Balto: Wolf Quest (2001 Video) User Reviews

Rough, but with lots of heart.

[Figaro-8 · 7/10 · 16 February 2002]

I felt this film was kinda like Balto himself--a bit rough around the edges, but with a heart of gold underneath. I didn't care for Boris, Mu(c)k and Lu(c)k this time around, but Maurice LaMarche, Lacey Chabert and Mark Hamill were good as Balto, Aleu and Niju. However, the BEST piece of casting was David Carradine as Nava...he was WONDERFUL. The songs were generally well-done, and "Taking You Home" was beautiful. I really thought the ending of the movie was well-done: hopeful and leaving you with a satisfying feeling without being a traditional "happy ending."

So I have to say I still like the original a bit more, but this film was by no means a failure.

This is going to irritate some people, but...

[littlerob · 6/10 · 19 February 2002]

I think this film, as a sequel, does a huge disservice to the original Balto - in my opinion one of the finest animated moves ever and one of the few movies ever to move me to tears.

First, I really wish we could have had Kevin Bacon and Bridget Fonda back from the original. While the voices were good, it left me feeling a bit lost as to the relation to the first. Mark Hamill's voice was also completely inappropriate for Niju - at least as he was drawn, it should have been much deeper. Second, the animation - compared to the first - is atrocious. The computer-generated parts are easily identifiable and the scenes just don't seem to mesh as well as the original Balto. The combat scenes don't seem to flow very well. And one of the things that sticks out the most in my mind from the first is gone: the complex facial expressions of the characters. Third, the plot (while good) has some holes that you could fly a 747 through. The two evil wolves (and indeed the clan) were introduced so suddenly it sent me reeling, and how did the wolf pack suddenly know Balto's name? Fourth, it tried too hard to be Lion King - and it was so visible. With Aleu hanging off that cliff, I kept seeing Simba. With Niju standing up on the rock, I kept seeing Scar preaching to the lions. Why does every movie now feel they must pay homage to the Lion King in some fashion?

Still, the movie does have many redeeming qualities. It stays interesting for most of the film and deals with some issues that can be looked at by both children and adults from both sides - when to let go. Besides the holes - and no film is perfect - the plot was good, and I truly enjoyed the Inuit references in the film - one of the truly forgotten cultures of America.

Overall, it was a good film and worth the DVD, but it could have been so much more.

Has its flaws, but overall is a heart-warming continuation of the first film!

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 17 June 2009]

The adventure of Balto continues with a charming, heart-warming continuation of where the first film left off. I don't think it is as good as the first film, but it is certainly an improvement on previous sequel efforts, is there anyone here who didn't like Cinderella 2 or Secret of NIMH 2? If anything I wish the film was five minutes longer, to me the ending seemed rather abrupt. Balto: Wolf Quest also doesn't have the best story in the world, but the story still is well-paced, and in general well-written, despite some uneven attempts at humour.(Muk and Luk) The script is on the most part touching, and I thought the animation, while not as good as the animation in the first film, was very good, with a lot of symbolism that I thought was most effective on screen. I liked the songs, beautiful melodies, but sometimes overshadowed the story. The film is brought to life by a terrific voice cast, including Little Mermaid's Jodi Benson as Jenna. Boris wasn't as funny here, but Charles Fleischer does a commendable job, he reminded me a bit of John Cleese's Jean Bob in Swan Princess. Lacey Chabert is very spirited as Aleu, a young wolf who yearns to find the truth about herself, and Mark Hamill is suitably nasty as Niju. I thought the actor with the best vocal talents in the movie, was the late David Carradine as Nava, a performance of subtlety and restraint that was admirable. I will confess I was very scared by the three wolverines, with their burning red eyes, their appearance is enough to frighten a very young child. All in all, a charming sequel, not as good as the first film, but I wasn't expecting it to be. I've learnt now that save a couple of exceptions,(Toy Story 2, Home Alone 2 and Garfield 2) none of the sequels I have seen to anything, surpasses the original. 7/10 Bethany Cox.

