To all the Pocahontas lovers, it is probably for the best that you do NOT view this movie. It is not terrible, and to some degree it is a nice extention of the story, but ONLY to some degree. As a whole I'd call it mediocre.
Pocahontas 2 lacks a sense of maturity which is part of what made the first so good. The humour here is a little stronger, but you get the feeling that the filmmakers may be trying to hard to appeal to the smallest ones in the family. There are more kiddie laughs than there are decent lines of dialogue.
I found Some scenes to be better than others. Pocahontas 2 doesn't get off to such a bad start but it has a poor finale which is the result of the very bold move. Pocahontas never ended up with John Smith (for those who don't know) She married John Rolph, an adviser to the king, who would become a plantation owner upon his return to the new world. In an attempt to bring he and Pocahontas together, the character of John Smith gets a major mistreatment. This is not the same person who we loved and/or admired from ten years earlier. Here he seems brash, brain-dead underwritten and unappealing, sort of like he was before he met Pocahontas. Rolphe meanwhile is given all the better qualities.
The three or four song numbers in the film, feel rather like rehashing of previous Disney works. One number is accompanied by a sequence which pilfers too much design from the opening number of Beauty and the Beast. Pocahontas doesn't sing as well in this movie, probably as the result of a new vocalist.
The movies only effectiveness goes as far as having a few laughs, and for a while being able to provide something new, but when it's over it feels a little to cheap to recommend. If you absolutely have to see it, go ahead, but you won't like it that much.
Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World
1998
Action / Adventure / Animation / Drama / Family / Musical / Romance
Pocahontas 2: Journey to a New World
1998
Action / Adventure / Animation / Drama / Family / Musical / Romance
Plot summary
When news of John Smith's death reaches America, Pocahontas is devastated. She sets off to London with John Rolfe, to meet with the King of England on a diplomatic mission: to create peace and respect between the two great lands. However, Governor Ratcliffe is still around; he wants to return to Jamestown and take over. He will stop at nothing to discredit the young princess.
Uploaded by: OTTO
December 19, 2012 at 02:53 PM
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View with caution or don't view at all
It's okay
Very, very loosely based on the real-life Pocahontas' journey to England in 1616, this film isn't as bad as other reviews make it out to be. The animation seems to be on par with other Disney direct-to-video sequels. The songs aren't as good as in the original film, but they aren't terrible either. Granted, the story itself is rushed and takes massive liberties with history. But it isn't awful by any stretch of the imagination.
In short, this isn't a bad movie. Its not a great one, but it isn't that bad. I've certainly seen much, much worse. The kids will probably enjoy it well enough if they liked the original.
Why did Disney ruin my look on the characters?
I recently watched the original Pocohontas after such a long time and was so inspired by the original, that I told myself I would watch the second. I watched Pocohontas 2 and was thoroughly thoroughly disappointed. I felt that the first half of the movie had barely any story and revolved around the hummingbird, the raccoon and the dog. The second half of the movie contained the whole plot and was squeezed so that it seemed like a rush. The plot and the emphasis on the animals was not the worst. The worst was the depiction of John Smith. In the first movie, he transformed from a selfish and action chasing man to a kind and selfless man (evident by him giving his life to save the chief). The movie turned him completely into a selfish man only worried about himself and one who didn't seem in love with the woman that he should of been. Please do not watch this movie. My idea of John Smith is completely obscured and I have been thoroughly disappointed.