Where can I start? This movie is greatly animated, directed and written. There's no cheesy songs to slow it up or a boring storyline. Every angle that is shown is perfect, every background and colour scheme is great. The music by James Horner is well done and fits the moods of the film. Whether you're a kid or an adult, you will find yourself cheering Balto on.

I can completely understand why people love this movie, because while for me it isn't the greatest animated movie ever(Beauty and the Beast gets that honour I'm afraid),it is a pretty darn good movie. It is certainly quite powerful and ambitious, and there are parts that tug at the heartstrings. The film isn't laden with humour as much as something like The Lion King or Castle of Cagliostro, but with the characters Boris, Muk and Luk it is evident.

The animation is surprisingly detailed. Critics complained of the animation quality being dull and tacky, and when I saw that I thought did we see the same movie. The colours were fine, maybe not the most vibrant colouring in the world like FernGully for instance, but the character animation and the backgrounds are immaculate. The music by James Horner, one of my favourite film composers, is outstanding. Maybe not his finest, as he has done some amazing scores, the one he did for Land Before Time really packs an emotional punch even on repeated viewing, but it is very powerful, poignant and haunting all at the same time and even enhances the drama.

Then there are the characters. Balto is a lovable and handsome dog, and Jenna is so beautiful and headstrong. In contrast, we have Boris who is hilarious and Steele a villain detestable in quite a substantial way. The voice acting is very good, Kevin Bacon while an unlikely choice initially does an above decent job, not monotonic or bland like some other celebrities who have voiced in animated films. Bob Hoskins gives great comic relief as Boris, and Phil Collins is amusing as Muk and Luk. Bridget Fonda does well as Jenna, but I have to say Jim Cummings is absolutely BRILLIANT as Steele; Cummings is a very underrated veteran voice actor, and his malevolent voice over proves what talent as a voice actor he has.

The film does have an engaging, sometimes tense sometimes heartwarming story, and while perhaps in need of a little more humour, the script wasn't actually that bad. All in all, very overlooked as an animated film. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I had seen the image for this cartoon movie several times in the last few years, very possibly on video when I was younger as well, I don't know how I'd missed it for so long, from executive producer Steven Spielberg, directed by Simon Wells (The Prince of Egypt, The Time Machine, Mars Needs Moms). Basically, in New York City, an elderly woman (Miriam Margolyes),her granddaughter (Lola Bates-Campbell) and the grandmother's Siberian Husky dog, Blaze, are looking for a memorial in Central Park. The woman tells her granddaughter a story about Nome, Alaska 70 years earlier in the winter of 1925, shifting the film from live action to animation. In rural Nome, Balto (Kevin Bacon) is a young wolfdog, being half-wolf, he is despised by dogs and humans alike. His only friends are a snow goose named Boris Goosinov (Bob Hoskins),polar bears Muk and Luk (Phil Collins),copper-and-white Siberian Husky Jenna (Bridget Fonda),and Rosy (Juliette Brewer),the only human to show him kindness. He is often bullied by fierce and arrogant Malamute and champion sled dog Steele (Jim Cummings),who also likes Jenna. One evening, all the children are hospitalised with diphtheria, and the town awaits a delivery of antitoxin. Severe winter weather conditions prevent the medicine from being brought from Juneau by air or sea, and the closest rail line ends in Nenana. A dog race is held to determine the dogs to join a sled dog team to get the medicine. Balto enters and wins, but Steele causes his disqualification, making the half wolf appear aggressive. The team departs that night with Steele leading the pack that successfully pick up the medicine. But on the way back, they are stranded beneath an icy hill, with the musher unconscious. When this news reaches Nome, desperate to help save Rosy and the other children, Balto sets out in search of them with Boris, Muk and Luk. On the way, they are attacked by a massive grizzly bear (Frank Welker),but Jenna, who followed their marked trail, intervenes. The bear pursues Balto out onto a frozen lake, where he falls through the ice and drowns, while Muk and Luk save Balto from drowning. However, Jenna is injured and cannot continue. Balto instructs Boris and the polar bears to take her home while he goes on his own. Jenna gives him her bandanna to wear. Balto eventually finds the sled team, but Steele is callous, refuses his help and attacks Balto, only to fall off a cliff. Balto takes charge of the team, but Steele spitefully sabotages Balto's marks, and the team loses their way again. While attempting to save the medicine from falling down a cliff, Balto himself falls. Back in Nome, Jenna has returned, and Steele appears, claiming the entire team, including Balto, is dead, using Jenna's bandanna as fake proof. However, Jenna sees through his lies and insists Balto will return with the medicine. Using a trick Balto showed her earlier, she places broken coloured glass bottles on the outskirts of town and shines a lantern on them to simulate the Northern Lights, hoping it will help guide Balto home. When Balto regains consciousness, he is ready to give up hope, but he notices the medicine crate still intact nearby, and realises that his part-wolf heritage is a strength, not a weakness. Balto regains his confidence and drags the medicine back up the cliff to the waiting team. Using his highly developed senses, Balto tracks his way in the right direction. After encountering further challenges, Balto and the sled team finally make it back to Nome. Steele is exposed as a liar; the other dogs abandon him in anger and ignore his pleads to explain. Reunited with his friends, Balto earns respect from both the dogs and the humans. All the children are given the antitoxin; Rosy is cured and thanks Balto when he visits. Back in the present day, the woman, her granddaughter, and Blaze finally find the memorial, which is dedicated to Balto. The woman, revealed to be an elderly Rosy, repeats the same line, "Thank you, Balto. I would've been lost without you", before walking off to join her granddaughter and Blaze. The statue of Balto stands proudly in the sunlight. Also starring Jack Angel as Nikki, Danny Mann as Kaltag, Robbie Rist as Star, Sandra Dickinson as Sylvie and Dixie / Rosy's Mother, Donald Sinden as Doc, William Roberts as Rosy's Father, Jim Carter, and Christine Cavanaugh. Bacon is suited as the voice of the dutiful dog hero, Hoskins is the comic relief putting on an odd Russian accent, and Cummings (who replaced originally cast Brendan Fraser) is suitable sinister as the hero's egotistical rival. Set during a diphtheria epidemic in 1925 does mean there is a slight dark undertone to proceedings, but there is a sense of fun to be had, the story is alright, and the animation quality is terrific, a reasonably entertaining animated adventure. Worth watching!