`Balto II' An Enjoyable Wolf Quest

[funjokerjake · 21 February 2002]

What with the popularity of their numerous direct-to-video sequels to The Land Before Time and An American Tail, it's not surprising that Universal's latest video offering is a sequel to their 1995 Balto. The original is based on the true story of a dog who, facing unbelievable dangers, brought medicine to those of Nome, Alaska when many children were suffering a life-threatening sickness. This one finds Balto father to some adorable pups, all of whom are adopted by a human eight weeks after birth – except Aleu, who looks more like a wolf then her half-wolf father. When a hunter mistakes her for one, Balto reveals the truth about her mixed heritage, and she runs – with Dad hot on her trail, thanks to a mysterious raven from a reoccurring nightmare. The result is an enjoyable Wolf Quest, which surprisingly doesn't do harm to the original. While the animation here isn't top-notch – more Cartoon Network-ish -- that's to be expected from a direct-to-video sequel. Indeed, the film's main fault is being a musical – featuring a singing rat – something the first movie never was designed to be. The songs are good, and fit well, but longtime fans of the original might be a bit disappointed. On a nicer note, the villains from within the wolf pack pleasantly resemble Steele and his gang of bully dogs from the first movie, and the bear sequence would have been just as brilliant as the one in the original if not for the cheesy `inner knowing' ending to the scene. By far not as good as the first, but a wonderful movie nonetheless, and one I'll definitely watch again. ***** (5/5).

For a kid's movie, it's very charming

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 6/10 · 27 November 2006]

Since my friend lent me the movie Balto, I decided to see what the sequels were all about and also show it to my cousin, maybe he might get into it as well since he's 5 and he really liked it and so did I. Balto 2 may not have been up to par with the first Balto, but it did just as well with the story. I think because so many children could relate to where they stand in the world, they know they belong with Mom and Dad, but where does their life go?

Balto now has kids, including a little wolf named Aleu, Aleu doesn't understand why her sisters and brothers were adopted and why she wasn't. Balto finally explains how she looks more like a wolf than a dog and she freaks out and runs away. Balto goes to find her, in the end, they meet another wolf pack who is running out of food and need a new leader to guide them to food and start a new generation of wolves. Aleu is finally discovering her place in the world.

The animation was great and so was the story, I wish they didn't cut the ending so shortly, but I understand, kids usually have a short attention span, so it's all good. But I would recommend Balto II: Wolf Quest for a good family film to watch together. It was a really sweet and lovely film that anyone could be touched by.

6/10

This was awful!

[Dinah813 · 1/10 · 23 July 2002]

Yes, I'm going to rant on about how horrible this movie is. I understand there are a lot of people who DID think this movie was great, and I actually wish I could be one of them. But this has got to be the worst sequeal of all times. Balto was such a classic! Here are some examples of how they ruined it: The animation. It was horrbile. The wolves didn't even look like wolves, and they looked completely out of wack from the first movie. And it seemed at the end of the movie it just started to get worse. All the good animation was put into that dumb little totem pole. I hated the drawings. Then there's the dialouge. For one thing- what's up with Boris? Suddenly he can't talk right? And not that I loved Muk and Luk from the first movie, but they were REALLY annoying in the second one. And howcome they were STILL cubs, even after Aleu was adult? Speaking of Aleu, who in there right mind gets mad at their parents and runs off because of their HERITAGE? It's not like Balto had control of who HIS parents were. And most of the dialouge in this movie was really cheap. Especially in the bear scene. And the whole "I'm following a raven, wow, you are too?" thing. And that mouse...eerrr. When Aleu walked into that cave and the song started to play, I actually thought the movie was getting a little better. It was such a pretty background song. But the MOUSE was singing it. Mice don't sing, and no one sang in Balto. Plus he was just creepy. How did he "appear" there next to Aleu at the end of the movie? Two more things. Nava and Niju. Niju was just some sad copy of Steele (what happend to him anyway?)He had no real purpose to be mad! And what was up with all that melting into trees and magic stuff? The first balto was based all on fact except the talking stuff, which it would've been boring without. All in all, Balto 2: Wolf Quest, was the worst sequeal ever- and it totally destroyed Balto. Balto was the story of a wolf-dog who longed to belong and run in a sled race, and he ended up saving Nome, Alaska. What did Aleu do? Nothing! There WOULD have been a message in that movie, if it even made since (like I said before, if you're upset about your heritage, that's YOUR problem, not your parents). This movie had no drama, no romance, not even any comedy.

