Pocahontas

I read the poster's comments (the one from Paris) and had to laugh, because I completely understand him. I went away for school in Europe in '95 when the film came out, and when I came back Pocahontas was the rage. You know, the way all Disney films were back then-there were commercials, songs on the radio, stuffed animals, etc....until the NEXT Disney movie came to dwarf it until a lame sequel or TV series came out. So let me tell you, I was skeptical about Pocahontas.

I saw this a year after it came out and instantly fell in love with it. It's a mature Disney animated feature- (in my opinion) even more mature than Japanime films I have seen. The love story seems very real-there is a sort of chemistry between the leads that you can feel.

The soundtrack is one of my favourite parts about the movie. Every song matches perfectly with the spirit of the time and place..a new world in the 1600's.

Finally..whoever had the idea to cast Mel Gibson(and Christian Bale) is a genius. Love those voices!

One aspect of this movie often overlooked is its dreamy editing. It is so consistent throughout and rivals many critically acclaimed films with great editing.

See it again, and remember: "You can own the earth and still, all you'll own is Earth until you can paint with all the colors of the wind."

I'll admit: This is not my top favorite Disney movie. Probably not in my top three. But this movie is still good.

I'll also admit I don't usually choose to watch this movie. But when I do watch it, I see that this is an INCREDIBLE Disney movie with INCREDIBLE songs telling an INCREDIBLE story. I really do like this movie, even if it's not my favorite. And Pocahontas is SO pretty. And I love the hair movement in this movie. It really bugs me when cartoon hair barely moves whatsoever, but this movie's hair is more realistic. Plus it's entertaining while telling history that's (kind of) accurate. Thank you for reading my review.

For as much bad press as Pocahontas got, I must say I really disagree with the people who call it flat and lifeless. I thought that after the exclusively tan Lion King, the fresh blues and greens of the foggy Virginia woods were quite beautiful to behold. No one can deny that this is a very beautiful movie, almost exquisite in its animation. Although John Smith is nowhere near as handsome as he thinks he is and peoples' eyes have a strange tendency to all but disappear at times (Look at Smith, Nakoma and Kokoum to see what I mean), it is very very pretty.

Unfortunately, if they'd just waited a year or so after The Lion King, I think it would have gotten much better ratings. As I see it, it is a very interesting story, if a bit tired at times. Pocahontas is a fine heroine, she's very courageous and likeable, and unlike Jasmine and Nala from the previous two Disney films, she's much more than just a pretty face. The love story with Captain Smith is actually done rather well despite the fact that I really disliked the Smith character. I'm not sure why they made him so flat and one-dimensional in contrast to Pocahontas' rich personality, but I didn't find him at all interesting.

The cute animal mascots were allright, if totally out of place in the otherwise dark world. They would be funny to little kids, but they're pretty annoying to a mature viewer.

I didn't really care for Chief Powhatan, he was a little too dense considering the circumstances. I'd say my favorite characters were Nakoma, Pocahontas' best friend and Kokoum, the personality-less warrior. At least those two had some decent tension. I also really enjoyed David Ogden Stiers' duel performance as Governor Ratcliffe and his cute little yes-man, Wiggins. Those two characters truthfully provided the best entertainment of the film, and it might have been a better movie if they'd replaced some of the preachiness with more entertaining scenes of those two plotting.

All in all, it doesn't really take much intelligence to watch it, but it does have elements to appeal to a mature viewer, and besides, the songs are very pretty and of course, it's a splendid piece of animation.

Disney take on the story of Pocahontas and John Smith. I just saw this for the first time since its initial release. My feelings back then were somewhat lukewarm but, to put that in context, my tastes were more narrow then and I was not really into Disney or anything that felt even slightly like a 'chick flick.' Now I'm happy to say I recognize what an enjoyable film this is. The animation is wonderful with so much beautiful imagery that it took me by surprise because I didn't remember that from my first viewing. The scene where John Smith first sees Pocahontas will take your breath away. The movie makes excellent use of lush colors. Some scenes are saturated with purples and blues -- it's really stunning. Pocahontas herself is gorgeously drawn. She's easily one of the most striking Disney Princesses ever. The score is evocative and lovely with one great song ("Colors of the Wind") and some other forgettable ones. The voice work is wonderful, especially Irene Bedard in the lead. There are nice touches of humor throughout with a talking tree and playful animals that seem to have stepped right out of Bambi's forest. The emotional stuff is where the movie really knocks it out of the park, whether it be the romance between Pocahontas and Smith or little brilliant scenes such as when Powhatan feels his wife's spirit in the wind.

The cause for much criticism and complaints about the film come, of course, from the history police. The movie is historically inaccurate, which should come as no surprise to anyone over the age of four. I'm never one to get all that worked up about historical accuracy in movies (let alone cartoons) anyway. You want to be entertained, watch this movie. You want to learn more about history, open a book. One charming reviewer here said the movie was guilty of whitewashing genocide. What a shocker that Disney didn't want to make an animated version of Soldier Blue! Look, it's a cartoon loosely based on people who lived and died 400 years ago. Unclench your fists, take a breath, and stop relying on Hollywood to educate your children and getting ticked off when they don't do it the way you want them to. It's a good animated film and I think everyone who isn't looking to get angry about as many things as they can before they die should see it.

Though not entirely surpassing the Lion King this was some of the best music ever experienced in an animated musical. Pocahontas is the daughter of a chief who wishes to find her path in life. She feels it her duty to keep peace between her own people and the intruding British who are hoping to find gold as did the early Spanish explorers. She finds herself falling in love with one of these new visitors and uses this relationship in attempting to prevent a potential war. But can she stop the greedy settlers from their determination to find Gold, and can she convince her Father that they should try to live in peace with their new neighbors? You may be pleasantly surprised. Between the music and the animation Pocahontas is a classic Disney film that should be included in every video collection. Just don't expect to learn any hidden truths about American history. Take it for what it is.