Animation Source Forums

A lot of times when I go onto the forums is that I see some negativity (hope I spelled that right). Usually, the negativity always comes pointing toward...... Wolf Quest. Well, I wanted to do something positive, so tell us a positive thought about Wolf Quest, and no don't say and be sarcastic about, "I love the ugly way Aleu is" or "It's so fun to laugh at the errors and mistakes they did on the characters." Just say something positive, like"Muru's chant was enchanting," or "I love it when Aleu does her signature howl (like when she holds up her paw when howling). Just express your feelings for Wolf Quest, and just maybe you would turn out to appreciate it a bit more.

Remember, no negative aloud!

I really liked all the stuff in the beginning, as Balto sees his pups for the first time, everybody playing on the beach, and even as they were being adopted.

The way they show Aleu growing up was incredibly amazing.

I liked the backgrounds. Even if the animation wasn't great (remember, it's a low-budget film and can't be helped), the backgrounds are really beautiful. They have a nice balance between being 'cartoony' and looking natural.

Okay, think positive . . . (this will be a long list, mind you; I'm a hardcore WQ fan, who loves it)

- Aleu's character: For Balto's daughter and a reflection of the wilder side of him makes her an understandable character. She's like a teenager here, searching for that freedom and independence that her father does not allow for her. I will agree, I love the way she howls with a lifted paw . . . and her design easily makes her stand out amongst her siblings. I love her eyes the most - they really stand out more than anything, offering that wild spirit that she possesses within her to show through.

- The first 5 minutes: The dream sequence . . . WOW, that's a mysterious way to start anything! Plus adding the announcement of his first litter was sweet yet homey, showing that for a half-wolf, Balto can still be all sorts of emotions - sensitive, loving, nervous (like his gulp once he first sees Jenna in the basket), and even a proud papa. It was a great set-up for the main film.

- The last 5 minutes: Aleu makes her decision towards her supposed destiny, Father and Daughter say their goodbyes, and Balto learns who his mother is. I know I cried when I first saw the ending when Aleu and Balto parted ways . . . it was amazing to see how much her character grew in only a matter of days (movie-wise), from a whiny child into a daughter that Balto was proud of.

- Nava and Muru: Just their spiritual intellect added more of a complex flair to the entire film. It just begs the viewer to wonder on so many things: How do both Muru and Nava disappear into thin air? How do they know so much about Balto and Aleu's purpose? And there's probably more, but I can't think of anymore . . .

- Aniu = White Wolf: Duh, this answered the big question that we all probably had in our minds during the first film. I liked the fact that Aniu's character is so mysterious and goddess-like . . . is she a Great Spirit or a animal form of God? Begs many thoughts and questions. But of course, she's mainly revealed as Balto's mum, so that's the main point of everything. HAHAH.

- The Sky Backgrounds: Oh, are you sure these aren't photographs? Seriously, they add a sense of beauty and wonder to every scene . . . even the clouds move! (You can notice this very well when shadows are added in certain scenes, such as when Boris and Balto are talking at the totem pole early in the film) Just . . . WOW.

- "Taking You Home": Seriously, it is just a beautiful song that'll make you cry and to add the adoption scene to it only makes it sadder. Seeing this rite of passage for young pups take place, Balto comforting a weeping Jenna, happy children selecting their new best friend, and watching Aleu trying her hardest to get attention without knowing that she will be left alone just . . . Gah, it tugs at your heart-strings as the song ends and Aleu happily waves back to her brother, not knowing that she shall never feel that joy . . . *sniff* Oh, crap . . . I'm gettin' a little teary-eyed just writing this . . . I consider this as Aleu's song, as well as the theme for the entire film - sure, the lyrics are mainly about finding a place where someone will love you (which is what Aleu is secretly longing for - somewhere that she truly belongs), but the score for the song is perfectly used in the finale as Balto remembers his child as a precocious pup, but now sees her as an independent wolf. Just beautiful . . . that's all I can say to that.

- The title "Wolf Quest": Honestly, I love the title. Finally, we get an exploration of Balto's lupine heritage, thanks mostly in part of his strange dreams, Aleu's running away, and most in part, his mother Aniu. Sure, we all get the howling part, but we learn that there's more to the wolf than just howling at the moon and such. It's about survival, community, family, and being like one with nature . . . plus, the whole Inuit spiritualism stuff . . . It offered a great blend of something different in a sequel that I hadn't seen before.

And that's it . . . I may come back to write about more good WQ stuff.

- Juuchan17

I liked how even though it wasn't vaguely historically accurate anymore, it expanded on Balto & Jenna's relationship by giving them a new family and such... quite the fanservice, huh? It's fun to see them in the 'future', you know, how they turned out after Balto (the original I mean). A lot of good movies make you want more like that - I'd still be dying to see a Spirit sequel, for example, if it were made up to par w/ the original. WQ was a satisfying sequel, IMO.

I liked how it kind of continued the idea from the first movie of accepting who you are. In the first, Balto accepts his wolf heritage after encountering the white wolf. In the second, Aleu accepts it when she decides to leave with the wolf pack across the ocean.

I also enjoyed the soundtrack. The songs in it were much less cheesy than your average DTV sequel.

I love the opening sequence. Very mystical and exciting! I also love the soundtrack in this particular scene. The whole idea of Balto having these recurring dreams about his wolf heritage was really nice, I thought. And it gave the movie that mystical edge to it.

And it was nice to see Balto and Jenna starting a family. Each of their puppies even had their own personalities! The fact that they were strong characters made it very enjoyable.

Also, for a sequel, it was very moving. Usually, I find that sequels to animated movies tend to be very light-hearted, which is fine, but this one had a nice amount of emotion, which just made it more special.

I love the way aleu raises her paw too, its so cute! and I agree with you abou the bittersweet endingit males me cry too

It confirmed the whole "JennaXBalto" pairing thing. Without the sequel it would be Kingdom Hearts 2 all over again. And there would be some internet war between the Balto/Jenna shippers and the Steele/Jenna shippers or something.

Also, I liked the story(I really can't expand on that without being negative, sorry).

I think the story line and plot was really interesting and kind of emotional, i love the scene when they gave the puppies away; it was really sad and sweet.