Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magical & innovative Walt Disney love story, 16 Sep 2006
I really enjoyed this production from Walt Disney. It is unique for Walt Disney in that the animation is based on a real person and story. The love that Pocahontas and John Smith have for each other is enough to bridge their different cultures.
The animation and the musical composition are of a very high calibre, with the 'Colours of the Wind' song being especially stirring. I also like 'If I never knew you' which, is a restored song in this Special Edition dvd. Furthermore, the voice acting is commendable throughout. The lovely Irene Bedard provides the voice talent for Pocahontas and big name actor Mel Gibson voices John Smith.
The movie is also especially funny in places with the animal characters of Meeko, Flit & Percy providing much of the humour. Wiggins is an interesting side character also worthy of note.
The movie ending is particularly powerful with Pocahontas casting herself over the prostrate John Smith to prevent her father from felling the love of her life. This dvd is crammed with special features that enhance your enjoyment of the main movie: an audio commentary, a veritable library of still images and fascinating featurettes amongst other things.
To conclude, a refreshing, uplifting animation that is enjoyable for all age ranges and a visual rendition that merits maximum marks.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Admit it's not history, just great romance, 26 April 2009
Funny place, America. It has enormous controversy machines, and then a huge majority of the population that doesn't seem to realise that they exist. With Disney's Pocahontas, it was almost inevitable, however the white capitalist behemoth presented the Native American princess, that some Native Americans and far more academics and journalists would be outraged; it was equally inevitable that if they presented Native American culture in at all a positive light, the Christian Right would protest that paganism and savagery were being foolishly idealised. Both happened. What is remarkable is that by far the majority of viewers uncritically liked the film anyway, and the makers of the film didn't seem to expect that anyone wouldn't. The pro-native critics ought at least to admit that it might have been far worse than it was: the early sketches for the character of Pocahontas are utterly patronising, indistinguishable from Tiger Lily in Peter Pan, back in the 1960s! Thank heavens, the Powhatans were given some dignity. Of course the one group that didn't protest was the group that got really hostile treatment in the film: the English. But then we don't expect anything different from Hollywood, and we reckon we're grown up enough to take it.
As far as I was concerned the only problem was the oddly naïve disingenuousness of the filmmakers in claiming that their story was `true' and `historical'. If they'd admitted upfront that it was a fantasy romance very loosely hung on the names of a few historical characters, I don't see that there would have been any problem. There's no harm in basing fantasy on history as long as you're clear that's what you're doing. To me, the Pocahontas-Captain John Smith affair was the best love story Disney have ever made, its achingly sad ending conveying, in romantic code, a sort of emotional truth about the tragic outcome of the encounter between Europeans and Native Americans. Pocahontas was strong and graceful, while John Smith, brave, conflicted and ethereally beautiful, was a stunningly successful departure both from historical `fact' and from the bland goofs that usually partner Disney heroines. Thanks to Glen Keane? Having thus created a brilliant romance in blissful disregard of historical reality, Disney then got cold feet in the inevitable straight-to-video Pocahontas II, and traduced the romance that had worked in favour of the historical reality they'd already irretrievably thrown out: they had Pocahontas abandon John Smith for her real-life husband John Rolfe. To this day Pocahontas websites and fan-fiction forums echo with the outrage of the loyal fan base: one web-user has even given herself the online name of PocahontasJohnSmithForever!
The cute animals are grating, but I suppose they had to include them for the sake of the children. And in the re-release, it was definitely a mistake to include the song If I Never Knew You: it's a good song, but it spoils the drama of the moment completely. Also the extras on DVD in the re-release are terrible: the 'Making Of' feature is the dullest I've ever seen on a Disney movie, spending all its time being pointlessly defensive about the historical accuracy issue. Still this is a much better Disney movie than it's usually given credit for being.
If you love this film and want to experience it in a different guise, see the retelling by 'best obsessed' on fanfiction[dot]net. Or if you want a more grown-up, but equally romantic take on the story, try the Terrence Malick drama 'The New World'.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Disney film ever made (well in my opinion anyway) , 6 Nov 2007
Ever since I first saw Pocahontas when it first came out, I knew that Disney were onto a winner. Yes,I admit it's not historically accurate but it's only a Disney film designed for a bit of fun! The songs however,are the making of this film with highlights including the beautiful 'Colours of the Wind' and the very catchy 'Just around the River Bend'. If you have young children (or you just fancy a enjoyable watch yourself!), this film is a must buy. A lot of animated films may date with time but Pocahontas certainly won't! Top stuff.
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