Line #30 YMMV/Balto


1	* {{Adorkable}}: Star. So very much. He's a small, meek, timid ButtMonkey with an adorably awkward personality who gets kicked around by Nikki and Kaltag, and whacked in some shape or form anytime he says one thing.
2	* AllAnimationIsDisney: It's also commonly mistaken for a Creator/DonBluth film, especially given its similar style of character design. It doesn't help that it's produced by Creator/StevenSpielberg and distributed by Creator/{{Universal}}, just like ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime'', and thus it's often advertised alongside those films. Adding to the confusion is the fact that Creator/{{Amblimation}}, the studio that ''did'' make it, also produced ''WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTailFievelGoesWest'', which many think Bluth worked on.
3	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: The white wolf from the original film. A lot of EpilepticTrees stem from its almost ethereal appearance, the way it vanishes and reappears in the thick blizzard, and the fact that it only appears in a single scene with Balto alone. Is it real? Is it a memory from Balto's past? Is it a hallucination? Is it a spirit guide? Is it a visual metaphor for Balto's acceptance of his heritage? The ambiguity of the scene is what makes it so brilliant. Granted, the DirectToVideo sequel removes all the ambiguity, but there are [[FanonDiscontinuity fans who do not count the sequels as canon]]. Neither do the original movie's writers, who intended this wolf to be male.[[note]]Specifically, in ''Wolf Quest'' [[spoiler:the wolf is revealed to be Balto's mother]]. [[WordOfGod Phil Weinstein]] has since clarified that Balto's [[spoiler:mother]] was meant to be the dog half of the wolf/dog union, ergo why Steele's joke... works.[[/note]]
4	* AssPull: After Balto takes over the medicine sleigh team, Steele watching them depart somehow manages to get ahead of them and marks trees ''everywhere'' to make the journey home for Balto's team confusing, even though he had just tumbled down a hillside, and should be injured and exhausted.
5	* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: Its fluid and expressive character animation and absolutely [[SceneryPorn beautiful environments]] rival many Disney films.
6	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: The soundtrack by Music/JamesHorner for the original film is absolutely stunning. Just try and listen to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN5SmAWnQNo "Heritage of the Wolf"]] without choking up. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiE_ukeNNEE "The Journey Begins"]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJZf4c6l_2s "Balto Brings the Medicine!"]] deserves a mention too. The best one, hands down, goes to Steve Winwood's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xtgRpum6wk "Reach for the Light"]], a hauntingly powerful ballad which sums up Balto's journey to greatness.
7	* BaseBreakingCharacter:
8	** Star, Kaltag, and Nikki on whether they're funny or just annoying. Same goes for Muk and Luk.
9	** Jenna is either a compelling character who adds depth to the film or a one-dimensional SatelliteLoveInterest depending on who you ask.
10	* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: That squeaky cat toy... thing.
11	* BrokenBase: Over the sequels as to whether they're decent or just plain awful. And even then the fanbase is divided on which one of the two sequels is superior over the other as well as which one should be considered canon.
12	* CompleteMonster: [[FakeUltimateHero Steele]] starts out as a JerkJock before becoming far worse, DrivenByEnvy at Balto being placed on his sleigh team. Angrily trying to sabotage their efforts to get medicine delivered to sick children, Steele spitefully tries to make them lose their way on the path to the village, [[LackOfEmpathy uncaring]] for the lives of the dogs or kids. Returning to the village on his own, Steele claims his teammates died in a blizzard while he was unable to save them, caring nothing for anything save his own {{glory\|Hound}}.
13	* ContestedSequel: The sequels have their fans, but are generally considered vastly inferior to the original ''Balto'' for their decline in animation quality along with some weird plots and characters.
14	* CriticalDissonance: ''Balto'' received mixed reviews from critics, but is generally well liked by its target audience and is considered by many to be a classic.
15	* CultClassic: Wasn't a huge hit when it was released, but has a very large and active fanbase today in part due to television runs and home video releases.
16	* DracoInLeatherPants: Steele and Niju, despite being the BigBad of their respective movies, have their share of fans. At least Niju has the excuse of just being afraid of losing his home. Steele, on the other hand, is repulsive, inside and out. But as always, that doesn't stop fanfiction and fanart from depicting Steele somehow performing a HeelFaceTurn and Niju getting paired with Aleu. Though Steele was actually in the original script for the third movie, where he was supposed to help Kodi find Balto along with several others. He was left out for reasons unknown, possibly by Steele's unsympathetic character in the first movie.
