Pocahontas

Rating: 10/10 (16 September 2010)

Every family has a black sheep. You know, the one who never really fit in and always gets criticized. And the "Disney Animated Classics" canon is no exception. The black sheep in this family? Pocahontas.
Not because it wasn't profitable (there have been far less successful Disney classics) or accomplished enough. So, the real reason? The Lion King. No film could have been a worthy follow-up to "The Lion King" Disney was on a roll between "The Little Mermaid" and "The Lion King", and it was inevitable that the next film would be a "let-down" because it doesn't get any bigger than "Lion King". So Pocahontas had to be scrutinized on how it compared to its predecessor's box-office gross, soundtrack sales, video revenues and what not. All that, instead of being appreciated for what it is: a NEW movie. A DIFFERENT direction. A DIFFERENT style.
The film is a majestic piece of work, despite its flaws. It has a stylized artwork reminiscent of "Sleeping Beauty". The drawing is very angular and the mostly turquoise backgrounds are imbued by the characters' warm look. The music is good, especially "Colors of the Wind" and "Mine, Mine, Mine". It's not as memorable as in the Menken/Ashman movies but it's still beautiful.
The film's main flaw is in its storyline. Disney should have used the idea of an Indian princess falling in love with an English settler without naming them Pocahontas and John Smith and claiming it to be "based on true events".
Aside from that, it should be enjoyed for what it is. It deserves more than a 6.0 rating. Maybe with time, people would realize its true beauty and learn to love it.