User reviews

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.

Why on earth is this movie rated so low? It's even rated lower than some of the DTV sequels. That shouldn't happen. It is historically inaccurate, but why should that be an issue? All I want is a visually stunning film with great music, and that's what I got. The animation is splendid. America looked so rich in colour, and the colours were so bright. The songs are sometimes the weakest element of an animation. Here it is the main reason why this movie is so memorable. "Colours of the Wind" is one of the most beautiful songs I've heard, and I've sung it before. Pocahontas's singing voice is none other than the Broadway singer, Judy Kuhn, who was absolutely terrific. When I was 12, I tried to sound like her. The incidental music is also definitely the most lyrical of the Alan Menken scores. The weakest element of the film, is actually the character development. The protagonist, voiced by Irene Bedard, is very well done, but most of the other characters are not as effective. Mel Gibson has a singing voice, but his speaking voice is too monotonous to my liking, and Ratcliffe isn't a very likable or memorable villain at all(one of Disney's blandest villains actually), despite enthusiastic voice work from David Ogden Stiers. But Meeko and Flit are great fun, and Grandmother Willow was good too. Don't say this film is racist. Some of the imagery is fantastic in the songs of war and animosity, and the film has a great love story and message. The ending was actually quite effective and poignant. In conclusion, one of the least memorable of the Disney movies, is so worth watching. 8.5/10. Bethany Cox

Perhaps there should have been a disclaimer at the start of the movie saying: "Loosely based on the true story of the Indian princess" and then there wouldn't be all this fuss about a Disney movie not sticking to historical facts. First of all, when you go to see "Pocahontas" knowing it's a Disney animated feature, do you really think you're going to see an accurate depiction of events? It's not meant to be a documentary--take it for what it is, a charming, completely enjoyable work of art with stunning visuals, great songs (by Menken and Schwartz) and an uplifting tale that has a message for kids and adults. What more could you want?

Definitely a must-see Disney film for the whole family. Should create an interest for kids to learn about the actual events if they are so inclined. As entertainment, it's top-grade Disney with a hauntingly beautiful score that would fit well into any Broadway musical. The songs are splendid: 'Just Around the Riverbend', 'Colors of the Wind', 'The Virginia Company' -- and the artwork combined with the music for the gold-digging number is outstanding.

Belongs up there with 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'Hunchback of Notre Dame' as one a serious film fan should not miss.

As with all Disney films, this was a warm and charming movie with some fun set piece sing songs, and your stereotypical big baffoon baddies and your clean cut and heroic good guys!

It's a family film and it doesn't get too hung up on being historically accurate. It does romanticise the tale of Pocahontas, and she is tied very much to the land and her people, and has a heroine's role at the end, as supposed to just being a Princess looking for Mr Right.

She does of course meet a man at the end, but it's not your typical Disney ending. Much like Mulan, this was a period when the role of Disney Princess was changing.

It's worth mentioning the animation, it is fantastic with the shape and movements of the key human characters, absolutely flawless.

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.

I haven't watched Pocahontas in maybe ten years, but I was feeling nostalgic one day and popped it in. I could not believe how truly BEAUTIFUL this movie is, in every aspect.

MUSIC: Aside from the songs everyone knows (Just Around the River Bend and Colors of the Wind) every single other song in the film is wonderful, with soaring harmonies and Broadway quality singing. Everything was masterfully written and executed. The music alone is reason enough for this to be adapted into a full out Broadway musical, but don't worry...the music is brilliant but it doesn't scream "MUSICAL!" like Hairspray or Mamma Mia.

ANIMATION: Drop. Dead. Gorgeous. Every single frame is such wonderful eye candy, and the camera work serves the sweeping storyline extremely well.

STORY: Dramatic (with it's humorous moments of course), romantic, and it carries a very important message of peace, maturity, and fighting against ignorance and prejudice from BOTH sides. This is possibly the Disney movie with the greatest message for kids.

HISTORIC ACCURACY: Yes, Disney changed the true story quite a bit, but if you look to Disney for accurate re-tellings of historical events you have a serious PROBLEM. This movie is more 'Inspired by' than 'Based on' and since the true story is about a 13-14 year old falling in love with 30-40 year I think we can all appreciate that they took some liberties with a KIDS' MOVIE.