17	* EnsembleDarkHorse:
18	** Star from the first movie. Sadly, he wasn't in the sequels. Same goes for Kaltag and Dixie as well.
19	** Besides Kodi and Aleu, Balto and Jenna also had other puppies (named Dingo and Saba in the credits, although two more unnamed pups exist); we only see them like in two minutes of the second sequel (there's not even any consensus on which of the puppies is supposed to be who!), and yet they are very popular in the fan base.
20	* EvilIsCool: Steele has quite the fanbase just based on how obvious it was that the animators loved drawing him as the most evil dog ever seen. EVERY moment he's on screen has him looking and acting pure evil, and it's glorious.
21	* FanficFuel:
22	** A sizeable chunk of fanfics center on how Balto's parents met. Given how little we know about either of them, save which sub-species which parent was, there's a fair bit of variation. It gets a ''very'' passive mention in ''Wolf Quest'', simply saying that Balto's father "had puppies" with a wolf.
23	** Some fics make an effort to squeeze [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togo_(dog) Togo]] back into the story in some way, usually by [[OCStandIn reimagining him]] as [[RelatedInTheAdaptation Balto's father]].
24	** Many fanfics set after the second film focus on Aleu's adventures with her new wolf pack, and whether or not she ever reunites with her family back in Nome.
25	* FanPreferredCutContent: After the discovery of a DeletedScene where Steele gets his collar snagged on a lever leading to him falling into a coal pit and being BuriedAlive, many fans have stated this would've been [[AssholeVictim a more satisfying defeat]] for a sociopathic narcissist like him than simply being abandoned by the other dogs.
26	* FriendlyFandoms:
27	** There's a ''lot'' of fanart and fanfiction crossing the characters from this film over with Creator/DonBluth's ''WesternAnimation/AllDogsGoToHeaven'', another [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation Renaissance]]-era animated feature starring dogs. It helps that most of the animators for that film also worked on the two [[WesternAnimation/AnAmericanTail Bluth]] [[WesternAnimation/TheLandBeforeTime films]] Spielberg produced, so their character designs compliment one another to the point that many mistake ''Balto'' for a Bluth film.
28	** In part due to [[AllAnimationIsDisney the similar art styles]], the series shares its fans with ''WesternAnimation/OliverAndCompany'', ''WesternAnimation/TheFoxAndTheHound'', ''WesternAnimation/OneHundredAndOneDalmatians'', and the two ''WesternAnimation/LadyAndTheTramp'' films.
29	* GeniusBonus: Boris once compares Balto, Muk, and Luk's issues to [[Creator/FyodorDostoevsky Dostoevsky novels]].
30	* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: The movie (and to a lesser extent its sequels) fared much better in Japan, if the amount of merchandise coming from the country back in those days was any indication.
31	* GrowingTheBeard: Creator/{{Amblimation}}'s first (and ultimately only) success at a weightier story and heavier drama.
32	* [[SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct He Really Can Voice Act]]: Most people were surprised to learn that Balto's voiced by '''Creator/KevinBacon''' and this is (as of 2022) the only major voice acting role in his career, which is a shame since everyone agrees he gives it his all.[[note]]The obscurity of his role also makes for a fun game of SixDegreesOfKevinBacon.[[/note]]
33	* HilariousInHindsight:
34	** It's kinda funny that Creator/BrendanFraser originally recorded Steele's dialogue, only to get replaced by Creator/JimCummings1952. Years later, with ''Film/LooneyTunesBackInAction'', Cummings had recorded some of Taz's dialogue, only to get replaced by Fraser in the final film!
35	** Creator/BobHoskins [[Film/EnemyAtTheGates putting on a Russian accent]].
36	** Muk and Luk were ostracized from the other polar bears and consider their "uncle Boris" as family. Thirteen years later comes [[WesternAnimation/KungFuPanda1 another animated film featuring a chubby bear adopted by a goose after being separated from his own species]]. It's also worth noting that Muk and Luk's main animator, Nicolas Marlet, later went on to be a designer for various [=DreamWorks=] films, ''Kung Fu Panda'' included.
