Recently a number of videos covering the Balto movies have been released on YouTube. In addition to reigniting nostalgia for a great movie that will be 30 years old in just over two years, it’s nice to see Balto receive more attention. The original movie remains heralded as a fantastic underrated gem. I’m going to share two videos that I really think are worth your time. I’ll also include another two I liked less, but are still worth including.
First up is Cardinal West’s video “Balto and the Art of Animation: A 25th Anniversary Retrospective on an Animated Classic.” This retrospective was originally uploaded to his YouTube channel on December 22, 2020, for the 25th anniversary of the movie. Four months ago, a version with remastered audio was uploaded, though the original can still be viewed. For this recommendation, I’m using the remastered audio version. I completely missed the retrospective when it was first uploaded, but a friend shared it with The Balto League group in early 2021. The video itself is excellent and well-researched including the first Iditarod aka the Serum Run. Cardinal West has a thoughtful and engaging presentation style. Not only do I recommend this video, but his entire channel is a great resource for critical thought regarding animation, xenofiction, and even the art of writing xenofiction. If any of this sounds good to you, please check out his work.
What his video does do is bring a lot of attention to an animated movie that never really got a chance to shine when it first released. Considering Saberspark’s popularity, there’s a good chance you’ve already seen his video, and you’ve likely heard of his channel. If not, check it out.
On a side note, Saberspark’s problems getting Universal Studios to release numerous copyright claims on his video reminded me that The Nostalgia Critic reviewed Balto six years ago. I’m not a huge fan of his work, but his review was interesting. I had no idea he followed up two years later with Balto II. His reviews are fairly short and his style is either take it or leave it. The overall format is somewhat mean-spirited in my opinion, but feel free to watch and decide for yourself.
Anyway, it’s nice to see Balto back in popular discussion, though I’m certain that Universal is done with the franchise, aside from new format releases of the existing videos. Considering the Balto sequels paled in comparison to the original movie, perhaps this is for the best.
What are your thoughts? Have you seen any of the videos I discussed?
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