Even though the sequel isn’t any good, Pocahontas is one of Disney’s better modern standard animated features. The songs are memorable, the voice talents solid especially Irene Bedard as the title character. The animation is also strong and colorful with wonderful touches to give it a unique touch.
Pocahontas/Pocahontas II (1995/1998)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Animation, Family, Drama
Disney | G – 81 min. / 73 min. – $39.99 | August 21, 2012
MOVIE INFO (Pocahontas):
Directed by: Mike Gabriel, Eric Goldberg
Writer(s): Mike Gabriel (idea); Carl Binder & Susannah Grant & Philip LaZebnik (written by)
Cast: Irene Bedard, Mel Gibson, Christian Bale, Linda Hunt, Billy Connolly
Theatrical Release Date: June 23, 1995
MOVIE INFO (Pocahontas II):
Directed by: Tom Ellery, Bradley Raymond
Writer(s): Allen Estrin and Cindy Marcus & Flip Kobler (screenplay)
Cast: Irene Bedard, Jim Cummings, Donal Gibson, Linda Hunt, Billy Zane
Theatrical Release Date: August 4, 1998
DISC INFO:
Features: Audio Commentary, Featurettes, Cartoon Short, Deleted Song, Deleted Scenes, DVD Copies
Number of Discs: 3
Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 1.78
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish
Disc Size: 36.6 GB
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C
THE MOVIES
Pocahontas (1995) ****/*****
Bursting with all the “Colors of the Wind,” Pocahontas tells the story of a free-spirited girl who wonders what adventures await “Just Around The Riverbend.” Pocahontas—along with her playful pals Meeko and Flit—relies on the guidance of her loving and wise Grandmother Willow when English settlers arrive on the shores of their village. Her chance meeting with the courageous Captain John Smith leads to a beautiful friendship that bridges the gap between two cultures, and changes history.
Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998) **¼/*****
Escorted by a dashing British gent John Rolfe, her oversized bodyguard Uti and stowaways Meeka, Percey and Flit, Pocahontas begins an important mission of peace. An eye-opening “new world” awaits her on the bustling, shop-lined streets of London — but so does a deadly new threat from Ratcliffe! As Pocahontas prepares for the elegant King’s Ball, with comical help from the nearsighted maid Mrs Jenkins, her feelings for Rolfe are growing, But the sudden reappearance of John Smith force Pocahontas into another life-changing decision…between two loves and two ways of life!
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.0/5
The Blu-ray release comes in a glossy, reflective slip cover.
Audio Commentary features Co-Directors Eric Goldberg & Mike Gabriel and Producer James Pentecost.
Drawing Inspiration: The Lost Story of Hiawatha (11:49; SD) is a featurette about an idea by Walt Disney for a Hiawatha movie which never came to be but later became the inspiration for Pocahontas. Through storyboards we get to see the story unfold.
Deleted Song (4:51; SD) for “If I Never Knew You” has an optional commentary to explain why it wasn’t included.
The Music of Pocahontas (7:05; SD) has the score/songs for the movie and how the two composers worked well together.
Deleted Scenes (15:29; SD) includes nine scenes, in storyboard form, that were cut from the final release for whatever reason.
“Little Hiawatha” Cartoon Short (9:11; SD) is a neat short animation from Walt Disney’s Silly Symphony.
Disney’s Virtual Vault connects via BD-Live for additional features.
Also included are DVD Copies for both movies.
VIDEO – 4.25/5
Making debuts on Blu-ray, both Pocahontas and Pocahontas II are presented in their original 1.78 widescreen aspect ratio and look really good in 1080p high-definition. The colors are smooth with no signs of banding and the detail levels, even by animation standards, is better than expected.
AUDIO – 4.0/5
Given both films are musicals, it helps putting the lossless 5.1 DTS-HD MA track on display. Even outside of the musical numbers and songs, the dialogue volume sounds good coming mainly from the center channel while other elements envelope the front and rear speakers.
OVERALL – 3.5/5
Overall, even though the sequel isn’t any good, Pocahontas is one of Disney’s better modern standard animated features. The songs are memorable, the voice talents solid especially Irene Bedard as the title character. The animation is also strong and colorful with wonderful touches to give it a unique touch. The Blu-ray offers up some average features but excels in the audio/video department.
Published: 08/28/2012