Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World

**Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World** is a 1998 film directed by Tom Ellery and Bradley Raymond. It is the first sequel to the 1995 film Pocahontas and was released on August 25, 1998.

## Plot

In London, John Smith is ambushed by a group of soldiers with a warrant for his arrest and presumed dead in the ensuing confrontation; Governor Ratcliffe has lied to King James (being a personal friend of the King) and framed Smith as the traitor from the first film in a plot to declare war against the Powhatan Nation and get hold of the gold he still believes them to possess, all while avoiding punishment for his own crimes. In order to prevent war, the King sends a young diplomat, John Rolfe, to bring Chief Powhatan to England for negotiations. In the New World, Pocahontas, Powhatan's daughter, mourns John Smith's death but is eventually able to move on. John Rolfe soon arrives, greeted by English civilians (who by now have settled in Jamestown) and a curious Pocahontas. Rolfe eventually speaks with Powhatan, but he refuses to accompany him to England, so Pocahontas goes in her father's stead, believing that she can bring about peace between the two nations. Powhatan sends a bodyguard, Uttamatomakkin (Uti) to accompany Pocahontas. Rolfe and Pocahontas have a rocky start, but gradually warm up to each other.

In England, Rolfe leaves Pocahontas at his mansion and meets with King James and Queen Anne, but James refuses to meet with Pocahontas despite Rolfe's pleas. Instead, per Ratcliffe's suggestion, James invites both Rolfe and Pocahontas to an upcoming ball and promises that if Pocahontas impresses him by acting "civilised", he will prevent the armada from sailing to Jamestown, but if she does not, he will declare war. Knowing that Ratcliffe deliberately manipulated the King, Rolfe and his maid, Mrs. Jenkins, educate Pocahontas in the ways of British etiquette to prepare her. At the ball, Pocahontas wins over the King and Queen with flattery and almost manages to prevent war, but a bearbaiting arranged by Ratcliffe and greatly enjoyed by the snobbish nobility infuriates Pocahontas and she openly accuses the King of savage behaviour. With Ratcliffe whispering in his ear, James angrily orders Pocahontas and Uti imprisoned in the Tower of London and declares war on the Powhatan tribe.

At his home, a despondent Rolfe is approached by a hooded stranger who helps him break Pocahontas and Uti out of the tower and take them to an inn, where the man reveals himself to be John Smith. Smith implores Pocahontas to stay hidden with him, but she instead takes Rolfe's advice and decides to try and stop the war one last time. She openly confronts the King in the palace and reveals Smith, thus proving that Ratcliffe had been lying the entire time. Realizing Ratcliffe's treachery, James sends a battalion (among them Pocahontas, Smith, Rolfe, Uti, and their animal friends) to stop the armada and detain Ratcliffe. They are successful in stopping the ships before they can set sail, but Ratcliffe refuses to give up and tries to kill Pocahontas. Smith appears and fights Ratcliffe one-on-one until Ratcliffe draws a gun, but before he can fire, Rolfe hits him overboard with the ship's mast. Ratcliffe makes it back to the port, where he is arrested by the King.

Smith receives a royal pardon and his own ship from the King as a sign of apology. Pocahontas and Rolfe, meanwhile, appear on the verge of admitting that they love each other. Before they can, Smith appears and implores Pocahontas to accompany him on his new journeys around the world, but Pocahontas chooses otherwise and she and Smith part ways as friends. As Pocahontas later prepares to return to Jamestown, she finds Rolfe waiting for her on the ship, having chosen to go and live with her in Jamestown (with Uti remaining in London in his stead). They kiss as the ship sails into the sunset.

## Cast and Characters

* Irene Bedard as Pocahontas
* Billy Zane as John Rolfe
* Donal Gibson as John Smith
* David Ogden Stiers as Governor Ratcliffe
* John Kassir as Meeko
* Russell Means as Chief Powhatan
* Frank Welker as Flit
* Linda Hunt as Grandmother Willow
* Danny Mann as Percy
* Michelle St. John as Nakoma
* Jim Cummings as King James
* Finola Hughes as Queen Anne
* Jean Stapleton as Mrs. Jenkins
* Brad Garrett as Uttamatomakkin

## Music

The soundtrack of the movie was released on November 23, 2009, from the Walt Disney Records.

All tracks are written by Marty Panzer and Larry Grossman.

## Production

Production took two years and occurred in the United States, Japan, and Canada.

## Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 29% based on 7 reviews and an average rating of 4.4/10. Joe Leydon of Variety called it "too bland and formulaic" for adults but said that children will likely enjoy it. TV Guide rated the film 2out of 5 stars. The reviewer called it "fairly well made" but said it "suffers from the usual defects of an uncompelling plot and weak songs". At Entertainment Weekly, Michael Sauter rated it C+ and called it "standard yet pleasing fare for the preschool set".