Warning! Warning! If you have not seen Poca 2 yet, and DO NOT want anything spoiled for you, please hit the back button on your browser NOW!!!

This is your last chance!!!

Okay, you had your chance...now here goes. *Deep Breath*

Overall, I liked Poca 2 okay. It had a good storyline, and some would even venture to say that the story is better than the original(NOT ME. MY MOM..though she might retract this statement!!). Also, the animation in it was a BIG improvement on some of the T.V. animation movie projects of the past..mainly the Aladdin sequels and the B&B Christmas story. Pocahontas' character looks great for the most part, and a lot of her noble and kind character is preserved. Plus, we really see Ratcliffe's even uglier side during this movie -- he was VERY sinister in this one, taunting Pocahontas personally about not being true to John Smith and then taking advantage of her love and respect for animals in the bear baiting scene. However..I did have some problems with the development of the story and character inconsistancies, for which I have composed a list for your viewing pleasure(or displeasure, whatever the case may be).

Problem #1 Pocahontas easily abandons her mother's necklace for the bauble John Rolfe gives her.
Why does this bug me? I felt that Pocahontas harbored too much sentimental value for her departed mother's wedding necklace to just cast it aside and proclaim "It doesn't belong here," so she can wear the expensive present of a man she hardly seems to know!

Problem #2 John Rolfe's character is rather two dimensional.
How so? We hardly get to meet the man and already he is in on all the action. We get very slight, sketchy indications of his character which really seem more like formalities of a typical English diplomat. He seems very flat,character wise, against Pocahontas' personality. I suppose one could argue that he is a bit snobby at first, which is clearly expressed in the beginning...but when this barrier between him and Poca disappears and his nice character is supposed to be shining through, it is unclear how it has evaporated and just what sort of real person he is underneath the high class attitude. This ties in with a couple of my other complaints....

Problem #3 John Smith's character is a sorry misrepresentation of him!
How so? In the sequel, Smith is NOT the intelligent, brave captain we all know and love from the first movie. Instead, he is an airhead who enjoys putting John Rolfe to shame -- by using flashier moves to defeat their enemies and spouting corny jokes. Also, he seems to have lost complete understanding of his love, Pocahontas, which we see when he questions Pocahontas' desire to talk to the king even after he jailed her by saying "You can't do that!! You're crazy!!!" I suspect that this change in him was supposed to make John Rolfe appear to be the most suitable choice for Pocahontas.

Problem #4 Pocahontas chooses John Rolfe!
Why? John Smith and Pocahontas share a deeply loving past while John Rolfe and Pocahontas' relationship seems to be barely explored in the movie. Also, Smith and Pocahontas seem to be more suited for one another! Especially since Rolfe's character seems rather vague, as I said before. As a BIG supporter of John Smith, I was very disappointed that she didn't choose him! Maybe Disney did this because the real life Pocahontas married John Rolfe, but I don't see why they just don't stick with the fantasy Pocahontas they have created! After all, there was not one other grain of truth to the sequel other than Pocahontas chooses Rolfe, so why not make her choose the original (and better) man! Problem #5 Pocahontas does not seem to be excited about John Smith's proposal of adventurous sailing.
Why does this bug me? I thought Pocahontas' character was supposed to be adventurous!! I seem to recall that she liked jumping off waterfalls and taking the path least chosen....

Problem #6 Rolfe's and Pocahontas' relationship is barely explored.
How so?It seemed like their love was very premature...since we didn't see very much "bonding" between them! With John Smith and Pocahontas we see the building of their friendship into love, but with John Rolfe and Pocahontas it felt like as soon as they got to England, they were close! I realize that they probably developed a friendship during the time on the ship, but time on the ship isn't shown hardly at all so this isn't communicated to the viewer very well. We see a little bonding when the two practice dancing as Pocahontas is learning to be "civilized" in the English terms...but again, they don't show a lot of this, which is a shame, because that particular part of the story had A LOT of possibilities and opportunities for Rolfe and Pocahontas to bond!