All in all, I really don't get why this isn't revered as a classic right along with The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast.

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.

Recently I started watching this again with my 4yr old son and fell in love with it all over again! The music is outstanding (I especially love the "Colors of the Wind") and the entire movie is a visual treat! I know many have complained that the movie is a European version of an event and demeaning to American Indians, but from what I've read, Russel Means (voice of Powhatan) was happy with the final product and its portrayal of Native Americans. Whether or not it is historically accurate, it is great entertainment and I believe the overall message of peace and acceptance between peoples is timeless good advice. All in all, a great addition to the Disney catalog of movies.

Yes, this is surely one of the better modern Disney films. The story is straight and well focused on the two main characters. We have some sidekicks here, the little dog and the raccoon. Both works very well, with loving little gags and without any tendency to crude jokes, that often seen in modern Disney-films, i.e. the stupid fart-joke in "The Lion King", which, in my opinion, disturbing this good movie too much. "Pocahontas" match the spirit of the older Disney classics well. I love especially the impressionistic, colorful sequences. It is a wonderful way to tell a story with colors, pictures and music rather than dialogue. A technique, that was first used in "Fantasia" and than pushed up to the utmost perfectionism in "Bambi", and later get lost in the most modern Disney movies. And there is another detail, that i like very much: The villain is not really a totally cruel villain. He had his own problems too, and he was more driven by the demand of his company to find gold under all circumstances. The film did not focus exactly on historical facts, but come on, it is a Disney film, and it had is dark and sad scenes too. As i know, this was only the third Disney-movie (after "Bambi" and "The Lion King") in which a important character died, which is not one of the villains. Fortunately the end of the movie is "not typical Disney". it was done very well in a wonderful closing scene, but without that the... but i will not spoil it for you! But some disappointments are here too: "Pocahontas" can't mess with the detailed Animation and deep characters of the older Disney films, especially Disney's "Big Five": "Snow White", "Pinocchio", "Fantasia", "Dumbo", and especially "Bambi" are invincible in the detailed animation and the characters. In "Pocahontas" all of this is far simpler done, perhaps to decrease the costs of the movie and not because the animators can't do it better. Overall, i give it 7 out of 10 stars and i hope, that modern Disney will come back to movies of this high quality in the future again.

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."

Pocahontas was the first Disney film that I'd seen in quite a while and I had forgotten the enjoyment and magic that Disney films can often give you. Although I've probably seen most Disney films over the years, it was interesting to revisit this particular title after so long and view it with a more adult mind.

One thing that you notice right away is that Pocahontas is not as epic as previous Disney films. There isn't a lot of animation and that cliché 'every effort is put into every drawing and thus; every frame' seems to have fallen through the net this time round. Because of this; the animation looks not only dated but it makes some of the characters (namely the lead heroine Pocahontas herself) "kinda' funny lookin'." That feeling that this is not as epic as previous instalments is also present. I don't know if Disney were going for the whole neo-realistic look or something since this is based on a true story (something Disney rarely do) but the actual drawings do fall a little flat. Hey, maybe they were putting all their animation effort into Toy Story from the same year; you never know.

The film is clever and at the same time interesting at the start. We spend enough time with the sailors across their voyage and the protagonist is pretty obviously presented to us as John Smith since not only is he the one that saves a fellow sailor from drowning (Voiced by Christian Bale, no-less) but he's also voiced by Mel Gibson – more than enough evidence to suggest this is the leading man. Also, we get a peek at the native American's way of life which, unless you've studied pre-colonial America, is going to look pretty alien to you. This is the film giving us an even amount of time with either 'side' and is dangling a proverbial carrot in front of our faces, tempting us to make a link with either the sailors or the natives.

