Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World Reviews

Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World review

Posted : 2 years, 1 month ago on 24 March 2022 08:16

Do bear in mind that this is a sequel to one of the weaker Disney movies of the 90s. Don't get me wrong, its predecessor is a very good movie, that was compensated by beautiful songs and gorgeous animation, but let down by weak secondary character development. It is a direct to video sequel, and it wasn't as good as the original, and I honestly wasn't expecting it to be. Also the very poignant ending of the first film was suggestive of a sequel. The sequel is definitely blander, I thought Uti was unnecessary, the dialogue was awful mostly and the editing could've been better. The animation isn't as stunning as the original, but my advice to all of you is to watch it with low expectations,as there is a beautiful ballroom scene, even if the rest of the rest of the film lacks detail and precision. The songs are not as spectacular as the original, but they aren't horrible, I loved the one over the end credits, and where do I go from here. It was a huge advantage having Judy Kuhn back on board, as she did a fantastic job with Pocahontas's singing voice. Billy Zane is a good singer, can't say the same for his acting. The plot wasn't that original, but it was attempting to stay close to the legend. There was a bit of humour, but not much, and I liked the fact that Ratcliffe was more villainous, and that they kept Pocahontas the same, apart from some rather ludicrous dialogue. I also think, it was a wise move replacing Mel Gibson. I didn't really like the ending that much though, it ruined the love story of the first film. All in all, fairly watchable, but watch with low expectations. 6.5/10 Bethany Cox

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Pocahontas II: Journey to the New World

Posted : 5 years, 3 months ago on 14 January 2019 03:01

Jesus Christ Disney… look, you guys played fast and loose with historical facts bad enough in the first one, but this is especially egregious. Watching these two films back-to-back is a textbook example of colonialism rewriting the historical narrative from the point-of-view of the “winners.” Guys, Pocahontas’ story isn’t some magical love story about a plucky native girl and a stiff upper-lipped British dude.

The darnedest thing is, overall, I enjoyed this film better than its predecessor. That really isn’t saying much as I believe the original film to be one of the worst features from the studio. Why is this, you ask? Well, the original film was the studio tasting Oscar nomination glory from Beauty and the Beast and deciding they were going to make a Very Serious Work that would finally nab them the golden statue for a major category. The original film is turgid, self-important, riddled with every cliché in the book, and sidesteps historical tragedy for Americana folklore, or a nearly fairy tale-lite approach to the material. In short, it’s a tedious “prestige” film that’s nowhere near as deep, good, or important as it thinks it is.

This sequel though? It’s a hallucinogenic trip through Disney approved history in which racial strife can be soothed with a musical number, Pocahontas somehow inspired Shakespeare to write “to be or not to be,” and Jean Stapleton voices a housekeeper with incredibly poor eyesight that functions as a reoccurring gag. Hell, by the time she ends up adopting a bear and Pocahontas’ bodyguard while her boss, John Rolfe, runs off with Pocahontas for “happily ever after,” I was just resigned to the funhouse mirror version of events.

None of this makes Journey to the New World any good, and nothing probably could. No, not even the better than average animation that puts other direct-to-video sequels to shame. (I’m looking at you Return of Jafar!) The best thing this one has going for it is an unintentionally farcical tone in contrast to the Very Important Movie and Message of the first. But dear god, please stay away from historical figures from now on Disney, especially ones of color who died tragically due to racist attitudes and policies.

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