Here’s an alternative video. An extensive movie review/analysis on the 1995 animated movie “Balto.” Quite the movie actually, and one with plenty of things to talk about. Many things striking and great about it, just as much as there are shallow and moderate things to talk about. This video is also tonally more serious in comparison to my past content, but I tried to not overanalyze or overdramatize this analysis.. after all, it’s nothing to take super seriously. Anyways, I hope this video serves as good entertainment, and I hope you all enjoy it.
Balto is definitely an underrated gem and my favorite non-Disney animated movie from 90s along with The Iron Giant. I'm glad I grew up watching both of the as a kid.
One thing I liked about this movie was how serious it was for a kids film. The scene with the coffins made my heart sink when I was younger. Also just the idea that the weight of everyones lives was at stake. (Regardless of how historically inaccurate a lot of it was) Sure there was also comedy relief that dragged a couple emotional moments down, but much of the films tone is balanced with the right touch of wonder and legitimate maturity given the films themes. Not a perfect movie imo, but still a good watch that I would recommend.
Lets also take onto the fact (and be grateful) that there's absolutely NO musical numbers which most animated/talking animal movie had this unwritten law to have. Balto for example could have easily sang about being an outcast but instead that one scene where the wolves invite him after getting bullied by dogs just drives home more, that he feels like he doesn't belong to neither.
@@EclipseHedgehogsame. That’s personally why I find Brother Bear underrated, only one of the songs is actually sung by a character, all the others serve more as a narrative soundtrack like Tarzan
NGL, this is probably the greatest Balto review on the platform. The detail in the video and the editing are all extremely well done, and introduced me to elements in the film I had never thought about or considered. I really enjoyed this movie as a kid, and this video brings back so much nostalgic memories. Very underrated video on an underrated movie.
As far as the drama behind the real life event is concerned, It's not Balto's fault everyone decided to pin the credit to him like Illgo said, but basically the media trying to grab a quick headline. Togo may have endured 'the most' but so did everyone else on his team. Everyone was a hero during that run back in 1925, right down to the last dog on the last team to make it back, the mushers, the dogs who got damaged beyond repair, especially the ones who didn't make it. That all being said; oof, being removed 3 weeks after being released in theaters thats...not good. I can completely understand why they decided not to go theatrical again with the second movie "Wolf Quest" like they did with "Feival Goes West". There were quick talks about it but the original animation team had absolutely no intention of ever making a sequel at all though I would be curious how that would have at least looked because darn is Balto's animation gorgeous to look at. But did you also know that "Balto: Wolf Quest" was intended to release in 1999 rather than 2002 but due to one of the voice actresses (Mary Kay Burgman) tragically committing suicide it was pushed back 3 years later? People can hate wolf quest all they want, but honesty I'll take the silly 'wolf journey' over the ever so depressing freak show that the real dogs went through in 1927.
In my opinion, the movie didn't need Steele at all. There can be conflict enough with battling against the clock and the elements. Instead of the two polar bears (and even *gasp* Boris) I would tweak the story to focus mostly on Balto and his team and their dynamics. Each dog on the team has their own strengths and weaknesses, and Balto has his own flaws to overcome. I'd prefer fewer, but deeper, characters. Tbh, Jenna could be deleted and replaced with a brother or best friend. I just like the idea of a close-knit team striving for a heroic goal, each member with their own strengths and flaws (to overcome or be overcome by) Just my two cents.
I agree! We definitely don't need it in love action though, you are right about that. I'd prefer something more stylized like Clause or Secret of Kells though.
