Togo – A Solid Yet Derivative Survival Story (Early Review)

After a peculiar turn of events, Togo is the second of three Disney+ plus original films since its launch just over a month ago that features at least one dog at its center. Instead of being a live action adaptation like Lady and the Tramp, this film is based on a true story that many may not be aware of, that of a sled dog named Togo who defied all odds and expectations on his way to lead the 1925 serum run. This film, for the most part, was a survival story but at the end of the day, it is still a Disney film that tries to appeal to a younger audience which comes with its own set of limitations (i.e. a sanitized and contrived experience).

Togo follows a Norwegian immigrant named Leonhard Seppala (Dafoe), a sled dog breeder getting ready to be part of a coordinated effort (we didn’t really get to see the others), piloting his sled through a treacherous winter storm with his trustworthy sled dog Togo, in order to retrieve important serum to treat a diphtheria outbreak in his town of Nome, Alaska. This storm wasn’t just any storm but Seppala was more than confident in his own ability, more so with Togo on his side. Over that same time, we would be treated to a series of flashbacks of Seppala and his wife Constance (Nicholson) raising Togo from an undersized menace to the dog he became (it was certainly not easy) meanwhile Seppala would come into his own as a dog breeder (and also a dog lover).

Ultimately, Togo was a survival story made more treacherous courtesy of the Alberta landscape masquerading as Alaska and some decent weather effects. Seppala’s trek definitely has an epic feel, however, almost nothing about it would be particularly exciting to watch as it lacked any kind of tension whatsoever while it has all more or less been done countless times before. The fact that the film doesn’t take any risks, resulting in a sanitized experience, which was disappointing but not all that surprising considering it’s younger-skewing nature. The glue that holds the film together is of course Togo himself. At the end of the day, he’s a dog and dogs are cute which is something the film attempts to take advantage of. Though some audiences may very well be enamored by him, the film doesn’t go beyond the usual lazy character beats.

Togo may not have too much going for it but what would ultimately save it was Dafoe’s committed lead performance as Seppala. Appearing in the majority of the film, he certainly carries it with his trademark charisma and screen presence. It was just a shame that he wasn’t asked to do more. The film is okay and he keeps it watchable. Meanwhile, Nicholson was solid in limited screen time as Constance, serving as a nice counterbalance at the start of the film thanks to her chemistry with Dafoe, but was still too much of a worried wife at home cliche.

In the end, Togo perhaps falls in line a little too much with past Disney films but nonetheless is still a solid entry to the growing content library of Disney+

still courtesy of Disney

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.