Well, those are the problems I found in the movie, but again, all this is just my opinion! I still like it, as I said before; Pocahontas 2 Journey to a New World still has its merits, I believe, despite these faults! You may feel complete differently though..or maybe you agree wholeheartedly, I don't know! If you would like to share what you thought about the movie, click here and I will post it ASAP. 8:o)

Other Viewers' Opinions

There are very few things I like about this movie.  I don't like the animation at all, though in some parts it is good.  John Smith is nothing like his origional character, but I'm sure the writers did this to make Rolfe look better.  Pocahontas and Rolfe aren't a good couple, like Smith and Pocahontas were.  They don't look right together, and their relationship wasn't developed at all.  It just sort of popped at the end.  Most of all, I wish Smith and Pocahontas had ended up together.-Amy

Now don't get me wrong.  I adored Pocahontas when it came out in 1995 and I still spend June 23 in an atmosphere of hushed reverence.  I lost my heart all over again in the first five minutes of Pocahontas II: JTNW.  I loved the way John Smith handled himself.  I think Donal Gibson was a perfect choice, such a detail actor that you can even hear John breathing hard after his fall from the roof.  I loved what they did in the beginning with Pocahontas, filled her personality out, made her laugh, made her cry. Nakoma and her husband were a wonderful addition (am I the only one that thinks Nakoma had a crush on Kocoum in the first film?).  I even liked Rolfe, stiff and starched collared as he was but in a likable way.  Of course as soon as I heard Rolfe was going to be included, my heart dropped into my knees.  After all that screaming about historical inaccuracy (it's a story about a legend, for pete's sake!  Get over it), I was sure I knew where this one was going.  But even so, I was ready to enjoy the straight-to-video though there was more than a little trepidation about whether it would be worthy of the Pocahontas title.  And it was.  For the most part.  Except as soon as Pocahontas hits London the animation starts to slid and by the end its so bad its painful to watch.  And John Smith was John Smith.  For the most part.  But I feel cheated by the way they treated him.  Here he is, man of action, and he's the one counseling Pocahontas to sit back and do nothing.  He, out of everyone, knows what she can do when she puts her mind to it.  And the script had little one liners like "look at you!" (excuse me?  Rolfe was the one trying to make her look English. John Smith is the one who loved her because she wasn't) and  "tell her she's crazy" (John?  "Dive into the sea after Thomas" John?  Calling someone else crazy?).  That's not John, doesn't sound anything like what he'd say.  And his animation was the worst of all of them.  So, in order for Rolfe to get the girl, we have to not only make John much more shallow than he is but we've got to draw him poorly too so he doesn't outshine Rolfe when they stand next to each other.  When Rolfe gets the girl at the end, there's no cheer.  I mean, with the deck so rigged, what else are we expecting?  If Rolfe had held his own against John I wouldn't have minded but he doesn't and the last five minutes of the movie leave me feeling vaguely restless and empty inside.  Especially when I go back and watch the original movie and see the way John Smith and Pocahontas are together. That's an "always - forever" kind of love.  Not a "gee, well, I hope you find happiness".  In praise of the movie:  I loved the humor.  I loved the animals,  I loved Uti.  I loved the music (for the most part), particularly the instrumentals at emotional moments.  I loved all the action and the sense of drama and suspense.  I was more than happy to go along with it and pretend that "golly no, I can't guess who that cloaked figure is" because it made such a good story.  When John came over Rolfe's wall I cheered along with everyone else.  Finally, the hero had arrived.  I loved the sailor who complained about swabbing the deck.  Laughed myself silly when Flit settled next to the carriage driver and they exchange that look.  So yes, I enjoy the movie.  Until those last few scenes.  And then I get that off taste in my mouth. Was I expecting too much?  Maybe, but I don't think so.  The story line was great until that last point.  They even found someone to do the voice of John Smith that didn't make my skin crawl the way the genie in the second Aladdin did. The camera work was original and very dramatic.  And, at least for the first half, the animation was above what I would have hoped for.  But for all the good work, those last rotten apples spoil the barrel for me and leave me hollow.  This little jaunt into movie reviews is just my way of dealing with the frustration. Too picky?  If it were any other movie I might agree.  But this is Pocahontas.  She deserves the very best.  More, I expect it from her. -- Jen South


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