View source for Balto II: Wolf Quest

{{short description|2002 film by Phil Weinstein}}
{{Redirect|Wolf Quest|the video game|WolfQuest}}
{{Redirect-distinguish|Aniu|Ainu (disambiguation){{!}}Ainu}}
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{{Infobox film
| name           = Balto II: Wolf Quest
| image          = Balto2.jpg

| caption        = DVD release cover
| director       = Phil Weinstein
| producer       = Phil Weinstein
| screenplay     = [[Dev Ross]]
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Jodi Benson]]
* [[David Carradine]] 
* [[Lacey Chabert]]
* [[Mark Hamill]]
* [[Maurice LaMarche]]
* [[Peter MacNicol]]
* [[Charles Fleischer]]
* [[Rob Paulsen]]
* Nicolette Little
* Melanie Spore
* [[Kevin Schon]]
}}
| music          = [[Adam Berry]] (score)<br />[[Amanda McBroom]]<br />[[Michele Brourman]] (songs) 
| cinematography = 
| editing        = {{Plainlist|
* Jay Bixsen
* Ken Solomon }}
| studio         = [[Universal Animation Studios|Universal Cartoon Studios]]<br />'''Overseas Animation:'''<br />[[Wang Film Productions]]
| distributor    = [[Universal Pictures Home Entertainment|Universal Studios Home Video]]
| released       = {{Film date|2002|2|19}}
| runtime        = 75 minutes
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = 
}}
'''''Balto II: Wolf Quest''''' is a 2002 American [[direct-to-video]] animated [[adventure film]] produced and directed by Phil Weinstein. It is the sequel to [[Universal Pictures]]/[[Amblin Entertainment]]'s 1995 [[Northern (genre)|Northern]] [[animated film]] ''[[Balto (film)|Balto]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Lenburg |first1=Jeff |title=The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons |date=2009 |publisher=Checkmark Books |location=New York |isbn=978-0-8160-6600-1 |edition=3rd |pages=262–263}}</ref>

== Plot ==
A few months after his [[Balto (film)|heroic journey]], Balto has mated with Jenna, and they now have a new family of six puppies in [[Alaska]]. Five of their puppies resemble their [[husky]] mother, while one pup named Aleu takes her looks from her [[wolfdog]] father. When they all reach eight weeks old, all of the other pups are adopted to new homes, but no one wants Aleu due to her wild animal looks, forcing her to live with her father. 

A year later when she is grown, Aleu is almost killed by a [[hunter]] who mistakes her for a wild wolf. Balto tells Aleu the truth about her wolf heritage, causing her to run away, hoping to find her place in the world. Balto then goes out into the Alaskan wilderness to find her. At the same time, Balto has been struggling with strange [[dreams]] of a [[raven]] and a pack of wolves, and he cannot understand their meaning. Balto resolves to find the meaning of these dreams as he searches for Aleu. His friends Boris, Muk, and Luk attempt to join him, but after they are halted by some unknown force, they realize that this journey is meant only for the father and daughter themselves.

Taking refuge in a cave, Aleu meets the field mouse Muru, who explains that Aleu should not be ashamed of her lineage, which tells her what she is but not who she is. Muru reveals himself to be Aleu's spirit guide and tells her to go on a journey of self-discovery. Balto and Aleu reunite when he saves her from the grizzly bear and reconcile, and find their way to the ocean, where they are attacked by a group of starving [[Northwestern wolves]] led by Niju, an arrogant and vicious wolf. 

The confrontation is defused by the elderly Nava, the true leader of the pack, who welcomes Balto and Aleu. Nava announces to his pack that the wolf spirit Aniu has contacted him in "dream visions". Aniu has told him that the [[caribou]] herd they depend on during the [[winter]] has moved across the ocean and will not return and that they will soon be led by a new leader, "the one who is a wolf but does not know". Nava believes that Balto, who is half wolf himself, is the chosen one that Aniu was speaking of. However, Niju refuses to abandon his homeland and takes control of the pack, and plots to steal from other animal clans in the area to survive the winter.

Aleu has a "dream vision" of the caribou herd crossing a bridge made of ice floes. The next morning, Niju prepares to lead an attack on a clan of bears, but is stopped by Balto just as a large group of ice floes in the ocean come together to form a land bridge. Balto then leads the pack across the bridge until Nava falls behind. When Aleu attempts to help Nava, Niju attacks, and Balto doubles back to save them, leaving the pack leaderless. Nava cannot make the journey across the ice in his old age, and Balto tells Niju to go lead the clan. 

