Has its ups and downs

Rating: 7/10 (3 January 2020)

When Pocahontas was first released, the Disney Renaissance of the 90's came to a crashing halt. Many people were outraged and now, with adult eyes, I understand why. When you compare a film like this to the previous Disney films like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King, it's a huge letdown, not to mention very rushed, with a running time of only 81 minutes. It's a letdown mainly because of the story-telling. I'd like to believe that this movie is based on the myth of Pocahontas, not the actual history. But sometimes, I doubt that that was the case. There are plot points in the film that are insulting to both people's intelligence and history. Two of the most notable are that Pocahontas had a talking tree as a mentor (really?) and that she could instantly learn the English Language just by "listening with her heart". But enough about the bad things. Let's talk about the good things: the original score. Oh my god, this is Alan Menken at his absolute best. The moment when Pocahontas and John Smith first meet at the waterfall, or when they bid farewell to each other towards the end, the music in those scenes alone make the whole movie beautiful. And the visuals. Next to Fantasia, this movie has the best use of color in any Disney film I've ever seen. This movie was a prominent film in my childhood, but due to the rather dull story-telling and use of history and rushed pace, I'm only giving it a 7/10.