Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (August 25, 1998)

This is the direct-to-video sequel to Pocahontas and it more closely follows the historical figure. Pocahontas travels to London to attempt to broker peace between her people and the English. In this film John Ratcliffe frames John Smith as a traitor in an excuse to start a war with the native American tribes in Virginia (conveniently leaving out his involvement in causing tensions during the first film). King James, for his part, sends the young diplomate, John Rolfe to bring chief Powhattan to England for negotiations. Powhattan refuses and so Pocahontas goes in his stead. John Rolfe and Pocahontas, after a rocky start, gradually fall in love with each other. They are able to stop John Ratcliffe’s plot, with the help of John Smith, and John and Pocahontas sail back to Jamestown to live together. The movie omits her death- she actually dies in England never returning to her homeland. The plot is bland and predictable. John Rolfe is far less compelling and the London setting, while historically accurate, lacks the mystic and wild beauty of the Virginia woodlands. The animation is par for the course for these direct-to-video sequels, though it is better than most. Overall, I do not think there was any need, besides greed, for Journey to a New World to have been made. It does not add anything of value to the original film and it ends up being a monotonous and by the number’s affair, lacking any passion or heart.

Final Rating: 2/10