Review: Togo

True story of an American Hero

BY: TIFFANY DITTO

Staff writer

4/4 paws up

Disney's Togo is a tale of adventure, heroism, and the love between a man and his dog.

Togo will tug on the viewer's heartstrings as it evokes a fury of emotions from frustration, pride and hope to sorrow, laughter and, most of all, love. Viewers will be rushed away on musher Leonhard Seppala's sled as he travels 261 miles across the Alaskan wilderness with his team of Husky sleddogs.

Togo (based on a true story) premiered on Disney+ on Dec. 20 as one of many promised pieces of content exclusive to the streaming platform. The movie aims to set the record straight as to which dog historically saved the city of Nome in the 1925 serum run to Nome, Alaska. Historically, Balto, a sled dog from another team, stole the fame and credit for bringing the lifesaving drugs the children of Nome needed to fight the diphtheria outbreak of the time — so much so that a statue was erected of Balto in Central Park 10 months after the 1925 run (yes, it's still there).

The movie opens on Seppala mushing his dog team across a snowy terrain. A storm brews in the distance, and we see that Seppala?s dogs want to chase a pack of caribou, but instead choose to run for the city — indicating that this storm is one that animals know to fear. Once the team reaches the city, they find that the children have fallen ill as diphtheria wreaks havoc on the townspeople. Doctors and city officials plead for Seppala to go and retrieve lifesaving medicine nearly 674 miles away. Due to the storm, the government was unable to send a plane into the city with the medication — meaning Seppala was their only hope.

Reluctantly, Seppala agrees to make the trip and takes his best dog, 12-year-old Togo, with him. Throughout their journey, we see flashbacks of a young Togo and the trouble he caused his master. Viewers will laugh at the pup's antics and dedication as he hopes to be selected as part of Seppala's sled team. We see a stubborn dog who ultimately knows who he loves and, with time, proves his worth.

A perilous journey unfolds, and officials decide to send help to Seppala. Unbeknownst to him, officials have decided to initiate a sled-dog relay to get the medication back to Alaska. It's only by mere happenstance, and after over 135 miles of mushing, that the team crosses paths with one of the relay teams. The journey takes its toll on Togo, who has a heart of steel and a will that won't quit, but the body of an older dog. The team takes on blistering winds, a not so frozen body of water and their own body's will to rest at a time when they simply can't. Togo is a story that will make you appreciate the love you have with your own pets and make you hold them a little tighter. It?s a story full of great triumph, love and heartbreak, and for all of those reasons and more, we give Togo a perfect four paws up.

Twitter: @TiffanyDitto