TOGO (2019) - Movie Review

Director: Ericson Core
Starring: Diesel, Willem Dafoe, Julianne Nicholson, Christopher Heyerdahl, Richard Dormer
Genre: Adventure, Drama, Family, History
Writer: Tom Flynn
Runtime: 113 min
Rated: PG for some peril, thematic elements and mild language
Buy This Movie: Disney+

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Synopsis:

“Togo” is the untold true story set in the winter of 1925 that takes you across the treacherous terrain of the Alaskan tundra for an exhilarating and uplifting adventure that will test the strength, courage and determination of one man, Leonhard Seppala, and his lead sled dog, Togo. When a deadly epidemic strikes the town of Nome, Alaska and the only cure is more than 600 miles away, the town looks to champion dogsled trainer Leonhard Seppala (Willem Dafoe) to help transport an antitoxin serum. Seppala turns to Togo, an unassuming, undersized and aging Siberian husky, to be his lead. His wife (Julianne Nicholson) has championed Togo since his days as a mischievous puppy who could dig himself out of any situation, literally and physically, and Seppala, having observed Togo’s loyalty and tenacious spirit, knows Togo offers his only chance of surviving this mission. Undaunted by the massive storm heading their way or pressure from his wife not to go, Seppala and Togo set out on the deadliest leg of what becomes a larger relay involving multiple mushers, facing gale force winds, 50 below zero temperatures and little to no visibility. It is an intense journey that causes the veteran musher to grasp the depth of his feelings for his lead dog and the unbreakable bond they share. Some flashing lights sequences or patterns may affect photosensitive viewers.

Review:

When an epidemic of diphteria broke out in the Alaskan town of Nome in the winter of 1925, which mostly affected children, the only hope was a transport of diphtheria antitoxin by dog sled across a distance of 674 miles of Alaskan territory while facing extreme subzero temperatures and hurrican-force winds from a massive ocoming storm. A relay system was set up involving 20 mushers and around 150 sled dogs.

Disney's "Togo" tells the story of sled dog breeder and trainer Leonhard Seppala (Willem Dafoe) and his titular lead dog (Diesel). Seppala covered the most dangerous part of the relay, a total of 170 miles. Despite that, the dog that often got credit for saving Nome's children is Balto, simply because he happened to run the last 55 miles of the race. This movie finally sets the record straight.

The film alternates between Seppala's run and flashbacks depicting Togo and Seppala's relationship through the years. The gorgeous Siberian Husky starts out as an underdog, small and weak, but full of spirit and energy, quickly earning Seppala's admiration and eventually building an unshakable bond with the trainer. When Togo particpated in the run he was already 12 years of age, pretty old for a dog, which makes his elements-braving feat even more impressive.

There's a lot of emotion coursing through this tale of friendship between man and dog. Dafoe gives a great performance, but he's often upstaged by his canine co-star and its piercing blue eyes. Although, according to historical fact, the real Togo had brown eyes, and the Siberian Husky breed didn't develope blue eyes until the 1940s. Meanwhile, in a decent supporting turn, Julianne Nicholson as Seppala's wife has a couple of great scenes with Dafoe. In perfect Disney movie fashion there's plenty of cuteness overload, but honestly not all that much of the studio's silliness. It's a pretty straight drama, perfectly family-friendly, but never overly saccharine or comedic.

Despite a few flourishes here and there, the story is mostly accurate. The film's showstopping set-piece involving Seppala and Togo crossing the open ice of the Norton Sound is also based on fact, although obviously enhanced for cinematic reasons. The production values are surprisingly good for a Disney+ movie, with beautiful cinematography handled by the film's director Ericson Core (the "Point Break" remake), solid visual effects, and thankfully no CGI dogs like in the awful 2020 "The Call of The Wild".

"Togo" is a fantastic movie that I often revisit during the winter season. It's an intense battle-against-nature story mixed together with a tender story of friendship and devotion that will melt even the coldest of hearts. It's an easy recommendation to watch, although I would have preferred it on Blu-ray instead of Disney+.

SCORE: 9/10