Disney’s Pocahontas has never been afforded the same amount of acclaim or affection as the four Disney animated musicals that preceded it. Even though it won the same two Oscars that they did (Best Song and Best Score), the fact that its box-office take was not equal or superior to The Lion King (the other films had bested the box-office of the previous one), it seems to have been thought of as a disappointment. And yet, watching it now more than fifteen years after the fact, it’s a beautiful and unusual film with a score superior to the one for Aladdin and animation that’s more sophisticated and daring than The Lion King. As for the made-for-home video sequel, well, it uses some of the voice cast from the original in a Pygmalion variation story that’s barely worthy of the original.
Pocahontas/Pocahontas II (Blu-ray Combo Pack)
Directed by Mike Gabriel, Eric Goldberg/Bradley Raymond, Tom Ellery
Studio: Disney
Year: 1995/1998
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 1080p AVC codec
Running Time: 81/73 minutes
Rating: G
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 English; Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish, French
Subtitles: SDH, Spanish, French
Region: A-B-C
MSRP: $ 39.99
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Review Date: August 19, 2012
The Films
Pocahontas – 4/5
Governor Radcliffe (David Ogden Stiers) lands on the coast of what is now Virginia with one real goal in mind: to harvest enormous amounts of gold to match the legendary hauls the Spanish had dug up in their excavations in the New World. Among his hearty band of workers is Captain John Smith (Mel Gibson) who is more interested in the natural beauty of the territory now named for James I of England. He meets Native American Pocahontas (Irene Bedard, singing by Judy Kuhn) and as they get to know one another, they (but especially he) learn about cultural differences not being right or wrong but instead meant to co-exist harmoniously. But Radcliffe isn’t interested in making friends with the native people who he thinks are hoarding the gold he covets, so he’s intent on stirring his men into a frenzy until they can mount a full-scale attack on the Indians.
The film was the first Disney animated title based on a true event (though naturally a great deal of dramatic license has been applied) and as such ends in a way almost unheard of in a Disney film – no happily ever after! That gives the film a ring of dramatic truth, however, amid a somber story enlivened by a host of Disney cartoon critters (a mischievous raccoon, a feisty hummingbird, a snooty pug) and a seven song score by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz that’s mostly exceptional with two glorious power ballads for the title character (“Just Around the Riverbend” and the Oscar-winning “Colors of the Wind” exceptionally well sung by Judy Kuhn), a dazzling production number for the villainous Radcliffe “Mine, Mine, Mine,” and the climactic “Savages,” an ironic tune sung by both the natives and the interlopers sneeringly in reference to their enemies. The animation is greatly stylized with lots of sharp angles and almost phosphorescent colors, and the effect is undeniably hypnotic (the representations of fog and wind are especially striking throughout). The voice cast does a superb job from first to last (David Ogden Stiers plays not only Radcliffe but also his valet Wiggins thus continually acting opposite himself), and the entire production just whizzes by due to razor-edged pacing by directors Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg that doesn’t waste a second of screen time.
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World – 3/5
Though the residents of Jamestown are living quite harmoniously with the Native Americans, back home in England, Radcliffe (David Ogden Stiers) in trying to save face for bringing home no gold has laid the failure completely on the shoulders of John Smith (Donal Gibson) forcing him to become a fugitive from the law. King James demands a meeting with Chief Powhatan (Russell Means), but he instead sends daughter Pocahontas (Irene Bedard, singing by Judy Kuhn) watched over by the King’s emissary John Rolfe (Billy Zane). Trying to make the Indian princess appear in the worst possible light, Radcliffe sponsors a fancy dress ball where he expects Pocahantas’s native dress and behavior will scandalize British society and thus garner the King’s permission to send an armada against the Indians. But Rolfe works with Pocahontas to teach her European manners and graces thus forcing Radcliffe to resort to even more desperate measures.