P.S. What was up with that thing at the begining of the movie where the pups were being sold? Why didn't they choose Aleu? She was the only one left behind! That was SO Oliver and Company. And after what Balto did, who WOULDN'T want a half wolf- half dog? Really, the makers of this movie could've done better. With a little thought, even I could've done better.

Almost...

[Lupercali · 6/10 · 24 July 2002]

The original Balto was a real sleeper. In hindsight, I think it emerged as probably the best and most enduring animated film of the 90's - its 'sleeper' status confirmed by the fact that it took 6 years for the studios to realise the movie had a big enough following for a sequel.

Having been traumatized by the abominable 'Secret of NIMH 2' (the original NIMH was my pick for best animated movie of the 80's), I was prepared for something equally hideous here. And the early mail wasn't good. I read some scathing early reviews. However as an adult fan of the original Balto, I think I can say that those who revere the original can probably watch this

without fear of having a stroke. Certainly it isn't in the same league as its predecessor, but who really expected a DTV sequel to be that good? In fact Balto Wolf Quest only narrowly avoids being a good movie. I'm aware that you might equally argue that it narrowly avoids being a disaster, too, but I can't help the feeling there was a great movie here trying to get out.

So what kept it from being good, rather than just ok?

*minor spoilers ahead*

Firstly the story is simply not told very well. Balto's visions in the first half of the movie (which incidentally is much stronger than the second half) turn out to be a bit of a smokescreen for a plot twist late in the movie, but far too much time is expended on them for it to be excusable for them to frittered away as like this. In fact the movie is really about Aleu (Balto and Jenna's daughter), and having the first half of the film told from Balto's POV, though ambitious, is a tactic that ultimately fails. By the time Aleu emerges as the major character, the movie is nearly over.

That's a second fault: the movie is too short over all, and the ending is rushed.

Thirdly, with the exception of Aleu herself, the new characters range from indifferent (the wolf shaman) to very regrettable (the trio of bad guy wolves, one of whom sounds like something out of Hogan's Heroes). Jenna, who has what many will find a disappointingly small part in this movie, is also way off character, and even off-model (drawn wrong).

Fourthly quite a few precious minutes in an already underlength film are wasted with songs, and whereas they aren't deployed every 10 minutes, the two which are sung by the characters are used awkwardly to develop the plot - which should have been done conventionally, through dialogue and action.

Fifthly, the use of CGI animation for some scenes sits very awkwardly with the conventional animation style sometimes used in the same shots (I'm sure this has been remarked on elsewhere)

Lastly it just doesn't have emotional clout of the original. Ironically, it SHOULD have had, because after all, this was a spiritual quest movie.

So with all that against it, did it do anything right?

Yes. The backgrounds are beautifully vibrant, and well above average for a DTV animated movie. Particularly in the first half, they're quite gorgeous to look at.

Secondly, considering the absence of all the big-name voice actors from the original, the second voice cast aquits itself for the most part very well. Balto still sounds like Balto. The only real klanger is, again, Jenna, who just has none of the spunk of her character in the original (fortunately Aleu does.)

Thirdly, the animation is at very least adequate for a DTV. Except for Jenna, characters seldom go off-model.

Fourthly, the story and pacing in the first half are strong, and it wasn't until about 45 minutes into the movie that the wheels started falling off.

Finally, Aleu is an attractive and strong character (even if her voice characterisation is a bit average), and if there is to be a Balto 3 (which given Universal's penchant for DTV sequels doesn't seem inlikely), they could do a lot worse than to make an Aleu movie.

Verdict, from an old Balto fan - go in with low expctations, and you may still enjoy it. If a few key errors had been avoided, it could have been very good. As it is, it's still very watchable, and I'll be giving it a second spin.

This movie is a bad trip

[mbelt · 2/10 · 29 June 2014]

Before you use the nostalgia factor on me, today was the very first time I watched Balto. So right after watching Balto, I was super excited to start watching Balto 2; however, my excitement faded quickly. The movie starts out in a trip dream with very lucid colors. It lasted too long and left me confused. After Balto awoke, Boris was way too "Boris". His language and ways of speech were over-exaggerated compared to the first Balto. Of course, Balto got laid after he saved Jenna's human. She has pups and all of them look like him except for one (Aleu) who looks more wolf than Balto. (Tell me how that works). So Aleu throws a tantrum after she founds out she's 25% wolf, tells her dad (Balto) she hates him, and runs away. Aleu turns out to be the chosen one in some half coyote half wolf looking pack thing to save them all!