literally all they need to do is extend the last 12 minutes of the animation to around 30 minutes to get a more complete journey and more room to expand the characteristics of Nikki and Kaltag (the two characters I wish had a story arc of their own with Balto). Nikki and Kaltag appear very bonded with Balto by the end of the movie, which could use an extra 20 minutes beforehand to reach a sense of completeness All this applies to Star as well but Star already has way more representation and role than the other two already
One thing I'll add as one of it's target audience is that Balto was never one note. He struggled in many things and they showed it. His self doubt contrasted with the surety of joining the race. His approach to Steele changed every time, from bottom of the back tail between his legs to standing his ground. He got hurt, he wasn't immune from damage, he had something to prove and there were real stakes. Also, his romance with Jenna wasn't his motivation. It started as a legitimate friend zone and grew into him caring for Rosie, not because he wanted to impress Jenna but because he cared about the girl. Balto had character, he grew over the course of the movie, essentially doing the second half of The Lion King but with more emotion, growth, maturity and sacrifice. Simba had nothing to lose going back to Pride Rock and fighting Scar. Balto left a safe semblance of friendship and acceptance, faced the wilderness of Alaska as a not full wolf, and risked the town's lives with his every choice... and those choices like the cave had weight and consequence. Simba fighting Scar was a spectacle, but you never doubted the outcome. But in Balto? They broke a jar of anti-toxin, the box opened, their musher freaking died due to Steele's ego and they shoved him on the sled (wonder how the town explained that away, dogs tying a corpse to a sled); you knew the eventual outcome but you had no idea how far they would go with any element. THAT is what made this movie so memorable to me, especially as a child who moved around a lot and never fit in, a tomboy with brains who just wanted friends but was ostracized for never wanting to do girly things while the boys were uncomfortable with me, who wound up becoming an artsy loner trying to find my own unaccepted way. Balto showed struggle, and that no matter how you view yourself or how others view you, you can overcome the jealous traps of an enemy sabotaging your class projects... I mean tree markings... and your choices matter. That you can step up and figure out how to use your oddities as strengths. At least that's what resonated to 90s kid me.
This is one of the films that you want to cheer on despite the imperfections. It's an underdog movie in more than one sense. It's in my top 5 animated films of all time, regardless of the flaws.
this movie is really my favorite of all, even though i can see the problems that it has, but remain as my favorite movie of all time. Maybe cause i suffer bullying and Balto struggle like me, being humiliated by others, but still he keep waiting for that thing that could make him go forward. It's incredible cause it really is pretty simplistic as characters, but because something is well known it doesn't mean that it can't shine brighter then before, and i feel that here. Well, there are a lot of things i would like to say about the movie, but this is just a comment of yutub so... what a memorable movie.
That quote from Boris really resignates with me. I feel that sometimes we tend to focus obsessively on media for its flaws, and don't really take the time to address it's good qualities. We hear about a certain work's problems and are quick to write it off something not worth our time. Really, does a show, film, book, or game need to be perfect to be enjoyable or memorable? I'd argue that even some of the "classic" films tend to suffer from overexposure which, in my opinion, can potentially tarnish their value and is what leaves underrated gems like Balto in their shadow. The way I'd best define Balto is that there's this ideal that even the worst stories can enjoyable if you know how to tell them well. The reason why it's not outright bad or even mediocre is because the filmmakers worked with what they had. They were telling a simple stories with some changes to history, and they made it compelling and meaningful. The themes, though cliche, are handled with maturity and complexity. The characters, though archetypes, are given personality and a degree of depth. And I'm blown away by presentation as a whole. The animation, music, and symbolism really help to elevate this film. In my opinion, this is where Balto deserves it's credit. It managed to make something out of what little it had, and while it may not be AS fondly remembered as some of the other animated films of it's era, it was Amblimation's best film, and is a masterpiece in it's own way.
I love this movie since childhood, I did remember it, and when I grow older I've reterned to this film, and this was so new expirience. I guess that the simplistic elements here is important too, for young audience so they can relax between action moments and not sleep when Boris's reading lecture to Balto about heritage. Speaking of music. Dunno haw you all, but I'll go and listen Heritage of Wolf.
This just makes me love and appreciate Balto even more, thank you for putting so much work into this video! It was one of my favorite movies as a kid and I still have a fondness for it as an adult. I liked all the talking animal movies but something about Balto captivated me and got me interested in sled dogs and Alaska and I read a lot of Jack London stories. I dunno. Something about it just resonates with me a lot and I appreciate the care and detail you put in your analysis of it (and as a neurodivergent person that was bullied a lot as a child, yeah, the themes of feeling outcast and finding self-acceptance really hit so it was very easy to see myself in Balto's shoes). So yeah, Balto is a really special movie and while it's not perfect it's still pretty enjoyable and one of my comfort films. It's easy to overlook the things I don't care for with the things I really like about it. I also think its influence on young artists cannot be understated because off the top of my head I can't think of many (if any?) other feature length animated films that prominently had a cast of four-legged wolves/dogs taking center stage. And if there's one thing artsy kids love, it's media with casts of talking animals having interpersonal drama like people (Warrior Cats, Lion King, Balto of course, etc etc). So even for something as simple as inspiring kids to draw and tell stories of their own with their wolf OCs, I would say it's had a positive ripple effect.