The film is, overall, a very sophisticated story about friendship, trust and ultimately: love and the fact it's between two people from very different backgrounds and ways of life is all the more pleasurable. Even though it is a true story, Disney takes the material and makes good with it. What I didn't like though, was the fact that the animals whom are supposed to act as the films comic relief are actually more annoying than funny. I appreciate that it's 'just for kids' but where a proper love story is unfolding, two bumbling animals in the shape of Meeko (Pocahontas' racoon) and Percy (The English governor's dog whom he doesn't even realise is missing towards the end) attempt to ruin what it is that's going on around them. The fact they don't talk means that their actions have to make up for any amusing dialogue they might have had and when you have to rely on actions to make you laugh, you have to rely on slapstick and that really misses the mark in this film.

The songs are impressive in their own right; like I said before, they're not as epic as previous films and consist of characters running through forests or boating down rivers with not much happening around them and with the same shades of colours and shapes used consistently. This is not like The Lion King (I Just Can't Wait to be King) or Aladdin (Never Had A Friend Like Me) where lots was going on and, arguably, better songs were presented to us. The willow tree was also something I had a bit of a problem with. Although acting as the mentor for Pocahontas, I felt that it broke too far from reality and wasn't even used that much anyway. I feel the film would've worked better had this character been a really elderly native American whom Pocahontas could've trusted but again, the prospect of a talking tree in a Disney film gets the kids in.

Even if I was a little let down by the climatic battle scene since I didn't really 'feel' anything (when I felt I was supposed to have many emotions raging at once), the film sticks to its roots and has the ending that many of us probably wouldn't have liked to have happened. This is a strong Disney addition and shouldn't be overlooked.

On a side note, if you liked this then check out 'A New World' (2005). It's another Pocahontas film and funnily enough, stars Christian Bale as well.

This is somewhat unique, for a number of reasons. Perhaps most importantly, it is, as my summary states, mature. Gone are the talking animals, the show-stopping musical number(as were a staple of the Disney cartoons of the time), and the themes, the tone, is more serious. This is the only Disney animated feature actually based on a true event. There is still humor that the children can laugh at, and it's still much more simple and easy to take in than a lot of entertainment, but this has things for the grown-ups, as well. This seems to have lead to it being somewhat overlooked and less popular with kids. Another difference is how realistic the look is. The characters, the movements, faces, everything, it all looks far more real than other animated pieces. The animation is magnificent. The colors are used well, and quite subtly, in key sequences. The acting is good, and Bedard and Kuhn, the speaking and singing voice of the title character, respectively, are both excellent. Gibson isn't a bad singer, and he fits the character of Smith, both in attitude and voice. The majority of the actors lending their voices to the Indian characters are actual Native Americans, which is definitely an impressive and note-worthy detail. The music is great. Characterization is nicely done. For a film that's about an hour and fifteen minutes, sans credits, we know more about these people, and understand them better, than you'd expect. The plot is well-written, but of course it is a fictional recounting of the actual story(this is Disney, after all). The pacing is marvelous, it never really drags. The DVD extras are a mixed bag... not all are well-produced or aesthetically appealing(or even introduced properly). The multi-language reel, though, is well-cut and well-done, both idea and execution get high marks... although as much as I dislike Danish dubbing, I'm not sure that I was as relieved as I was insulted that the Danish voice was not part of it; the Swedish and Norwegian were! Also, the interactive adventure can amuse, and may inform. I recommend this to anyone willing to watch Disney, especially the more mature audiences. 7/10

Watching Pocahontas again, I'm reminded of both its strengths and its shortcomings. On the positive side, the animation is undeniably stunning. Disney really knows how to paint a picture, and the lush landscapes, vibrant colors, and flowing animation all makes it a visual treat. There's a certain beauty and warmth in how the film captures nature, especially in scenes like "Colors of the Wind," which remains one of the most memorable moments in Disney's animated history. The movie also has a lot of heart, with themes of love, understanding, and the desire for peace woven throughout. It's clear that the filmmakers aimed to tell a story that resonates on an emotional level, and in parts, they succeed.

However, the film does have its flaws. For one, the story feels somewhat superficial. It tries to tackle serious themes of cultural conflict and harmony, but often glosses over the deeper complexities in favor of a more simplified narrative. I couldn't help but feel that the film played it a bit too safe, avoiding the real grit that could have made the story more impactful. The portrayal of the characters, especially Pocahontas and John Smith, is somewhat one-dimensional, and I found myself wishing for more depth and nuance in their development. Additionally, the pacing can be uneven at times, with the plot dragging in places and rushing through others.

