Balto 3 was released in the USA on February 1st, 2005, in the UK on March 7, 2005, and is available in most of the countries in the world.

As with Balto 2 Wolf Quest, it is a Direct-To-Video sequel; however, while Wolf Quest had nearly nothing in common with its predecessor, this new Balto is much more closer to the original, and much better too in my opinion.

And don't let the fact it is a DTV sequel fool you, even if the animation isn't as great as the original was, it's better than the average DTV sequel to an animated film, and most Balto (or even animation) fans will be sure to like it.

 Once again, the Universal Home Entertainment Cartoon team was on the work on nearly two years (pretty logical since Amblimation doesn't exist anymore). And, stop, it has nothing in common with the Land Before Time sequels, especially in terms of quality...

Now, onto the film. The scene takes place in winter (in fact, beginning of Spring), several months after the events shown in Wolf Quest. The film introduces to a few new characters, including Kodi, the son of Balto & Jenna; although the story isn't centered on him like it was for Aleu in Wolf Quest. It involves dog-sledding, humans, and the main characters from the original take a great role in the story. Talking about the story, the original writers were on the work (Cliff Ruby & Elana Lesser). The american voice actors are back from Wolf Quest for the main characters, and the famous Sean Astin (from the Lord of The Rings) gave his voice to Kodi.

Here's the offical summary of the scenario from Universal :

An American hero is back! A brand new movie continues the adventure! Balto embarks upon his most exciting adventure ever in this beautifully animated, high-flying journey sure to delight the entire family! When an airplane pilot claims he can deliver mail and supplies faster than the dog-sled team, Balto and his pals rise to the challenge. What begins as a competition between dog and plane, soon becomes a dramatic and unforgettable search across the wonder-filled Alaskan tundra for the pilot who hasn't yet crossed the finish line. This heartwarming family film features the voices of Sean Astin (The Lord Of The Rings), Jean Smart (Bringing Down The House), Kathy Najimy (Sister Act), and more.

For more information, you can now read my review (no spoilers!), see the DVD information page, or see the old information page on Balto 3.

American voices :

Maurice LaMarche ...Balto

Charles Fleischer ...Boris

Jodi Benson ...Jenna

Sean Astin ...Kodi

Keith Carradine ...Duke

Bill Fagerbakke ...Ralph

Charity James...Dusty

Kathy Najimy...Dipsy

David Paymer...Mel

Kevin Schon...Muc & Luc

Jean Smart...Stella

Carl Weathers...Kirby

Release in VHS and DVD in USA: February 1, 2005

Release in VHS and DVD in France:

November 23, 2004