There was actually a deleted scene were Steele was hung by his collar over a coal pit and buried alive... ( ･ั﹏･ั) Dark but kinda deserving... Here it is: ua-cam.com/video/T5h8xpeuor4/v-deo.html
This is the thing about Disney, and don’t get me wrong Balto is a great movie. The thing is they enjoy to change the story. The historical accuracy always makes me feel so angry, it’s just so annoying. I understand they’re kid films, but you can make the original into a child friendly story.
Its funny that between the three 90s animated films released that took liberties with history: Pocahontas, Anastasia, and Balto; Pocahontas (arguably the most prestigious of the three) is the one I care least about. Even as Anastasia and Balto take considerably more license with their subject matters than Pocahontas it was always pretty apparent that the former two were labours of love that reflected a genuine passion on the part of their creators while the latter was pretentious Oscar bait that wanted kudos for being "based on a true story" and for having a "serious message" that was shoved down the audience's throats - and not much else. Heck, even the Pocahontas sequel comes off as more enjoyable because they dared to "have fun" with it - and ironically it was more historically accurate! Just imho
I disagree. Anastasia took heavy creative liberties regarding the real life account of Anastasia, and the film doesn’t ever go into why her family was assassinated or why Rasputin deeply hated her family and refused to let Anya live, despite she had absolutely no idea why he hated her. I enjoy Anastasia a lot as a fictional movie because I divorce it from reality, I’m not watching a fictional kids movie to be educated on real history. Same with Pocahontas, I understand this one is the most controversial of the three movies, but it still has a very special place in my heart and was a lot more respectful towards cultural accuracy of Pocahontas’s culture, there’s an entire documentary about the making of Pocahontas. Its not like they portrayed her as a stereotypical Western Indian who lives in a teepee and wears braids and a feathered headband. I’d argue the sequel was pretty racist, specifically how the natives and Pocahontas’s bodyguard Utti are portrayed, a tall man with big ears, nose, lips, and doesn’t actually speak the entire movie, and it certainly doesn’t help he’s considered handsome in the ballroom scene. The sequel also is pretty inaccurate to the real Pocahontas’s time in London, including the fashion of her dress instead of being accurate to English fashion back then, especially when there is a real life portrait of Pocahontas as an English woman. And the sequel has a pretty misleading and dangerous portrayal of John Rolfe as well, not to mention it was this journey that caused Pocahontas to become ill and sadly die at a very young age, never getting to see her people or homeland again. Personally I was completely bored watching the sequel the first time and was just waiting for the ending to come so Pocahontas and John Smith could finally realize their feelings and go home together. I’m sorry but Pocahontas and Rolfe’s relationship felt incredibly forced and rushed, especially in comparison to the first movie where Pocahontas and John Smith actually took the time to get to know each other better BEFORE falling in love like other more popular couples (looking at you Ariel and Eric and Aladdin and Jasmine) and went through actual problems to be together, not getting tangled in misunderstandings or constant lying. To this day I still genuinely don’t understand why Rolfe completely abandoned his wealthy lifestyle in London just to be with Pocahontas. The movie NEVER implied he doesn’t like his current life or is unhappy with his job, nor does he seem particularly interested in Pocahontas’s culture or actually getting to know her as a person, not as a political figure. Not to mention I find the core messages of the sequel muddled and not resolved well. Pocahontas spends the entire movie feeling like she’s having to be someone she’s not just to impress King James, but the movie shows Rolfe falling in love with her as an English woman, NOT a native American princess who doesn’t need a man saving her.
I have a traumatic memory associated with this movie. Around the time it came out on VHS, my siblings and I were staying with my aunt and she rented it for us to watch. When I was taking a bathroom break, I picked up this small spray can off the shelf next the sink that I thought was air freshener and sprayed it heavily into the air. Turned out it was pepper spray and there was chaos that ensued. My eyes and throat immediately started burning and the fumes filled the entire house. We were all choking and my aunt had a severe asthma attack, and we had to evacuate the house and call 911.
