Balto III: Wings of Change

Balto III: Wings of Change is a 2004 sequel to Universal Studios' 1995 animated film Balto.

Summary

Template:Spoiler The movie begins with a montage of Balto's son Kodi (voiced by Sean Astin of The Lord of the Rings fame) spending his time doing what he loves best: working as a mail sled-dog for the Nome post service. Afterwards, the film pans to Balto and Jenna, who are waiting on a mountain. Balto acts solemn, while Jenna sleepily wonders what is so important. Jenna is suddenly wakened by a noise that turns out to be a bush plane. Balto and Jenna then race down the mountain to catch up with it. Exhausted, the two marvel at the machine flying away. Balto then says that he wants to fly. The scene pans back to the town of Nome. Dipsy (a spaniel) sneaks into the general store to munch on some feed. She then runs to the post office to meet Mel (a terrier), who's worried to pieces over the sled-team not being back on time. Just as the two talk, the bush plane arrives into town giving Mel another fret.

Meanwhile, Kodi and the rest of the sled team (Kirby, Ralph, and Dusty) are just making it back into town. Kodi starts to fuss with teammates about their lateness. Kirby (possibly the oldest of the group) reassures him that they're just delivering the mail, and not saving the town, to which Ralph (the fat one) points out that Kodi's father Balto did in the first film. The two then argue followed by an excuse by Dusty (a husky about Kodi's age). Kodi then says the mail quote- "Neither snow, nor rain, nor sleet nor hail will stop the US mail" to encourage his teammates of their responsibility of delivering the mail. Dusty nor the others take this seriously.

Balto and Jenna arrive into town and greet Kodi. Balto praises Kodi for his work, to which Kodi tells Balto that he hopes to get the role of Lead Dog like his father. Before he can say anything else, Balto is shocked to see the bush plane near the town church. Balto approaches the plane only to be introduced the pilot Duke (voiced by Keith Carradine of Deadwood). Duke gives Balto a friendly pat on the head and walks into the post office. Balto and Kodi inspect the plane, giving Balto further confidence of his dream of flying. Overhead, a flock of geese return from flying south for the winter. Balto then wonders where Boris (the Russian Snow Goose) is.

On the outskirts of town, Boris bathes in a pond. There he meets Stella (another goose, voiced by Jean Smart), who hits on him after Boris scolds Muk and Luk who tackle him in one of their games. She asks him to go flying, to which acts freaked out, yet he agrees. Boris then runs to the abandoned boat where he and Balto live. Boris wakes up Balto, and pleads him for help because he has a fear of heights. Balto helps Boris practice flying; he chickens out twice and crashes three times.

Back in Nome, Dipsy and Mel learn that the sled team is going to be replaced by the bush plane, and so they sound the alarm for an emergency meeting under the post office. With Dipsy eavesdropping the conversation between the townspeople, Duke, and the head of the post office, they discover that there will be a race between the bush plane and the dogs to see who's faster and will deliver the mail. Everyone then pans to Kodi who knows that only his father can lead them to victory.

Boris prepares for his date, but Stella arrives to encourage their flight together. In the nick of time, Balto arrives, and Boris leaves with him. Balto tells him that he doesn't know if he can outrun the bush plane because he failed to catch up with it back at the mountain. Back in town, Balto is cheered on by the other dogs (including Kodi). He then goes over to Jenna's house to ask for her advice. Jenna simply tells him that he doesn't have to be a hero but rather be there for his son. Leaving, feeling somewhat relieved, Balto runs into the bush plane. Walking around it, Duke arrives and recognizes Balto. He then tells him how amazing it was that he saved the town. The two sit in the bush plane, with Duke saying that there's nothing like being in the sky, making Balto realize they're not so different. Back at the boat, Boris fakes a wing injury so Stella can give him unconditional cuddling and back rubs.

On the day of the race, Duke starts to have trouble with his plane, and Boris is then uncovered as a fraud by Stella. She chases him until he gets stuck in a sack of letters, which is then put in the plane's cargo. The race starts, but the plane arrives in the other town before the sled team. Boris gets out but by the time he does, Balto and the others have left before Duke, who still has engine trouble. Boris then stows away once more on the plane. As the race continues, a snow storm starts. Dusty nearly falls off a cliff, and the team suddenly can no longer hear the plane. Unknown to them, the plane failed, and Duke and Boris crash somewhere in the forest.

