Animation Source Forums

Yea... no. I was pointing it out for the irony of it. Thanks for taking my post and running it into traffic like always. >_>

I don't see why you felt that was meant derogatorally. I was only clarifying the point that the cover of the DVD says it is the true story. Which is what causes so much confusion among kids and their parents who see it without knowing the actual true story behind it. And that does a disservice to those nearly hundred deaths that occurred because of the epidemic, the sacrifices of the four nurses, Dr. Welch, the mail carriers, and the nearly 150 dogs (some of which died) as a result of bringing relief.

I am sorry if you took that offensively. But I think you are overreacting and misinterpreting what I was trying to accomplish. However, *SIGH*, that is hardly an uncommon reaction to my posts on this site.

I'll clarify for the record (for the umpteenth time in this topic): I did NOT mean anything disrespectful or rude, Roi.

I'd believe that, yet you do it with about every post I make.

Shall we move on instead of derailing the topic, Roi? That wasn't very nice, and it is an erroneous view.

I shouldn't have to say "and with respect to everyone" (and several times), but it's become a necessity on this site because of the very sort of reaction you have had to my post even in here, where I have gone out of my own way to make sure everyone understood I meant no harm to ANYONE (which is standard practice for me in fact).

But *I* am not going to counter that accusation with anything further.

One of the only problems I have is that if Balto was half wolf, shouldn't he have been a lot more viscious due to his nature? I think that scene where he growls at Steele could have been elevated to at least a snap or something...

I mean I know it was a kid's movie but I guess what I'm trying to say is it didn't have that much action. Steele wasn't that much of a villian (as much as some people would like to believe he is....). I firmly believe the movie could have been ten times better if they had incorperated Balto as a bit fierce. Not so... flawless as a lot of you have said before. I think that could have been his major flaw (an anger issue). That way, even if it didn't pertain too much to the story, it could have been more realistic.

Personally, I don't think the movie would have gotten as many fans as it did if it was any different. An anger issue would have been interesting, I must admit, however, Balto did actually have one flaw, which was that he didn't think highly of himself, and that's why he let Steele and his gang walk all over him. Am I the only one that noticed this?

Yeah, people who say Balto is flawless haven't noticed how cripplingly insecure he was in the movie. He was half wolf and everybody hated him for it. humans didn't trust him and the other dogs didn't like him. That was the conflict, that's what made the story work. It's why he didn't think he was good enough for Jenna, it's why he avoided his wolf side to try to gain acceptance (why he didn't try to communicate with the wolves outside his boat), why Boris had to tell him "...but maybe a wolf can".

Even things like knowing the back alleys, and how to get past locked doors and underneath buildings are all clues as to how he lives his life - an outcast who stays hidden from sight as much as possible. He is ashamed to be who he is, and that didn't change until the scene with the white wolf. Overcoming these insecurities and self-loathing is specifically what made the white wolf scene such a triumphant scene.

Really, for me the "Boo hoo I'm a wolf dog, I'm not good enough" really wasn't enough to make him very interesting. I think he could have been a LOT more interesting if he were a husky. Or, since he was a wolf/dog, had had an issue with temper. THAT would have been a more interesting flaw than the "woe is me" he had going on for much of the movie.

Thank you, I completely agree. If they wanted to make him a wolfdog, they could've at least made him act like one. Insecurity isn't really a flaw.

Don't know why they didn't do that [giving Balto a temper]. Worked for Beauty and the Beast didn't it?

Actually, it is. Insecurity and shame are as much personality flaws as a bad temper is, they're just on different sides of the emotional scale. For those of you saying giving Balto a temper would have made the movie better, how exactly would it have done that? I'm curious to see if any of you have thought this through at all.

If Balto were angrier and had a temper, what would have happened with Jenna? Would Steele have constantly ridiculed him? Would anybody have wanted to be his friend? Would he have even wanted to go get the medicine? Would the people in Nome have accepted him more, or rejected him more? Would Boris be living with him, or would he be alone?

What would drive the story forward if nobody wanted to be around him? See, the problem is that everything in the movie hinges on Balto's insecurities and poor self image. Everything. Every major plot point depends on it. So sure you could make him angrier and have a temper, but you would lose everything that made Balto into a watchable movie. You would essentially have to change everything about the movie because all of Balto's motivations would change along with his new attitude.

Maybe somebody should write some fan fiction with this premise, use the Balto movie as a backdrop but start off with Balto having an attitude problem and see how interesting you can make it.

My God, I think I can actually say I concur with this. lol

I see no good which could have come of making Balto temperamental. It would have thrown a major wrench into the existing storyline, and wouldn't have served the character at all. Personally, I don't see the fictional version of Balto as boring in any way. He is dynamic, he is honorable, he's intelligent, he's even got a bit of a sense of humor. And then he has some of the same character flaws we all have to contend with to a greater or lesser degree -- insecurity (as has been said by several people, including myself, already), self-doubt, shyness and even some depression. Most of it works out by the end of the movie. But the insecurity does carry over a bit into the first sequel.