Siskel and Ebert had no idea how privileged they were to make a career out of complaining about movies that - by today's standard - are friggin masterpieces. They were so spoiled to live in a time there the movie industry was releasing unforgettable movies left and right and they were complaining about it. Lol. I would have loved seeing those two goofballs comment on the state of cinema today.
It's my second favorite film. I only learned of it from netflix recommending it to me and thought "we can try it but it's probably terrible but we can always put something else on". As soon as i got past the live action which confused me and heard that score i knew it was going to be a gem
I am actually a fan of "We're Back" the film you mentioned as the flop preceding Balto. You should watch it - it also has it's awesome moments. John Goodman, Walter Cronkite and Julia Child do voices, and their characters are not beneath them. The kids are too ultra-cute, as usual with this animator, but the really loopy premise is a lot of fun, and the villain has THE MOST UNIQUE ending of any movie, ever. Not a classic. But fun.
Steel should've died after falling off the cliff, but he climbed back up, and the team went way the heck ahead of Steel before he climbed back up, and then magically sped up or transported ahead of the team to throw them off course.
I feel like maybe they should've delayed "Balto" so it didn't directly compete with "Toy Story". Had they done that and put more money into marketing, MAYBE it might have been at least moderately successful.
They wouldve missed the holiday season and given this was the studios' last film they probably didnt have any more time or money for advertising. Amblimation did a hail mary pass but it didnt work.
Here’s an alternative video. An extensive movie review/analysis on the 1995 animated movie “Balto.” Quite the movie actually, and one with plenty of things to talk about. Many things striking and great about it, just as much as there are shallow and moderate things to talk about. This video is also tonally more serious in comparison to my past content, but I tried to not overanalyze or overdramatize this analysis.. after all, it’s nothing to take super seriously. Anyways, I hope this video serves as good entertainment, and I hope you all enjoy it.
Hi
Balto is definitely an underrated gem and my favorite non-Disney animated movie from 90s along with The Iron Giant. I'm glad I grew up watching both of the as a kid.
Honestly, the moment when Balto sees the white wolf gives me chills even now.
One thing I liked about this movie was how serious it was for a kids film. The scene with the coffins made my heart sink when I was younger. Also just the idea that the weight of everyones lives was at stake. (Regardless of how historically inaccurate a lot of it was) Sure there was also comedy relief that dragged a couple emotional moments down, but much of the films tone is balanced with the right touch of wonder and legitimate maturity given the films themes. Not a perfect movie imo, but still a good watch that I would recommend.
Lets also take onto the fact (and be grateful) that there's absolutely NO musical numbers which most animated/talking animal movie had this unwritten law to have. Balto for example could have easily sang about being an outcast but instead that one scene where the wolves invite him after getting bullied by dogs just drives home more, that he feels like he doesn't belong to neither.
@@EclipseHedgehogsame. That’s personally why I find Brother Bear underrated, only one of the songs is actually sung by a character, all the others serve more as a narrative soundtrack like Tarzan
NGL, this is probably the greatest Balto review on the platform. The detail in the video and the editing are all extremely well done, and introduced me to elements in the film I had never thought about or considered. I really enjoyed this movie as a kid, and this video brings back so much nostalgic memories. Very underrated video on an underrated movie.
Balto is probably one of my favourite animated movies full stop for a lot of the reasons you listed in this video. Great analysis!
As far as the drama behind the real life event is concerned, It's not Balto's fault everyone decided to pin the credit to him like Illgo said, but basically the media trying to grab a quick headline. Togo may have endured 'the most' but so did everyone else on his team. Everyone was a hero during that run back in 1925, right down to the last dog on the last team to make it back, the mushers, the dogs who got damaged beyond repair, especially the ones who didn't make it. That all being said; oof, being removed 3 weeks after being released in theaters thats...not good. I can completely understand why they decided not to go theatrical again with the second movie "Wolf Quest" like they did with "Feival Goes West". There were quick talks about it but the original animation team had absolutely no intention of ever making a sequel at all though I would be curious how that would have at least looked because darn is Balto's animation gorgeous to look at. But did you also know that "Balto: Wolf Quest" was intended to release in 1999 rather than 2002 but due to one of the voice actresses (Mary Kay Burgman) tragically committing suicide it was pushed back 3 years later? People can hate wolf quest all they want, but honesty I'll take the silly 'wolf journey' over the ever so depressing freak show that the real dogs went through in 1927.