It comes as no surprise that the look and tone of the movie are eons away from the stylized, hypnotic allure of the original. Here the animation is much flatter and brighter with none of the mystical magic of the first movie. The story is fairly standard, too, even with the addition of the three comic presences from the first movie (their repetitive shtick is much less entertaining this time around) and the farsighted housekeeper Mrs. Jenkins (Jean Stapleton) who’s good for an occasional laugh. The songs by Marty Panzer and Larry Grossman, apart from “Where Do I Go from Here,” can’t hold a candle to anything in the first movie though Judy Kuhn brings her strong singing voice back to make all of her music at least worth hearing. Billy Zane has a surprisingly powerful singing voice as John Rolfe, and their climactic duet “Between Two Worlds” sounds better than it is due to their powerful emoting.
Video Quality
Pocahontas – 5/5
The film has been framed for the video edition at 1.78:1 and is presented in 1080p resolution using the AVC codec. Controlling the vibrant, hyper-saturated purples, pinks, oranges, and reds must have been a nightmare for quality control artists, but the finished product is exemplary. This is a dazzling transfer with not a hint of banding or aliasing with the tight line structures and features a picture that’s razor sharp throughout. The film has been divided into 28 chapters.
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World – 4.5/5
The film is presented in 1.78:1 and is offered in 1080p resolution using the AVC codec. Apart from some noticeable banding in some backgrounds, the image quality is clean and crisp. Colors are bright and nicely maintained throughout the presentation, and all lines are solid with no artifacting. The film has been divided into 23 chapters.
Audio Quality
Pocahontas – 4.5/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 sound mix sounds glorious for the most part. Occasionally the orchestra doesn’t quite reach the depths of the surrounds that one might be expecting, but generally, the mix is completely and utterly satisfying. Dialogue and singing voices have been placed in the center channel and are always perfectly discernible.
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World – 5/5
Here’s a surprise: the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 is astonishingly sophisticated for a made-for-video effort! There is a great deal of directionalized dialogue making for a most impressive vocal presentation. There is much more activity in the fronts and rears with split surround effects than one might have been anticipating, and the music has great sweep throughout. There is also much more bass activity in the mix not only in the music but in other sound effects (a raging storm has great power) giving the LFE channel a nice workout.
Special Features
3/5
The audio commentary for Pocahontas is provided by directors Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg and producer James Pentecost. Though it starts just a bit slowly, the three men finally hit their stride and offer a thorough discussion of the film’s production always exhibiting a great sense of pride in their finished product and complimenting various members of the cast and crew for their fine work. Recorded eight years after release for the DVD release of the film, the track is certainly one fans of the film will want to hear.
“Drawing Inspiration: The Lost Story of Hiawatha” is a 1080p featurette on a long-planned but never realized animated version of the Longfellow poem. Narrated by historian Charles Solomon with the storyboard narration by Pocahontas co-director Eric Goldberg, this 11 ¾-minute featurette shows visual ideas which were later incorporated by the directors and animators of Pocahontas.
“Deleted Song ‘If I Never Knew’” is the fully animated 1080p song sequence which occurs after the capture of John Smith by the Powhatan. Though put back into the film for the 2005 DVD release, here it’s only available as a bonus feature and runs 4 ¾ minutes. There is also optional commentary for it by the producer and directors.
“The Music of Pocahontas” allows composer Alan Menken, lyricist Stephen Schwartz, and producer James Pentecost discuss the song score for the film. Also seen is Judy Kuhn recording “Just Around the Riverbend” in the booth in this 7-minute, 480i featurette.
There are nine deleted sequences represented in storyboards or rotoscoping that may be watched individually or together in one 15 ½-minute group. They’re in 480i.
“Little Hiawatha” is a 1937 Silly Symphony cartoon presented in 480i and running 9 ¼ minutes.
The disc claims there are additional bonus features from the old DVD release in the Virtual Vault, but I was not granted access to this without a broadband rather than a DSL internet connection.
The disc contains promo trailers for Cinderella and Finding Nemo 3D.
The second and third discs in the set are DVD copies of the original movie and its made-for-video sequel.
In Conclusion
3.5/5 (not an average)
Pocahontas was not one of the lucky animated films to get a worthy made-for-video sequel, but the original film is better than its reputation suggests, and the Blu-ray package offers excellent video and audio for a reasonable price.
Matt Hough
Charlotte, NC