The team returns to town, giving them certain victory. Back at Balto's boat, a celebration is held. Kodi thanks Balto for helping them get their jobs back, but Balto accidentally discourages his son by telling him that the plane would not be the last one. Worried about Duke, Balto leaves the party. Muk and Luk suddenly arrive telling Balto and Jenna about a "monster" in the woods that crashed from the sky. Balto realizes it is the bush plane, and takes off. He tries to get the sled dogs to help him, but they refuse thinking that Duke was the enemy. Not even a peer-pressured Kodi would go. Stella tags along, wondering where Boris is. Balto discovers that Boris was on the plane with Duke, and so the four of them go to the rescue.

In the post office, the townspeople begin to panic about Duke and the bush plane. Jenna tells Dipsy and Mel that Balto, Stella, and Muk and Luk have gone out to find them. She is then stunned to see that Kodi is not with his father. She scolds him, telling him that he cares more about his job than a man's life. This then makes Kodi see the error of his ways. Meanwhile in the woods, Stella begins to complain about why she's even helping Balto find Boris. This sparks Balto into telling her about his father-son esque relationship with the goose, and then Stella begins to worry about him. She can't fly out to scout the area because she's new in town. The four then fall off the rickety cliff into rapid waters. Luckily, they escape and continue their search.

The sled dogs back in Nome lay back until Kodi arrives, hoping that they would reconsider helping out Duke. They refuse once more, but Kodi tells them that its their job to help people, and that if this is what it meant to be part of the mail team, then it was something he didn't want to be part of. He then storms out, leaving the team to wonder.

Back in the woods, Stella manages to spot out the plane, and the four set out. Before they arrived, Balto had to face off with an angry moose (with a voice like Robert Deniro's in Taxi Driver). There is a scuffle which then ends with the moose fighting with another moose (this one sounding like Joe Pesci). They find Duke (who is unconscious) then Boris (burried in the snow). Luk revives Boris, and Balto tells them to go back to Nome while he gets Duke. Balto wakes up Duke, who has a broken leg. He then makes a sled from scrapnel, and Balto pulls him back to Nome. The two reach a cliff and almost fall off. They're then rescued by Kodi and the mail dogs, who gladly pull Duke with Kodi next to Balto in the lead.

When the two arrive, they're welcomed by howling dogs and relieved townspeople. The dogs get their jobs back, and Balto is once again a town hero. Later that night, Boris confesses to Stella about his flight-phobia. The two then enjoy a romantic midnight swim. The next day, Jenna and Kodi watch the sky. Jenna tells Kodi that when Balto saw him in action with the sled, he was proud of him. An embarrassed Kodi acknowledges it, and sees the bush plane. Jenna then smiles that he's living out another dream. Duke and Balto fly by in a newly built bush plane (renamed "the Balto Flyer"). Balto then looks down at the town, knowing that he's finally accomplished his dream.

Voice actors and their characters

• Sean Astin - Kodi
• Jodi Benson - Jenna
• Keith Carradine - Duke
• Bill Fagerbakke - Ralph
• Charles Fleischer - Boris
• Charity James - Dusty
• Maurice LaMarche - Balto
• Kathy Najimy - Dipsy
• David Paymer - Mel
• Kevin Schon - Muk and Luk
• Jean Smart - Stella
• Carl Weathers - Kirby

Trivia

1. At one point, Jenna calls Kodi by his full name "Kodiak" which is the largest island in the gulf of Alaska.
2. Some people believe that Kodi and Kirby were in love with each other.
3. Many people write fan fictions about Kodi and Dusty being together.

Pictures

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Notes

• There are no plans for a future sequel, as Universal did not feel it sold well enough for another follow-up. But there is a picture of Muru in cuboard so there might be a chance to answer the questions produced by Balto II: Wolf Quest.

External link

• Balto III: Wings of Change at IMDb
• Balto Source