37	** The [[WesternUnionMan telegraph operator]] is voiced by Gerrick Hagon, best known for playing [[Film/ANewHope Biggs Darklighter]], which is an interesting coincidence, considering Creator/MarkHamill would voice Niju in the sequel. Doubly so, since Creator/JimCummings1952 (Steele) would later go on to voice [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars Hondo]] [[WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels Onaka]].
38	* IronWoobie: Despite all the turmoil Balto went through, he managed to go on a long and dangerous journey to get the medicine.
39	* LauncherOfAThousandShips: Balto and especially Jenna are prone to {{Crossover Ship}}s.
40	* LoveToHate: Steele, so very much. He is an [[TheSociopath utterly]] [[HateSink despicable]] [[CompleteMonster individual]], yet it's for this exact reason why viewers find him so intriguing.
41	* MemeticMutation:
42	** Pretty much anything that Star says, really.
43	** Muk's famous entry quote: "Uncle Boooorrrrriiiiiss!"
44	* MoralEventHorizon:
45	** Steele is an arrogant blowhard in the opening of the first movie, but he sails over the line into outright villainy when he deliberately sabotages Balto and the sled dog team's efforts to reach Nome, thus endangering not only the sled team, but the dying children who desperately need the medicine being delivered. And all of that was simply because Steele was jealous of Balto trying to help Steele's team, and then forced to take it over as a last resort.
46	** He may have crossed it earlier than that during his and Balto's initial confrontation, when he knocks over the sled carrying the medicine in a fit of rage, potentially breaking the fragile jars. Even Nikki, Kaltag and Star are appalled by this.
47	* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: Any time Balto howls like a wolf.
48	* OneSceneWonder: The white wolf in the original movie. The sequel made it out to be Balto's mother, although the creators of the original stated it wasn't meant to be.
49	* PopularWithFurries: Several of the characters (most commonly Balto, Jenna, and Steele) have a lot of furry fans.
50	* RetroactiveRecognition:
51	** Apparently [[spoiler: Rosy]] grew up to be [[Film/HarryPotterAndTheDeathlyHallows Professor Sprout]].
52	** Star's voice actor, Robbie Rist (already somewhat notable for playing [[Series/TheBradyBunch the original]] CousinOliver), would later go on to voice [[Manga/{{Naruto}} Choji Akimichi]].
53	** In the Polish dub, with Arkadiusz Jakubik voicing Balto a few years before starring in some acclaimed movies and becoming one of the most recognizable actors in the country.
54	* RonTheDeathEater: Strangely enough, ''Balto'' is this for the ''WesternAnimation/AlphaAndOmega'' fanbase, with fan fictions usually portraying him as a villain trying to take over the valley, whether it's just to troll or genuine malice against the fanbase is up in the air. May count as FandomRivalry.
55	* SignatureScene:
56	** The White Wolf towards the end of the first film.
57	** Balto howling when he's sledding.
58	** Balto and Jenna seeing the lights together.
59	* StrawmanHasAPoint:
60	** We're meant to consider the sled dog musher an inconsiderate jerk for refusing to use Balto on the medicine run. But the reasons he gives--that he's a random half-wolf who's unpredictable and has never pulled a sled before, and he doesn't have the stamina to be part of a dogsled team-- are perfectly legitimate ones.
61	** Same goes for Rosy's father being reluctant to let Rosy pet Balto. Wolfdog personalities are often highly unpredictable, and even discounting his heritage, Balto is still a stray dog.
62	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter:
63	** [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togo_(dog) Togo]] is nowhere to be seen despite being the lead dog of the sled team that traversed the toughest (and longest) parts of the medicine run. Though one could argue that, given the hell he goes through in the movie, Balto is a CompositeCharacter of the two. Although mercifully Togo [[Film/{{Togo}} would get his own film]].
64	** Oddly enough, some have pointed out that Balto became this during the closing portions of the original film due to being given very minimal dialogue.
65	** Jenna is barely used in the sequels as she is turned into a secondary character and barely has much screentime with her own pups.
66	* TheWoobie:
67	** Star from the first movie. It's impossible not to just want to hug him after Kaltag keeps hurting him. Its thankfully dropped at the end with a much needed smile from the latter.
68	** Luk can also count, when he whimpers about Balto not coming back from his journey, and his brother reassuring him that he ''will'' come back not doing anything to calm him.

Context YMMV / Balto