Togo: The Real Hero of Nome, Alaska

Everyone knows the heroic story of the sled dog named Balto. The dog that went through hell to get medicine to sick children in the mountains of Alaska. The dog immortalized by the nation for the past century. But what if I told you that Balto simply stole another dogs thunder? The story of Togo is breathtaking, it follows the very special sled dog as he leads a team, manned by Leonhard Seppala, as they race from Nome, Alaska to get medicine and bring it back to very sick children before they die. Togo was the true hero of the town due to the fact that he ran over 300 miles total while at the age of 12. The other dog ran on average about 31 miles each, with Balto finishing the race and taking the fame with him.

One of the great things about this film is it's story. The special connection between a man and his dog is always a site to see, however in Togo, I felt it was portrayed in a more emotional way. Seppala had a rule to never get attached to a dog, because he deals with so many different ones it's just easier that way. Togo however, made a lasting impact on Seppala with his unique personality and work ethic. Togo was born a lead sled dog and it showed. This makes the film so much more emotionally investing because you clearly see how special this relationship is and how they were truly best friends.

I do have one harp about the film that I would like to address. I felt that the concept of time and how far they are actually traveling is a bit funky. Often times I felt lost about how much time or how far they had left in their mission. You only find out in the end how far Togo really did travel but maybe that was meant to add to the weight of his achievement at the end. I also felt some of the feats they had to overcome might have been sugarcoated slightly, but hey, it's a movie so you need to add a little bit of sugar.

Overall, the tale of Togo is one I will never forget. He has replaced my false belief that Balto was the real hero of the town and his legacy should live on through this film. I recommend this film to owner of Disney+ and people who grew up thinking Balto was the hero of the town of Nome.

Worm Rating: Worm Approved

Worm Score: 75/100