"Togo": Nathan's Movie Review

At long last, the true story of Togo is brought to the big screen. Well, the streaming screen anyway. Ever since 1925, sled dog Balto has been praised as the savior of Nome, Alaska. While yes, he did technically bring the cure for diphtheria back to the town, the rest of the journey was largely overlooked. The film finally makes the full story known, giving credit to the dog who did most of the work: Togo.

The film follows Leonhard Seppala, a Musher (or dog sled driver) who is given the task of traveling nearly 300 miles to pick up a cure for a recent diphtheria outbreak and bring it back. On top of the bad terrain is the storm of the century, grounding all other forms of transportation. It's up to Leonhard and his dogs to save the town.

I loved the pacing of the film. It switched back and forth between 1925 and flashbacks. It told the story of Togo through Leonhard's eyes. The more you learned, the more you fell in love with Togo and felt sympathy for Leonhard. Leonhard's story also rings true for a lot of people. He was at first distant and didn't want Togo. In the end, he didn't want to say goodbye. That's a beautiful level of development that speaks to the human spirit and how much we rely on and need nature.

The writing was well-done as was the directing. From what I've read, the terrain and ice was all real. Of course safety precautions were taken but it's still rather incredible that the crew made the film look as real as possible.

In conclusion, this was a beautiful and necessary film that true story enthusiasts and dog lovers alike will love. Heartwarming and exciting, Togo is a film the whole family will enjoy. I give Togo a 4 out of 4.