Balto is undoubtedly one of the best of Disney's classics. The animations are great! All main characters have unique and decent builds. Balto has a lean, agile and perhaps tough build. Jenna has a graceful, elegant build. Steele has a strong, muscular and tall build. They all have a variety of emotional expressions, and Steele looks more cunning than ferocious.

The music does not stick in my head though. Well, that's not a big problem because it is not really a musical.

It is a modification of a true story of an American hero, that's why I love it.

It has its own morals to teach...

It is comparable to The Lion King, though not as good.

Balto is a brilliantly animated film about a half-wolf half-husky who risks his life to save the children of Nome. Sadly, this heartwarming film has often been put down by small minded reviewers who think that the only good animation has to be by Disney (which is NOT true). Sure, it's based on a true story and you know what happens, but you still can't help but cheer Balto on. There are several strong points which make this movie an emotional and entertaining experience.

My first point is the animation. It's not most important factor, but I just want to say that the animation is very charming, and although it's not as good as Disney, it has that sketchy look about it, and it reminds me of older classics such as Watership Down and The Rescuers. Like the former, most of the backgrounds could have been mistaken for artwork themselves.

The plot is a very important factor for all films, and in Balto it succeeds extremely well. As I mentioned before, you roughly know what's going to happen, but it does not tarnish the viewing experience. Balto is a serious film, but it has a sense of fun around it.

The characters are very well-developed, even the secondary characters get enough screen time for you to know their personalities. Steele is a great villain, but I see people who do not like him simply because he does not possess magical powers or is not magnificent like Jafar or Maleficent. For me, that's what makes him great, because he is all the more believable.

The music is absolutely unforgettable. There are no songs, apart from the song in the credits - Reach for the Light, which powerful and uplifting. The music in the actual film fits perfectly with the atmosphere, especially in one scene when we encounter the White Wolf.

All in all, this is a well-crafted tale that shouldn't be missed. It's dramatic, humorous and full of suspense that will make your heart soar. Sadly, Balto flopped in theatres because it came out at the same time as Toy Story. At the time, most reviews kept comparing Balto to Toy Story (even though they have nothing in common), or even worse, they compare it to Disney in general. Please do not make the same mistake, and appreciate it for what it is, a warmhearted and powerful story that will capture your imagination and your heart.

Original, exciting and wonderful. Movies like these aren't made anymore, those that you could watch in a family night and still be artful and classic. The overproduced CGI animation of these doesn’t' reach the overall quality of such a great movie, that even after all these years looks better than ever and it's as impressive as its original release: dog sled races, a good villain, great music, breathless action (the avalanche still gives me chills) and of course the live-action sequences giving the movie an kind of epic and realistic feel. Sad for the sequels though, never cared for them (I don't care how honest the effort was)and never will, just like any DTV, for me, its apart from the original movie. Still, highly recommended and a must-see in classic animation!!

First of all lets get a few things straight. In 1925 there was a diphtheria outbreak in Nome. The only available serum was in Anchorage. Conditions were so hazardous that the only transportation on hand was sled dogs. So a relay race was put into play, through the Iditarod trail. Togo led the most difficult part of the relay. Balto, a purebred Siberian husky was the leader of the last team of the relay. Sorry to ruin the magic of "Balto", but I always thought poor Togo ought to have received more credit. Nonetheless these facts do not bring my opinion down of this excellent film.

I like this movie. We have a straightforward plot, beautiful animation, (especially on the wolves). Most importantly we have an extremely likable hero, and decent side characters (not including the polar bears).

Balto has to overcome many prejudices, and physical danger to become the hero he is, and I like that. It seems main characters in most Disney films are born heroic. *cough, Simba, cough*. As for the other characters Jenna's not bad. She moves the story along quite nicely even if she is kind of bland. I like Boris all right too, unlike Jenna he is chock full of personality, but does not have too much purpose in the story.

I have one big problem with this movie, and that is Steele. Steele is the worst one-dimensional villain, possibly in animation history. Honestly he is just selfish and arrogant. His selfishness never seems to gain him anything. If only they had played on his prejudice against wolf dogs. That would have made for a more interesting villain.

Although I have been critical of this movie, it still remains an outstanding motion picture.

Balto is supposedly based on a true story, but obviously many liberties were taken. After all, dogs can't really talk. In 1925, a diphtheria outbreak threatened the lives of many youngsters in Nome Alaska. The only available serum was located over 1,000 miles away in Anchorage and the medicine was sent to Nome through treacherous weather by dog sled. The medicine arrived in a sled led by the dog Balto (That is the true part of the story, and it is actually quite amazing).

So basically, Balto and Steele are two hounds after the same female canine Jenna. While Steele is a championship sled dog, Balto is a mutt with heart that inspires other woof woofs to follow him.

Balto made only $11 million in 1995 though 2 direct to video sequels followed. Overall, the animation is pretty decent, as is the music, but other than the fact that this is based on an inspiring true story, I just didn't get too excited about this movie. Thus Balto limps away with just a B-.

