Pocohontas (1995)

Exquisitely drawn, politically correct, blah blah blah, Disney's 33rd  
full-length animated feature is the second guaranteed hit of the summer. 
And, frankly, it's a bore.  The tunes, by composer Alan Menken and  
lyricist Stephen Schwartz, are only OK.  The pop ballads may cover  
familiar territory, but the show-stoppers (the songs "Mine, Mine, Mine"  
and "Savages") can't hold a candle to the likes of "Be Our Guest," or  
"Friend Like Me."  
 
The villain-- a greedy Governor anxious to claim the New World's gold--  
isn't very strong, either.  He's a pompous ass, too generic to be either
menacing or memorable.  The rest of the film is cute enough.  Pocahontas
and John Smith have a surprisingly strong chemistry, even though their 
roles are written straight.  Comic relief comes in the form of a raccoon
and a hummingbird. They help break up the poker faces, and, unlike Mel 
Gibson, they do not attempt to sing.  The Indians are all too serious, 
though. POCAHONTAS is movie that needs more than just, ahem, wooden 
Indians to carry it through. 
 
Grade: C+ 
 
Copyright 1995 by Michael J. Legeros

Originally posted to triangle.movies