Oh, and don't forget 6+ minutes of God awful cheesy music.

Although I will watch the 3rd one tomorrow, I absolutely loved Balto and am disgusted by Balto 2. I only suggest watching this movie if you can't let Balto go and are currently high. ~Margaret

Beautiful.

[ginger_sling · 9/10 · 31 October 2005]

Though it doesn't hold up to the wonderful original Balto, this is one of the very few animated film sequels that didn't totally make me gag. The storyline is completely different (thankfully not going the 'Oh, no! Another epidemic!' route one would expect) and the entire movie takes a Native American twist, focusing less of dog-sleds and more on the Wolf roots of both Balto and his daughter, Aleu. The songs are touching and beautiful, my favorites being "Taking You Home" and "Who You Really Are". "Taking You Home" is probably the only song I've ever heard from an animated film that has ever made me cry- and it take a lot to make me cry.

This film, combined with the original Balto film, would be a wonderful little gift pack for anyone who's a fan.

A nice sequel

[DogePelis2015 · 6/10 · 28 May 2021]

It's a decent sequel; that although it is not up to par with its predecessor, it is still a fun and emotional adventure for young children.

Disgrace to the first movie!

[Lissy71 · 1/10 · 11 November 2008]

How can anyone like this?! I bought this in the hopes that I would like it as much as the original but I thought wrong. Here are the reasons why this is awful...

There is singing in this one (I like singing in animated films but the first Balto movie didn't have it. So why are they in here?)

Spiritual stuff which I usually like but it doesn't belong in Balto!

The original cast not returning. If you can't get them back, don't make the movie!

Badly done animation including CGI effects which don't fit with the hand-drawn stuff.

The new characters were awful. Aleu was the most annoying thing I have ever witnessed in a movie along with that weird singing mouse! And those wolverines are things that could be easily mistaken for weasels so knowone would take them seriously and just die with laughter. I did and so did my sister.

The writer's rubbish attempt at being funny such as when Balto is leading the wolves and he says "Mush! Er..I mean..move out!". It makes me want to smack the writers and say "That is NOT funny!"

It was pretty much badly written in general. I mean, how can Aleu suddenly be the one destined to lead a wolf pack? She's only lived for one year, she is not a good fighter (from what I saw in the movie anyway) and she has never lived in a wolf pack before. I thought a wolf needed those things she doesn't have in order to be alpha! And why did Balto think he was the true leader when it is said the leader is "The one who is wolf and does not know". He knows he is part wolf so what was that about?

So if you love the first Balto film for being beautifully done, then don't watch this. It will ruin the first one for you!

Wonderful

[baltosantos · 10/10 · 11 May 2015]

for me no matter how this movie got away from reality of the first, it's still a very nice movie with beautiful music, what reminds me of first, the characters are cool, and the scenario is too beautiful, gives a nice continuation to Balto, showing that he becomes father, Balto has a perfect way to be a father, and deserved one more film to prove it Another thing that I loved in this film was Balto's daughter that is very well designed and has a beautiful voice, the film also has an exciting ending, it made me cry a few times with this beautiful end, Balto 2 doesn't deserve so many complaints,It's a perfect movie for children, because if I'm still in love with this movie isn't hard to some kids like too, recommends

Not as bad as some people may think

[peanutbuttergirl-456-299399 · 6/10 · 22 August 2012]

In my very own opinion, Balto 2: Wolf Quest is an average, overall great family movie. True its not as great as the first Balto, it easily wins more points then the third Balto did. The movie isn't just about Balto, its also about his daughter Aleu; who, unlike her litter mates, looks more like her father. Aleu doesn't find out about her bloodline until her father finally tells her when shes a teenager. After she discovers the truth, Aleu runs away from home to find "who" she is,(basically to find out her destiny because shes been having strange dreams like her father). True the plot in this movie is not always straight forward, this movie still is a great family movie in my book, that also comes with great animation and a perfect journey for father and daughter!

