Quite good actually

Rating: Null/10 (25 October 2010)

Pocahontas and the Lion King were on the drawing board at the same time. The studio did not have much faith in the Lion King to start with. The idea of a Shakespearian tragedy in the Animal Kingdom, may have sounded too pretentious, whereas a beautiful tale which dapples in American history sounded far more enriching. Needless to say the public thought otherwise.
Pocahontas was actually the last of the 20th century Disney animated features which I saw. I first viewed it five years ago. Had I seen it when I was six or seven (as I did with most of the others) I probably would have fallen asleep in five minutes. The movie's biggest weakness (and the only one I can think of) is that its effectiveness as a family feature is middling. There is a sense of mysticism and sophistication to it which may be beyond children's ability to appreciate. It is more mature than juvanaille There are no talking animals here. Instead we are offered a talking thousand year old tree, which is absolutely beautiful and further enriched by Linda Hunt's voice, but to a kid, it is more likely to come across as a wrinkly and off putting. Something else which Pocahontas sells is environmentalism, which is also beyond young children's reach. Each generation changes but I think the minimum age for Pocahontas is nine or ten.
Quite frankly, I really liked it. Even though it follows a few schema like the good guy, bad guy, this motion picture seemed quite authentic. It is not afraid to get its hands a bit dirty for better emotional quality, Pocahontas at times can be quite violent. There is arguably more gun play here than in any other Disney animated feature. The musicasl numbers are not exactly sing along tunes, they feel more like songs, pieces of art, rich and warming, (sometimes a bit preachy) but effective.
The romance between Captain John Smith and Pocahontas felt equally heart warming, just as much so as Beauty and the Beast. Of course it reeks of historical inaccuracy, when you know that the real Pocahontas was ten when she met Smith. Literally, she is not a princess, but she has still earned her place in the Disney princess arsenal. Of all the names in that arsenal (Cinderalla, Snow White, Jasmine, The Little Mermaid) Pocahontas is the strongest and most like a woman (as opposed to a girl). If all the Disney princesses were to race, she would win by a landslide, while most on the other contestants would trip over their gowns.
The films comedic value also differs from many of its contemporaries. It feels more quirky than goofy/humorous. If you should ever have a hummingbird flying at your face at 100 miles an hour, just hold up a biscuit for a shield. Seeing as young children prefer the latter, this too contributes to the unfortunate lack of praise for Pocahontas. It is not regarded as one of the great Disneys, but it's still a fine watch. It certainly moved me.