In my opinion, the movie didn't need Steele at all. There can be conflict enough with battling against the clock and the elements. Instead of the two polar bears (and even *gasp* Boris) I would tweak the story to focus mostly on Balto and his team and their dynamics. Each dog on the team has their own strengths and weaknesses, and Balto has his own flaws to overcome. I'd prefer fewer, but deeper, characters. Tbh, Jenna could be deleted and replaced with a brother or best friend. I just like the idea of a close-knit team striving for a heroic goal, each member with their own strengths and flaws (to overcome or be overcome by) Just my two cents.
I think you just described Togo
I remember watching this as a kid. I thought it was Bolto rather than Balto but that's not really important. Excellent breakdown of the film dude!
This is one of those movies that could use a remake.
Not a live-action one, though.
I agree! We definitely don't need it in love action though, you are right about that. I'd prefer something more stylized like Clause or Secret of Kells though.
literally all they need to do is extend the last 12 minutes of the animation to around 30 minutes to get a more complete journey and more room to expand the characteristics of Nikki and Kaltag (the two characters I wish had a story arc of their own with Balto). Nikki and Kaltag appear very bonded with Balto by the end of the movie, which could use an extra 20 minutes beforehand to reach a sense of completeness
All this applies to Star as well but Star already has way more representation and role than the other two already
I mean, Disney did do a live action movie called Togo which is a more accurate representation of the historical context
One thing I'll add as one of it's target audience is that Balto was never one note. He struggled in many things and they showed it. His self doubt contrasted with the surety of joining the race. His approach to Steele changed every time, from bottom of the back tail between his legs to standing his ground. He got hurt, he wasn't immune from damage, he had something to prove and there were real stakes. Also, his romance with Jenna wasn't his motivation. It started as a legitimate friend zone and grew into him caring for Rosie, not because he wanted to impress Jenna but because he cared about the girl. Balto had character, he grew over the course of the movie, essentially doing the second half of The Lion King but with more emotion, growth, maturity and sacrifice. Simba had nothing to lose going back to Pride Rock and fighting Scar. Balto left a safe semblance of friendship and acceptance, faced the wilderness of Alaska as a not full wolf, and risked the town's lives with his every choice... and those choices like the cave had weight and consequence. Simba fighting Scar was a spectacle, but you never doubted the outcome. But in Balto? They broke a jar of anti-toxin, the box opened, their musher freaking died due to Steele's ego and they shoved him on the sled (wonder how the town explained that away, dogs tying a corpse to a sled); you knew the eventual outcome but you had no idea how far they would go with any element. THAT is what made this movie so memorable to me, especially as a child who moved around a lot and never fit in, a tomboy with brains who just wanted friends but was ostracized for never wanting to do girly things while the boys were uncomfortable with me, who wound up becoming an artsy loner trying to find my own unaccepted way. Balto showed struggle, and that no matter how you view yourself or how others view you, you can overcome the jealous traps of an enemy sabotaging your class projects... I mean tree markings... and your choices matter. That you can step up and figure out how to use your oddities as strengths. At least that's what resonated to 90s kid me.
This is one of the films that you want to cheer on despite the imperfections. It's an underdog movie in more than one sense. It's in my top 5 animated films of all time, regardless of the flaws.
I think this is one of your actual best videos and it deserves more views
this movie is really my favorite of all, even though i can see the problems that it has, but remain as my favorite movie of all time. Maybe cause i suffer bullying and Balto struggle like me, being humiliated by others, but still he keep waiting for that thing that could make him go forward. It's incredible cause it really is pretty simplistic as characters, but because something is well known it doesn't mean that it can't shine brighter then before, and i feel that here. Well, there are a lot of things i would like to say about the movie, but this is just a comment of yutub so... what a memorable movie.
That quote from Boris really resignates with me. I feel that sometimes we tend to focus obsessively on media for its flaws, and don't really take the time to address it's good qualities. We hear about a certain work's problems and are quick to write it off something not worth our time.
Really, does a show, film, book, or game need to be perfect to be enjoyable or memorable? I'd argue that even some of the "classic" films tend to suffer from overexposure which, in my opinion, can potentially tarnish their value and is what leaves underrated gems like Balto in their shadow.