This Film Sucked

[ICEHUSKY · 1/10 · 11 July 2005]

At first,I was very excited to see this movie,and of course I thought it would be good.But the singing mouse,spirit guides crap,and disappearing and reappearing characters ruined it.I noticed that the background wolves look better than Nava(looks like a mutt w/beard and eyebrows),Niju(looks like he has an abscess on his jaw),the trio of wolves(just plain ugly).And Jenna looked like a drug addict,Balto looked really old and tired,and Alue is pretty dumb.If they'd not had the end where the mouse pops up and howled w/the wolves,the movie would already be a little better..Boris shouldn't have even been shown(He's so annoying)and he sounded Jewish.Muk and Luk weren't cute,but annoying.And there wasn't Steele or anyone.All-in-all,WQ should have never been.

Cheese fluff, anyone?

[TheCuddlyBalrog · 19 June 2004]

I have yet to see a DTV sequel that did not completely butcher the original and make me want to run a sledgehammer through my VCR. Balto II: Wolf Quest is no exception. I might have been able to overlook the poor animation if the plot had been decent, but we've seen it a million times. The writers decide to produce offspring from the original movie's hero, and then follow their angst plight through adolescence. The voice casting for Aleu was horrid, a stronger female voice would have done wonders for her characters. And that mouse... oy. He howled for crying out loud! I'm sorry, but that's just beyond laughable, and not in a good way. The wolves were horribly drawn, especially the three "mean" ones. Were these a tribute too the three sled dogs that always trailed after Steele? They, as well as their leader looked more like rats crossed with panthers. The animators seem to have fallen into the horrible cliché of "Wanna make a baddie? Give him an over-sized chin!" Yick.

Then there were all the overdone and overUSED Indian references. Since it's Alaska, couldn't they at least gone with Eskimo legends, since they were so intent on dumping spiritualism on us? The glowing eye effect lost it's charm... as soon as I saw it. I just wish these people will stop pumping out sequels for the sake of a dollar. Make something that's worthy of theater release, and that lives up to it's predecessor.

Wasn't as emotionally engaging, but visually decent.

[Animany94 · 6/10 · 20 November 2017]

There are some really beautiful scenes in Balto: Wolf Quest, and the film overall exceeded my expectations, but it still has its problems. Let's start with the good stuff.

Visually, the film is actually quite pleasing to the eye with dramatic angles and quickly moving in Balto's really cool dream sequence and with vibrant colours in his daughter's self-discovery.

And the not that good stuff.

Balto: Wolf Quest is not grounded in reality like its predecessor and didn't have much originality to the story, but it had its moments of decent voice acting from new characters like the soft and firm Nava and the menacing Niju. Aside from that we have to deal with new voices for the recurring characters, and it shows.

Boris is the most noticeable, and even if Charles Fleischer did a decent job, I found him too loud and not funny. I wasn't that keen of Muk and Luk in the original, but they seemed pointless here. Jodi Benson did the best performance as Jenna, I'll give her credit for that.

The story, while not original, had a spiritual theme to it and I would have liked that to be explored more, because it was shown so many times right from the start and especially in this beautiful scene when Balto's daughter is in a cave. It could have been so interesting.

I'm sure Balto: Wolf Quest will entertain on its own, and I was entertained, too. I feel it could have been better, but Even though it is a far cry from its predecessor, it is still among the better sequels out there.

Oh, I.....

[olivery2k · 2/10 · 28 February 2002]

I can't even say what I think about this movie. I'd use very bad language. Sure the songs were good, yet the ending really made me hate the whole thing. They should have had Steel in it again or something. What was with all the weird magic animals? I'de stick with the 1st one. The 2nd one isn't even worth watching.

Flawed but interesting.

[Cylex · 7/10 · 2 November 2002]

The original film was brilliant. This sequel is less grounded in reality and less satisfying but is still worth a look. Balto's friends from the first movie just don't get enough screen time. The songs weren't necessary and the plot borrowed from Disney a lot. (Especially The Lion King) What makes it stand out though is the weird totem imagery and Balto's recurring dreams. I liked the mouse best. Aleu was cute as a pup and grew into a strong heroine. This adventure does not have the heart of the previous but is still likeable. The ending was good but left some questions. 7/10

A bad DTV sequel to an animated classic

[Criticman12 · 2/10 · 12 March 2011]

Back in 1995, we were given the animated film, "Balto". It was one of my favorite movie's as a kid and it developed a cult following. In 2002, we were given, "Balto: Wolf Quest", a bad DTV sequel.