This film is one of my guilty pleasures, while far from pure perfection it's a great movie that never gets old. That's why I am more than happy to give it four stars.

The story revolves around Balto, a wolf and dog hybrid who is the resident outcast of Nome, Alaska. Balto must rise above prejudice in order to save the lives of the children of Nome, and also prove his own worth to himself as well as the rest of the world. It's a charming story that has enough action, suspense, and humor to keep things fresh. What I appreciate the most, in retrospect, was how true to the time period the film was. No pop references or sassy characters to make it in-your-face or over the top. While that may turn off some people, I found it refreshing.

The characters are top quality as well. Balto is not too angsty despite the fact that he is an outcast, and not too proud when he does find acceptance. I found him to be a well crafted and humble hero, something lacking in many recent animated films. Jenna, the token love interest, is actually a good character on her own. And Steele makes the perfect ego-maniacal villian. The side characters are also good, although sometimes Muk and Luk the polar bears who (sort of) can't swim became irritating, but their appearances in the film were scarce enough that they didn't leave much of a negative impact. Boris the goose is a good mentor who's screen time was balanced as well. Overall, none of the side characters steal the show from the main characters, and the main characters are excellent with or without support from side characters.

Voice acting was top-notch as well. None of the characters had too grating of a voice, save for maybe the two female dogs that hang around Jenna in the first part of the movie. But they were meant to be annoying in order to make Jenna's less superficial nature stand out, so all is forgiven. The delivery of the dialogue is good, intense and serious moments were given serious treatment, and lighthearted moments were softened. The result was film with a great deal of genuine emotion behind it.

The animation itself was beautiful, landscapes were rendered with enough care to make it actually look like Alaska, and characters were given the same level of attention. The one thing I did notice was that some of the dogs look a little too cartoony, for example the bulldog who sits next to the guy working out Morse code or Trixy, the small purple dog. Nobody in Nome ever wondered why there was a small purple dog roaming around the street? Oh well, it's only a movie, so logic can slip a few times and no one will really mind. The animation had a good balance when it came to details, nothing was too simple and nothing was too decadent. It's a very pleasing film as far as visuals go.

Music was good, I liked the fact that there was no singing involved. I think my rating would've dropped a half star or more had there been a singing dog scene. The background music was more than enough to carry this film along and all the melodies matched well with the emotions that were being presented in each scene. Very dramatic in some parts, and very melancholy in others. No complaints from me...

So why isn't this film as well known as the Disney Classics? It's tough to say, I'm guessing because of the historical aspect. Although the film really takes a lot of liberties with history and twist some things around, it's still grounded in real life, which may bother some audiences. It's not based on a fairytale or a rehash of the hero's journey, so perhaps that is what has kept Balto from a higher level of recognition. Regardless of that, I still would recommend it to everyone who hasn't seen it before. It's a charming movie that, in my opinion, sure beats a lot of the recent CGI garbage that has been clogging the theaters.

This has to be my favorite animated movie of all time. The animation is great and the characters are memorable. This movie is one of the many reasons I'm training to become a cartoonist- it's that good. I saw it when I was in 4th grade, and I fell in love with it. I wish everyone knew the splendor this movie has to offer and I wish it had a little more recognition when it came out. A true classic!

Four stars is almost too little for this film. My favorite movie since I was four ( and I got the soundtrack for Christmas, and I LOVE it ), no film has endured or endeared as much as Balto. The animation is fantastic, and, as stated by a previous reviewer, has aged incredibly well. And as for Toonboy's statement about Steele being a major overactor, newsflash: Nobody ever pays to see somebody act under the top. The cast is phenomonal, and the characters are some of the most memorable. Shame this movie never got the public recognition it deserved.

My opinion stated simply- A fantastic film that MUST NOT BE MISSED!!

This is an excellent movie! The whole time while watching it, I was thinking, WOLFDOG! WOLFDOG! WOLFDOG! Everyone who knows me knows I love wolfdogs and all other hybrids. It has a great storyline, with a mix of everything that is needed to make a great movie.

The fact that it was based on a real story is great, and it's amazing that they could make an amazing film out of something from real life, though the real life Balto was pure Siberian Husky. I recommend this movie to anyone who loves dogs or wolves, or even to people who don't. If you are a five year old child or a thirty year old, you'll love Balto. Watch the two other movies in the Balto trilogy, Wolf Quest and Wings of Change.

Wow. Eleven reviews before mine and all of them four stars or nearly so. This movie must be doing something right, and maybe it's me who's in the dark. The quest to save a little girl from an illness is touching enough, but the whole setup feels contrived in that "Free Willy" kind of way. Ignoring the substandard animation, the movie also suffers a few faults. The main character and main love interest are just so utterly plain, Balto himself especially. The villain is just so one-dimensional and at the same time one of the biggest overactors I've ever seen in an animated movie. Finally, the comic relief just doesn't much work. There are parts that seem genuine, like the scene where Balto shows Jenna the "northern lights", but mostly this movie seems rather empty.