Niju refuses, too afraid to leave his home, and soon returns to the shore. Balto prepares to go to the pack, but Aleu realizes that her true place is to take leadership of the pack as Nava foretold. Balto and Aleu say goodbye to each other before Aleu rejoins the pack and takes over as the leader. Back on shore, Nava bids farewell to Balto before going to look for Niju so they can survive together. The raven appears to Balto again, and transforms into Aniu, revealing herself to be his mother before he begins to make his way home.

== Voice cast ==
* [[Maurice LaMarche]] as [[Balto]]. He was voiced by [[Kevin Bacon]] in the original film.
* [[Jodi Benson]] as Jenna. She was voiced by [[Bridget Fonda]] in the original film.
* [[Lacey Chabert]] as Aleu
* [[David Carradine]] as Nava
* [[Mark Hamill]] as Niju
* [[Charles Fleischer]] as Boris. He was voiced by [[Bob Hoskins]] in the original film.
* [[Peter MacNicol]] as Muru
* [[Rob Paulsen]] as Terrier, Sumac, Wolverine #2, singing voice of Muru
* Nicolette Little as Dingo
* Melanie Spore as Saba
* [[Kevin Schon]] as Muk, Luk, Wolverine #1. Muk and Luk were voiced by [[Phil Collins]] in the original film.
* [[Joe Alaskey]] as Hunter, Nuk
* Monnae Michaell as Aniu
* [[Mary Kay Bergman]] as Fox, Wolverine #3
* [[Jeff Bennett (voice actor)|Jeff Bennett]] as Yak

''Balto II: Wolf Quest'' is the last film Bergman contributed to before she committed suicide on November 11, 1999, releasing it posthumously.

== Production ==
Following the [[Balto (film)|original film]]'s strong video sales, development on ''Balto II: Wolf Quest'', as well as ''Balto III: Wings of Change'', began at [[Universal Pictures]]'s animation division, [[Universal Cartoon Studios]], after subsequently discontinuing [[An American Tail (franchise)|''An American Tail'' film series]] in 1999.<ref>{{Cite web |title=An American Tail The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999) |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b89f13468 |access-date=June 25, 2025 |website=[[British Film Institute]] |archive-date=2021-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211209195436/https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b89f13468 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Television animation director and storyboard artist Phil Weinstein, who had recently finished directing on ''[[Hercules (1998 TV series)|Hercules]]'' at [[Disney Television Animation]], was interviewed to direct the sequel, and accepted the job. By the time Weinstein had joined the project, screenwriter [[Dev Ross]] had written a screenplay.<ref name="Weinstein 1">{{cite web |title=Phil Weinstein interview! |url=https://www.animationsource.org/balto/en/articles/Phil_Weinstein_interview/85108.html&id_film%3D12 |website=animationsource.org |access-date=21 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231041024/http://www.animationsource.org/balto/en/articles/Phil_Weinstein_interview/85108.html&id_film=12 |archive-date=December 31, 2016}}</ref>

Due to a significantly lower budget and faster turnaround time than those of the original film, all of the animation in ''Wolf Quest'' was outsourced to the Taiwanese-American animation studio [[Wang Film Productions]], and completed in approximately 36 weeks.<ref>{{cite web |title=Production length and costs |url=https://www.animationsource.org/balto/en/articles/Production_length_and_costs/84798.html&id_film%3D11 |website=animationsource.org |access-date=21 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231021211/http://www.animationsource.org/balto/en/articles/Production_length_and_costs/84798.html&id_film=11 |archive-date=December 31, 2016}}</ref> The tighter budget, as well as scheduling conflicts, prevented [[Kevin Bacon]], [[Bob Hoskins]], [[Bridget Fonda]] and [[Phil Collins]] from reprising their respective roles as Balto, Boris, Jenna, Muk and Luk from the original film. They were replaced by [[Maurice LaMarche]], [[Charles Fleischer]], [[Jodi Benson]] and [[Kevin Schon]], respectively.<ref name="Weinstein 1"/> Having seen ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (1977) in theaters as a child, Weinstein found it surreal to be working with [[Mark Hamill]], who voiced Niju.<ref name="Weinstein 2">{{cite web |title=Sourcecast Follow-up Interview with Phil Weinstein |url=https://www.sourcecast.conay.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Weinstein-Interview-2.pdf |website=Sourcecast |access-date=21 August 2024 |date=July 6, 2012}}</ref>

