Rather than leaving you in suspense as to my feelings about this movie, I’ll just tell you upfront that I didn’t care for it.
It’s supposedly the sequel to “Balto.” However, “Balto” was supposedly based on a true story, and “Balto II” is a sequel to the fictional parts of the story. You see, the real Balto was not part wolf, and the entire plot surrounding “Balto II” focuses on Balto coming to grips with his wolfy heritage.
Balto and Jenna are now parents. All the puppies but one look like Jenna, and the other one, Aleu, looks like Balto, but she bears more of a resemblance to the wolves than even Balto does. When it’s time for the puppies to be adopted, they all find homes except for Aleu. She’s just too wolf-like.
Jenna and Balto consider telling her that she’s one-quarter wolf, but decide against it. Later in the movie, when a hunter tries to kill her, Balto realizes it’s time she knew, but when he tells her, she doesn’t take it well at all and runs away. He goes to find her, and together they set out on a journey to discover not what she is, but who she is.
What transpires is a very violent, confusing film, full of fights between the various wild animals. At the end, Aleu decides that living with the wolves is her destiny, and Balto goes back to be with Jenna.
Several elements of the film bothered me. In the first place, why is it bad to be part wolf? I have always believed that we should be proud of our heritage, as it makes us who we are. Balto, Jenna, and Aleu act as though being part wolf is the ultimate shame.
Additionally, it was disturbing to me that the parents didn’t simply level with their child. She has the blood of the wolves running through her veins; she has the right to know where she came from.
I felt that there was really no purpose in creating this film. It didn’t continue Balto’s story at all and was not uplifting or entertaining. Now, if you’re a stark-raving Balto fan, you’d probably enjoy it a lot more than I did, but I found it a waste of my time.
This film was rated G.
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