Overall, Pocahontas is a beautifully animated film with moments of genuine emotion, It's a visually stunning movie that hits some of the right notes but misses out on delivering a fully satisfying story. I appreciate its heart and the effort to convey a meaningful message.

When this movie came out (in 1995), I thought : "Another one "big stupid kiddy Disney American colonialist propaganda movie" ! Nobody thinks no more about a love story between an Indian girl and a colonialist ! The indians were exterminated by the colonialists ! Not loved by them ! Everybody knows that !"

And I didn't watch such of silly movie, of course ! I'm not a stupid man !

BUT, there's a week ago, the daughter of my sister (9 years old), forgot that DVD in my home. I thought : "Let's see this stupidity, just to laugh at the most ridiculous Disney's movie !"

I watched it. And I cryed. This is the best Disney's movie, and maybe the best movie, I've ever watched !

How can you criticize it ? Have you lost your children soul ?!!

Of course, just after watched it, I thought : "Well, that's good. Better than I thought. But that's all".

But the next day, the song of the old "mother witch" remains in my mind ! I decided to watch it again, and again. Now, I've seen this movie about 20 times in one week. That's incredible, I think I'm a fan !!!!

For me, in general, the worst part of a Disney movie, was the songs. I've always hated them. For the first time, I found the songs were the best part of this movie ! I listened to every songs of this movie, and I think, they are all good, and even, great ! Also the music ! It's an Mozart's opera !

Graphics are good, but the editing is better ! The first encounter between Pocahontas and Smith at the falls is a pure master-piece ! And the movie's references are plenty ! The "3-voices song" of "savages", reminds me the "rumbles" of "West Side Story", and the final "goodbye" reminds me the final of Spielberg's "E.T.".

I don't know if this movie was done "for children", but I know I cry every time I watch it !

Thanks for Mike Gabriel, Eric Goldberg, Alan Menken, Stephen Schwartz, and the Disney Company to have kept their "children soul". I was wrong and they were right. And I'm happy of that.

Well, I quit you now, I need to watch this movie again... Goodbye ! :-))

10/10 !!!!!! of course !

What can I say... When I was a kid, I didn't like Pocahontas. In fact, I was disappointed with this movie. Because, to me, they HAD to be happy ever after! The years have passed, and I'm 19, and I felt really stupid because I didn't like this movie. Oh my god. This movie wasn't made for children, It was made for grow ups. It's language... a child would never understand the message. A child would just enjoy the animation, Meeko and the songs. When I saw that movie again, 2 years ago, I understood why they couldn't be together, I understood the message of the songs and I understood the fact that this movie is one of the most brilliants animations crated. When I saw "Colors of the wind" I cried. When I heard "Savages!" I got chills. How Disney did that? Kids, don't watch this movie. Grow-ups, GO NOW AND WATCH. This movie teaches values that this world forgot, and we need more movies like that. 10/10

The biggest problem with Pocahontas is that it's boring and predictable. How they managed to make a movie about colonialization and racism so boring is a mystery to me. And you can predict every step the movie takes from the romance to clash of the two parts and what triggers it.

The character development is one of the big sinners here, because the main characters and the villain are either boring or stupid. Mel Gibson's performance as John Smith just sounded monotonous and detached and his romance with equally dull Pocahontas just felt forced. And yet there are not very much more to them than that romance. But the way they ended it all was pretty well done. The villain was the generic money hungry white man. Ratcliff had some pretty cringe-worthy lines which made him sound really stupid. His singing voice is good, but the lyrics to his song-sequences are either just generic (Mine Mine Mine) or over simplified serious topic (Savages).

The animation is a highlight along with the songs. Colours of the Wind is an amazing song and delivers the most magic in the movie and Gibson's singing voice in Mine, Mine, Mine isn't half bad. But that is surface level aspects of a movie, and if a story isn't very engaging or exciting it ends up lackluster.

The list goes on, because aside from a couple of beautiful songs and eye-popping animation, Pocahontas has remarkable problems which makes it fall into the category of wasted potential.