What a world of difference! Excellent! Disney finally gets it right!!

Rating: 9/10 (15 October 2008)

I just got this 10th anniversary edition today and I LOVE it! The additional scene with the beautiful love song "If I Never Knew You" brings the movie all together and it makes much more sense with the scene. For years I had heard that there was a 'missing scene' in this movie, and I remember thinking how the original scene in the teepee between Pocahantas and John Smith seemed so abruptly cut short and terribly truncated. About 5 years ago on ABC, The Wonderful World of Disney showed Pocahantas with this 'deleted scene', but it was not complete. At the time it featured 'live' animation of the view of the hole through the top of the teepee, and stills with voice-overs from Mel Gibson and Irene Bedard. The big deal at the time was that it featured Mel Gibson singing, and I remember seeing an interview with Mel at the time saying (sic) "I got to sing a love song but they cut the scene!" But the funny thing is that I could swear that I read that this scene was complete at the time the original was released, but cut just before the release. (Anyone know about this?) I guess it doesn't matter now because the Disney Co. finally restored this very touching and beautiful song to this anniversary version, and it makes the story so much more real and compelling. There is also a reprise of the couple singing the song just before the end and it is the icing on the cake. I'm not always pleased with Disney DVD releases, but this one they got right! Also, they had the sense to release it in the widescreen ratio so you get to see the whole, beautiful product in all of its glory! (They should do this with all their releases!--How about a widescreen special edition of MoonSpinners? Hint-Hint!) Also, you can watch the original theatrical release on this DVD, but I don't know why you'd want to! P.S. Mel sings beautifully!