Balto III: Wings of Change (2004) (V)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Phil Weinstein

Writers:

Elana Lesser (writer)
Cliff Ruby (writer)

Release Date:

30 September 2004 (Netherlands)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Musical

Tagline:

An American hero is back! The adventure continues!

Plot:

The mail in the north used to be delivered by dogsled, but the success of airplane delivery leaves Balto and the other sled dogs feeling neglected...

Plot Keywords:

Dog | Sequel | Third Part | 1920s | Alaska

Cast

Sean Astin	...	Kodi (voice)
Jodi Benson	...	Jenna (voice)
Keith Carradine	...	Duke (voice)
Bill Fagerbakke	...	Ralph / Mr. Conner (voice)
Charles Fleischer	...	Boris / White Mountain Postmaster (voice)
Charity James	...	Dusty (voice)
Maurice LaMarche	...	Balto / Moose 1 / Moose 2 (voice)
Kathy Najimy	...	Dipsy (voice)
David Paymer	...	Mel (voice)
Kevin Schon	...	Muc / Luc / Simpson (voice)
Jean Smart	...	Stella (voice)
Carl Weathers	...	Kirby (voice)

Runtime:

76 min | Argentina:78 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:Livre | Australia:G | USA:G | Argentina:Atp

Company:

Universal Cartoon Studios

Trivia:

Has multiple computer-assisted scenes.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: During Jenna's song "You Don't Have To Be A Hero", when Balto walks away, no pawprints are left behind.

Quotes:

Balto: I've known Boris since I was a pup. Well, he may be a pain in the butt, but he's... well, he's the dad I never had.

Movie Connections:

References "SpongeBob SquarePants: Welcome to the Chum Bucket/Frankendoodle (#3.2)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Come On Up and Fly

Wonderful! Highly recommended

This direct-to-video sequel is already out in Europe, so that's why I've already seen it. And guess what : I love it! Not only because I'm a Balto fan, but because it's a really good animated movie, especially for a DTV (and we all know that the DTV sequels are usually all but good!).

In fact, it gives a slightly different feeling compared to the original or Wolf Quest. I don't know exactly why, but this is the first time I felt that with an animated sequel...And it's really a nice thing ;) The story is one of the best points : there are a lot of things happening, perhaps even more than in the first, and everything goes quickly. There are no boring passages, although some will probably not please everyone. No magic here, the humans are back for good, all the key points of the scenario give a feeling of reality; so it is much closer to the original on that side. The characters aren't still very well drawn; in fact, it depends, sometimes they are perfectly drawn, nearly as in the first one, and sometimes much less. I would say it is common for a DTV on that side. However, the backgrounds are AWESOME. The colors are more than beautiful, and the less beautiful backgrounds are on pair with the most beautiful in the original. It's another thing that is really impressive for a DTV sequel, seeing that IMO they are as beautiful as some big animated movies like "Brother Bear" or "Spirit", and perhaps even more! As for the musics : I would say the same thing. While there are still some empty passages, the soundtrack is really, really awesome, impressive, especially near the end. It may not have the shrewd style of Horner's Balto 1 soundtrack, yet the score from Adam Berry is exceptional, and make some passages unforgettable. To give a better idea of what I overall think of the film, I would summarize that into one word : beautiful. Really, really beautiful. Beautiful scenario, beautiful musics, beautiful graphics... Some of you might be wondering if they will rent it or buy it directly. Well, I believe that this film has more than enough replay value, when Wolf Quest had nearly none; so IMO, it is definitely a must-buy for every Balto fan, and even for everyone else ;)

To summarize : A wonderful film. Definitely a must-see for Balto fans, and one of the best DTV sequels ever made to an animated movie (maybe the best with TLK 1/2). It may have some flaws, but there are so many qualities in the scenario, graphics, musics...that everyone will let through these minor problems, and enjoy the great story it offers. If you liked Wolf Quest, you have all chances to love it. If you didn't, but still liked the original Balto, believe me : it's somewhat different from WQ, so you don't have any reason to not watch it just because WQ was a disappointment. Unlike Wolf Quest, I really can't see anyone who wouldn't like it.