It is not uncommon for members around here to criticise Wolf Quest because of its poor animation or out-of-place storyline. I have nothing against people who generally do not enjoy this sequel.
However, it seems to me that people start hating Wolf Quest just because everyone else is doing so, and they keep finding new and frankly, bizarre 'flaws' in this movie. I am here to debunk a few of them, which mostly seem to centralized around the main character - Aleu and the 'villain' - Niju.
#1 - Aleu's supposedly 'unrealistic' attitude
Aleu is a teenager, and yet it is supposedly 'unrealistic' that she shouts at her father, is stubborn, immature, and is in every way completely childish. Right....
I don't know about you, but I think that's a perfect representation of a teenage stereotype. Aleu is understandably upset at Balto because nobody wants her, and she runs away. That might seem a trivial thing to get angry about - of course Balto cannot help it if he's part wolf, but you must understand that Aleu was probably in a lot of shock and did not know what she was doing. A lot of teenagers tend to act on impulse. Heck, I act on impulse. It's simply natural.
And the whole stubborn, immature malarky? Teenage stereotype - again. How many times on TV have you seen a teenager fight with their 'stupid parents' or complain about how their 'life sux.'
Now I'm not saying all teenagers are like that. I've met some that are more mature and sensible than some so-called 'adults.' But you must understand that Aleu is based on a teenage stereotype found in a lot of movies, such as Freaky Friday, Mean Girls, Lady and the Tramp II (or basically any direct-to-video sequel that features main characters' offspring).
Of course, being a common theme in movies and television, this may or may not reflect real life. It probably does garner inspiration from reality, however.
#2 - 'Aleu doesn't even look like a wolf.'So you mean the pointy ears, bushy tail and tendency to howl don't give the game away? Aleu looks like a wolf to me, anyway. So how can she be 'unwolfy?'
'She has blue eyes! Wolves don't have blue eyes!' (gasp!
)
Well, Aleu is only 1/4 wolf. The rest of her is a husky. Aleu herself says that her mother, Jenna is a 'purebred husky.' So there's only two breeds in here - wolf and husky. It is not unusual for huskies to have blue eyes, so it's possible for a hybrid like Aleu to inherit this trait. Even though Jenna herself does not have blue eyes, the genetic potential is there, especially if she had an ancestor or relative with blue eyes.
'But her tail is curvy! Wolves don't have curly tails!'
Again, Aleu is NOT a full-blooded wolf. Like the blue eyes, curly tails can be seen in huskies. Jenna has a curvy tail, so this goes without saying.
'But look at her neck! It's all curved like a giraffe!'
So? The animators probably didn't get any actual canines to study like the animators of the first movie. Yes, I agree that isn't proper canine anatomy.
While it is a teeny bit annoying, I don't think the shape of Aleu's neck is a crucial part of the story anyway.
And if it still annoys you, at least it somewhat improves by the third movie.
Anyway, even if all this couldn't be explained, does it all really matter? The original Balto wasn't exactly big on accuracy either. I mean, the real Balto wasn't even half wolf. And Steele did not exist. Tut tut, those lazy people should have done their research more thoroughly.
Or they could have just made a nice, enjoyable cartoon movie.
#3 - Niju'Niju has whiskers. Why?'
Yes. Most wolves in real life have whiskers. For some reason, they just chose to show it on Niju. Why? Don't know, but it does give him a 'villainous' appearance, along with the oversized chin. Wolves don't have big chins, but Niju is meant to be over-exaggerated so you can tell right away that he's the bad guy.
'Niju is just Steele as a wolf.'
Yes, he is similar because he's the villain, has vaguely similar markings and has three underlings. But when you think about it, a lot of villains have three slimy underlings to do their dirty work (Scar or Oogie Boogie, for example). Steele came after both of those, so he's not entirely original either.
But apart from that, I see no resemblance to the two. Steele is an arrogant, selfish character who is a right at the top of the social ladder. I think that Niju generally cares for his pack, and is just afraid of change. He is not a popular wolf either - he is always seeking higher status.
So to reiterate, I don't have anything against people who honestly don't like Wolf Quest. But when people start picking at rather insignifcant details that probably even major, theatrically released animated films can get away with, then I think it gets a bit out of hand. I mean, it's just a harmless sequel. If you love it - great. If you hate it - great. But whiskery Niju and curvy tailed Aleu are not coming to eat you in the night, okay?