The thing's I liked about this film was the hand-drawn animation, even though it's DTV, it was still good. David Carradine does a good job as the the Wolf Shaman, Nava. I also thought, Maurice LaMarche did a decent job as Balto. He wasn't as good as when Kevin Bacon did the voice of him in the first one, but he was still good.

The thing's I didn't like about this film is that the CGI animation was terrible. It look's like it came from a video game. Lacey Chabert was pretty bad as Aleu. She sound's like an eight-year old. Also, the villain Niju was really weak. I liked Mark Hamil as the Joker in, "Batman: Arkham Asylum", but seeing him in this movie is just lame. Why not have Steele from the first movie be in this one? Also, we don't get to see that much of Jenna, Boris, Muk or Luk. Not only it had bad CGI animation and a weak villain, but the movie had singing. The song's aren't even that good.

In the end, "Balto: Wolf Quest", is a bad sequel that's not worth watching. Fan's of the first film might enjoy it but for everyone else, no.

Better than first expected

[ajnrules · 8/10 · 17 February 2002]

After seeing the commercials for this movie a bunch of times while watching TV, they only imply that this is one of those cute, kiddy, been-there-done-that film that non-Disney studios pop out once every month to combat the giant Disney empire. However, while actually watching this film, it turns out to be something completely different.

This film is *gasp* actually pretty good, and is easily better than the first!

The story, in a nutshell, is that our hero, Balto, had babies. While most of the pups look like their mother, one of them looks more like a wolf than a dog. She grows up and is unable to accept the fact she is more wolf-like than dog-like, then runs away. (She doesn't like being dominated by her father.) Meanwhile, both of them have the same dream filled with ice, a raven, caribou, and wolves. Well, both of them embark on a journey that manages to include all elements of the two dreams, then runs into a pack of wolves who must either leave the land they lived on for years or starve to death. Balto's daughter realizes her destiny is to leave her family and lead the wolves. Balto understands and lets her leave.

Yeah, I make it sound generic, but believe me, IT IS NOT! This film may be one of many that feature the "journey to find oneself" theme, but it succeeds extremely well! The message is deep, and the presentation is haunting with a little bit of comedy mixed in (the comedy is quite ordinary, so that may explain why the commercial makes the movie look so generic.) Add a great voice acting with talents such as Mark Hamill, Rob Paulsen, Jodi Benson etc., and you've got what may be the best direct-to-video animated motion picture ever made.

Hit and Run...

[XanaduWolf156 · 6/10 · 24 March 2010]

Yep, it's true. Another Balto movie. But it's different. This one isn't real. It never happened! All of the movie is fictional. It is understandable that the drawings of the characters are not the same as the original movie. That's where it disappointed me. Well, now...I will go over 5 topics. Plot, characters, acting, music, and graphics. I'll start with graphics, since that is what really ticked me off. I will use a scale from 1 - 10. 10 being the best.

Graphics/CGI/Drawings - 3 - HORRIBLE. ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. The drawings are nothing like the original! Balto looks different, Jenna's drawing is less cute, and it seems like every 5 minutes, other characters change their drawing form. It's very poor, all in a nutshell. NOW, I'm not trying to discourage anyone, but I know a 3rd grader who could draw better wolves, dogs, foxes, birds, gooses, etc.

Plot - 7 - *To Balto* "Oh no, Jenna? You married Jenna? Ho ho ho, oh AND GOT BIZ-ZAY! It's a whole family of MUTTS! Ohhh..This is just too good." NOT. Here's why... Supposedly, in every movie where the female dog gives birth to pups, there always has to be an "odd" looking one. The odd looking one is the pup that doesn't get adopted, out of 5 of puppies. And, yeah, yeah, she has the main problem in the movie. SHE WANTS TO GET ADOPTED. The Native American atmosphere is what I like, and somewhat dislike. I love Native American culture, and the theory that people crossed the Bering Strait some 35,000 years ago. It is true that Indians controlled the land at Alaska. There is a lot of references of them in the movie. What I dislike is it is HIGHLY spiritual. I mean, it's a kids movie. There is no such thing as magic. And I'm sure there is no so thing as wolves going through trees. I found that very absurd. If you like fictional, spiritual, and mysterious movies, you'll love this movie.