The way I'd best define Balto is that there's this ideal that even the worst stories can enjoyable if you know how to tell them well. The reason why it's not outright bad or even mediocre is because the filmmakers worked with what they had. They were telling a simple stories with some changes to history, and they made it compelling and meaningful. The themes, though cliche, are handled with maturity and complexity. The characters, though archetypes, are given personality and a degree of depth. And I'm blown away by presentation as a whole. The animation, music, and symbolism really help to elevate this film. In my opinion, this is where Balto deserves it's credit. It managed to make something out of what little it had, and while it may not be AS fondly remembered as some of the other animated films of it's era, it was Amblimation's best film, and is a masterpiece in it's own way.
I love this movie since childhood, I did remember it, and when I grow older I've reterned to this film, and this was so new expirience. I guess that the simplistic elements here is important too, for young audience so they can relax between action moments and not sleep when Boris's reading lecture to Balto about heritage.
Speaking of music. Dunno haw you all, but I'll go and listen Heritage of Wolf.
Why does this video have so little views?? The quality and editing is top notch!
This just makes me love and appreciate Balto even more, thank you for putting so much work into this video! It was one of my favorite movies as a kid and I still have a fondness for it as an adult. I liked all the talking animal movies but something about Balto captivated me and got me interested in sled dogs and Alaska and I read a lot of Jack London stories. I dunno. Something about it just resonates with me a lot and I appreciate the care and detail you put in your analysis of it (and as a neurodivergent person that was bullied a lot as a child, yeah, the themes of feeling outcast and finding self-acceptance really hit so it was very easy to see myself in Balto's shoes). So yeah, Balto is a really special movie and while it's not perfect it's still pretty enjoyable and one of my comfort films. It's easy to overlook the things I don't care for with the things I really like about it. I also think its influence on young artists cannot be understated because off the top of my head I can't think of many (if any?) other feature length animated films that prominently had a cast of four-legged wolves/dogs taking center stage. And if there's one thing artsy kids love, it's media with casts of talking animals having interpersonal drama like people (Warrior Cats, Lion King, Balto of course, etc etc). So even for something as simple as inspiring kids to draw and tell stories of their own with their wolf OCs, I would say it's had a positive ripple effect.
To me and my childhood this is above masterpieces
I guess I’m the only one who loved Muk and Luk as a kid. I found them hilarious and endearing.
So what became of that cowardly Steel after the end of the movie since he never return again in Balto 2:Wolf Quest and Balto 3 Wings of Changes?
There was actually a deleted scene were Steele was hung by his collar over a coal pit and buried alive... ( ･ั﹏･ั) Dark but kinda deserving...
Here it is:
ua-cam.com/video/T5h8xpeuor4/v-deo.html
Great analysis!
Steele be have a skull face though. Spooky
This is the thing about Disney, and don’t get me wrong Balto is a great movie. The thing is they enjoy to change the story. The historical accuracy always makes me feel so angry, it’s just so annoying. I understand they’re kid films, but you can make the original into a child friendly story.
Its funny that between the three 90s animated films released that took liberties with history: Pocahontas, Anastasia, and Balto; Pocahontas (arguably the most prestigious of the three) is the one I care least about. Even as Anastasia and Balto take considerably more license with their subject matters than Pocahontas it was always pretty apparent that the former two were labours of love that reflected a genuine passion on the part of their creators while the latter was pretentious Oscar bait that wanted kudos for being "based on a true story" and for having a "serious message" that was shoved down the audience's throats - and not much else. Heck, even the Pocahontas sequel comes off as more enjoyable because they dared to "have fun" with it - and ironically it was more historically accurate! Just imho
I disagree. Anastasia took heavy creative liberties regarding the real life account of Anastasia, and the film doesn’t ever go into why her family was assassinated or why Rasputin deeply hated her family and refused to let Anya live, despite she had absolutely no idea why he hated her. I enjoy Anastasia a lot as a fictional movie because I divorce it from reality, I’m not watching a fictional kids movie to be educated on real history. Same with Pocahontas, I understand this one is the most controversial of the three movies, but it still has a very special place in my heart and was a lot more respectful towards cultural accuracy of Pocahontas’s culture, there’s an entire documentary about the making of Pocahontas. Its not like they portrayed her as a stereotypical Western Indian who lives in a teepee and wears braids