While songwriting duo [[Michele Brourman]] and [[Amanda McBroom]] wrote the songs for ''Wolf Quest'', the [[film score]] was composed by [[Adam Berry]]. Berry and Weinstein watched [[animatic]] scenes that were mocked up with [[temp score]] together, to agree on musical ideas. Though Weinstein already had clear ideas for the score, he stated that Berry "took it way beyond what I ever could have imagined." Berry recorded his score at the chapel of [[Bastyr University]] in [[Seattle, Washington]]. Weinstein enjoyed being able to sit in the room with the orchestra, as opposed to sitting in an isolated room.<ref name="Weinstein 2"/>

== Music ==
The songs are written by [[Michele Brourman]] and [[Amanda McBroom]]. A chorus performs several of the songs, and includes Amanda McBroom, George Ball, Roger Freeland, Ali Olmo, Lisa Harlow Stark and Rob Trow.

Original songs performed in the film include:

{{Track listing
| all_writing     = 
| all_lyrics      = 
| all_music       = 
| extra_column    = Performer(s)

| title1          = Taking You Home
| extra1          = Kimaya Seward
| length1         = 1:28

| title2          = Muru's Chant
| extra2          = [[Rob Paulsen]]
| length2         = 1:12

| title3          = Who You Really Are
| extra3          = [[Rob Paulsen]] & Chorus
| length3         = 2:02

| title4          = The Grand Design
| extra4          = [[David Carradine]], [[Mark Hamill]] & Chorus
| length4         = 3:13
}}

== Reception ==
=== Awards ===
''Balto II: Wolf Quest'' was nominated for an [[Annie Award]]<ref name="Annie">[https://annieawards.org/30th-annie-awards 30th Annie Awards]</ref> in 2003 for "Outstanding Storyboarding in an Animated Television Production".

Writer [[Dev Ross]] was awarded the [[Humanitas Prize]] in 2002 for her script in the Children's Animation category.<ref>[https://www.humanitasprize.org/Prize_PastWinners.html Humanitas Winners] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100406055244/http://www.humanitasprize.org/Prize_PastWinners.html |date=April 6, 2010 }}</ref>

=== Simon Wells' reaction ===
In a 2015 interview, [[Simon Wells]], the director of the [[Balto (film)|original film]], stated that he has not seen ''Wolf Quest'', nor has he seen ''Balto III: Wings of Change'', because "the original movie was close to my heart, and I didn't want to see what other people had done afterwards." However, Wells recounted that his daughters watched ''Wolf Quest'' repeatedly as children, and enjoyed it greatly.<ref>{{cite web|title=Exclusive interview with Balto director Simon Wells|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624083951/http://www.animationsource.org/balto/en/articles/Exclusive_interview_with_Balto_director_/258868.html&id_film=10|archive-date=June 24, 2016|url=https://www.animationsource.org/balto/en/articles/Exclusive-interview-with-Balto-director-/258868.html&id_film=10|publisher=animationsource.org|access-date=January 27, 2025}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|281634}}

{{Balto}}
{{Universal Animation Studios}}
{{E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial}}

[[Category:Animated films about dogs]]
[[Category:2002 children's films]]
[[Category:2002 American animated direct-to-video films]]
[[Category:2000s children's adventure films]]
[[Category:Animated films set in the 1920s]]
[[Category:Direct-to-video sequel films]]
[[Category:American children's animated adventure films]]
[[Category:American children's animated drama films]]
[[Category:American children's animated musical films]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures direct-to-video animated films]]
[[Category:2002 films]]
[[Category:Universal Animation Studios animated films]]
[[Category:Animated films set in North America]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures direct-to-video films]]
[[Category:Animated films about wolves]]
[[Category:Animated films about father–daughter relationships]]
[[Category:2000s children's animated films]]
[[Category:2000s English-language films]]
[[Category:Animated films set in Alaska]]
[[Category:Balto]]
[[Category:English-language adventure films]]