Characters - 9 - I positively love the characters in this movie. Steele, Dixie, and other characters that didn't have a big role in the original movie never showed up in here. The only characters were Balto, Jenna, Boris, and Muk and Luk. Although, at the last 30 minutes of the movie, Jenna, Boris, and Muk and Luk never pop up again. New characters are all wolves. That's it. Period.

Acting - 6 - WAH, Kevin Bacon was replaced, Brigit Fonda was replaced (Let's just say all the characters in this movie had their actors replaced)There is no correlation between the original actors, from the first movie. I hated what happened here.

Music - 5 - I liked the song "Reach for the Light" by Steve Winwood, on the original Balto 1995 release, but this movie's songs are unlikable. They are also very annoying. It seemed as if the directors of this movie copied scenes from the movie "The Lion King." It just ruined the Balto series.

I would have loved if the directors started the series of after the end of the first movie. When I mean after, I mean 2 days after, not 2 years.

So out of 10, I give this movie a 6.

This should never have happen

[mervclan · 3/10 · 18 June 2011]

just why Did they make a sequel to amazing movie why its just stupid I know what I am saying didn't like this sequel and as what George Carlin would say Wherever ideas are concerned Americans can be counted on to do one of two things Take a really good idea and run it completely into a ground or take a really bad idea and run it completely into the ground. And yes the story was weak and had no plot the new characters are not all that great and giving the characters new voices was stupid I usely don't mind new voice actors but the new voice actors are really lack off in this film their are better sequels like babe the pig in the city Herbie rides again and All dogs go to heaven 2 and other Disney sequels made in the 90s so please don't buy this sequel 2000 sequels are just really bad these days I give this movie a 3 out of 10 for its kind heart but yet lame and as I said again this should never of happen

Different but good.

[oriente385 · 9/10 · 27 November 2018]

Low budget DTV sequel. Different from the original, very spiritual and mystical. It is about a journey of self-discovery and a balance in the world. Something that a whole family can watch, both very very small kids and adults. Leaves you with a good feeling. I put 9/10.

Oh boy, American Indians take over cartoon. Stop.

[siderite · 5/10 · 9 September 2005]

This is a sequel to an already low budget cartoon movie. Going direct to video the cost of this must have been similar to the production cost of a cartoon series episode. The plot was really bad written, with a lot of inconsistencies and with too much "ancient fathers" mystique.

The animation was more CGI than ever, meaning that it sucked, not that it had cool special effects. So when there are no graphics and no story what is there to see? Of course, Disney like songs, with an Aztec twists. The major quality of the original Balto was that it was pure story and no darn singing in it. They completely destroyed this in Balto II. They are singing and singing and my fast forward isn't fast enough.

The ending is like the end of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Everybody's happy, but you have absolutely no clue why. Horrible sequel.

Why?!

[robynh-4 · 1/10 · 13 October 2007]

"Balto" -the first one- is one of my all-time favourite flicks. When I found out that there was a "Balto 2" via "The Grinch" on video, I was really excited and really wanted to see it. Years later we got "Balto" & "Balto 2" on DVD and we all watched the second movie first and I was ultimately disappointed. The story: Balto and Jenna get together and have puppies. However, Balto keeps on and on having dreams about pursuing a raven that just beckons him. All but one of the puppies is adopted and the one who doesn't- who's called Aleu (atrociously voiced by Lacey Charbet)- has no idea why. Balto tells her that he's half wolf and she's inherited the wolf look. Aleu gets all upset and runs away. Balto sets out to find her with the help of the raven and must overcome some tests about a fox, a mongoose gang, a bear and elk with Aleu who finds out who she really is along the way and her destiny (which is to lead a pack of wolves after their elderly leader is nearing death).

The reasons why I don't like this film?: Terrible animation (the characters don't even look the same from the fist film!), stupid songs, a dire story all together and what I think is the cherry on top of it all, they don't have the original voice actors! In short: don't waste your life on this.