and a feathered headband. I’d argue the sequel was pretty racist, specifically how the natives and Pocahontas’s bodyguard Utti are portrayed, a tall man with big ears, nose, lips, and doesn’t actually speak the entire movie, and it certainly doesn’t help he’s considered handsome in the ballroom scene. The sequel also is pretty inaccurate to the real Pocahontas’s time in London, including the fashion of her dress instead of being accurate to English fashion back then, especially when there is a real life portrait of Pocahontas as an English woman. And the sequel has a pretty misleading and dangerous portrayal of John Rolfe as well, not to mention it was this journey that caused Pocahontas to become ill and sadly die at a very young age, never getting to see her people or homeland again. Personally I was completely bored watching the sequel the first time and was just waiting for the ending to come so Pocahontas and John Smith could finally realize their feelings and go home together. I’m sorry but Pocahontas and Rolfe’s relationship felt incredibly forced and rushed, especially in comparison to the first movie where Pocahontas and John Smith actually took the time to get to know each other better BEFORE falling in love like other more popular couples (looking at you Ariel and Eric and Aladdin and Jasmine) and went through actual problems to be together, not getting tangled in misunderstandings or constant lying. To this day I still genuinely don’t understand why Rolfe completely abandoned his wealthy lifestyle in London just to be with Pocahontas. The movie NEVER implied he doesn’t like his current life or is unhappy with his job, nor does he seem particularly interested in Pocahontas’s culture or actually getting to know her as a person, not as a political figure. Not to mention I find the core messages of the sequel muddled and not resolved well. Pocahontas spends the entire movie feeling like she’s having to be someone she’s not just to impress King James, but the movie shows Rolfe falling in love with her as an English woman, NOT a native American princess who doesn’t need a man saving her.
If only the film had an additional 50 minutes then it would probably be considered a masterpiece.
Hornet’s score alone makes this BEST DOG MOVIE EVER !!!! : )
that intro though
I have a traumatic memory associated with this movie. Around the time it came out on VHS, my siblings and I were staying with my aunt and she rented it for us to watch. When I was taking a bathroom break, I picked up this small spray can off the shelf next the sink that I thought was air freshener and sprayed it heavily into the air. Turned out it was pepper spray and there was chaos that ensued. My eyes and throat immediately started burning and the fumes filled the entire house. We were all choking and my aunt had a severe asthma attack, and we had to evacuate the house and call 911.
Siskel and Ebert had no idea how privileged they were to make a career out of complaining about movies that - by today's standard - are friggin masterpieces. They were so spoiled to live in a time there the movie industry was releasing unforgettable movies left and right and they were complaining about it. Lol. I would have loved seeing those two goofballs comment on the state of cinema today.
I loved it tho I know it wasnt accurate but in itself it was pretty good
steele is togo xd
It's my second favorite film. I only learned of it from netflix recommending it to me and thought "we can try it but it's probably terrible but we can always put something else on". As soon as i got past the live action which confused me and heard that score i knew it was going to be a gem
This will always be a classic to me❤. My childhood in a nutshell type of movie
This movie was so under rated
Balto is a beautiful film.
I'm so grateful that I grew up with this film.
🐺 🐺 🐺
I am actually a fan of "We're Back" the film you mentioned as the flop preceding Balto. You should watch it - it also has it's awesome moments. John Goodman, Walter Cronkite and Julia Child do voices, and their characters are not beneath them. The kids are too ultra-cute, as usual with this animator, but the really loopy premise is a lot of fun, and the villain has THE MOST UNIQUE ending of any movie, ever. Not a classic. But fun.
Same! That movie was so fun as a kid! Still funny now :)
……”Nenania” 😭
7:20 this just hurt
A legendary master piece like ghost in the shell was not care for because trash like toy story
I have watched the movie recently and i just realized how much of a peak movie this is,its easily my #1 animated movie
Steel should've died after falling off the cliff, but he climbed back up, and the team went way the heck ahead of Steel before he climbed back up, and then magically sped up or transported ahead of the team to throw them off course.
I feel like maybe they should've delayed "Balto" so it didn't directly compete with "Toy Story". Had they done that and put more money into marketing, MAYBE it might have been at least moderately successful.
They wouldve missed the holiday season and given this was the studios' last film they probably didnt have any more time or money for advertising. Amblimation did a hail mary pass but it didnt work.
Yay I'm early for once
:D
Siskel was so wrong on this
Whatttt
No it’s not