Steven Cohen · screenplay; Roger S. H. Schulman · screenplay; Cliff Ruby · story; Elana Lesser · story
- Cast and characters
- Kevin Bacon · Balto; Bridget Fonda · Jenna; Phil Collins · Muk and Luk; Bob Hoskins · Boris Goosinov; Jim Cummings · Steele; Juliette Brewer · Rosy; Miriam Margolyes · old Rosy; Lola Bates-Campbell · Rosy's granddaughter
- Genres
- Pop; modern classical; film score
- Themes
- Prejudice; Bravery; Friendship
- Tone and mood
- Adventurous; Sentimental
- Premise and plot tags
- Animated; Adventure; Historical; Based on True Story; Talking Animals
- Source material / true-story basis
- The true story of the dog Balto
- Franchise connections
- Balto
- Content notes
- Children
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews, being described as a well-meaning adventure with spirited animation but criticized for mushy sentimentality and bland characterization. It was a financial failure at the box office but successful on home video.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 5.80/10 · scale: 10 · review count: 24
- Awards and nominations
- Annie Award · Best Animated Feature · Nomination
- Production trivia
- The live-action segments were filmed in Central Park.; The film was the third and final film produced by Amblimation before its closure.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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