Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World

Last updated

Pocahontas II:
Journey to a New World
PIIJTANW.jpg
DVD cover
Directed by
Written by
Produced byLeslie Hough
Starring
Music by Lennie Niehaus
Production
companies
Distributed by Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Release date
  • August 25, 1998 (1998-08-25)
Running time
72 minutes [1]
CountriesUnited States
Canada
Australia [1]
LanguageEnglish

Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World is a 1998 American direct-to-video animated musical adventure film and the sequel to the 1995 Disney film Pocahontas . While the first film dealt with her meeting with John Smith and the arrival of the British settlers in Jamestown, the sequel focuses on Pocahontas's journey to England with John Rolfe to negotiate for peace between the two nations, although her death is omitted from the film's ending.

Contents

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 bear-baiting 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.

Voice cast

Production

Production took two years and occurred in the United States, Japan, and Canada. [2]

Home media

The film was originally released on VHS as part of the Walt Disney Home Video collection. Two years later, it was re-released on VHS, as well as on DVD, on September 5, 2000 as part of the Walt Disney Gold Classic Collection.

On August 21, 2012, the film was released as part of a 2-Movie Collection with its prequel, Pocahontas, in both DVD and Blu-ray formats. Then on February 28, 2017, the film was re-released as part of a 2-Movie Collection with its prequel in a Blu-ray / Digital HD combo.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 29% based on 7 reviews and an average rating of 4.4/10. [3] Joe Leydon of Variety called it "too bland and formulaic" for adults but said that children will likely enjoy it. [4] TV Guide rated the film 2/5 stars. The reviewer called it "fairly well made" but said it "suffers from the usual defects of an uncompelling plot and weak songs". [5] At Entertainment Weekly , Michael Sauter rated it C+ and called it "standard yet pleasing fare for the preschool set". [6]

Music

The soundtrack of the movie was released on November 23, 2009, from the Walt Disney Records. [7]

All tracks are written by Marty Panzer and Larry Grossman

No.TitlePerformer(s)Length
1."Where Do I Go From Here?" Judy Kuhn  
2."What a Day in London" Judy Kuhn  
3."Wait 'Till He Sees You" Jean Stapleton & Billy Zane  
4."Things Are Not What They Appear" David Ogden Stiers  
5."Between Two Worlds" Judy Kuhn & Billy Zane  

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Smith (explorer)</span> English soldier, explorer, writer (1580–1631)

John Smith was an English soldier, slave, explorer, colonial governor, admiral of New England, and author. He played an important role in the establishment of the colony at Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in North America, in the early 17th century. He was a leader of the Virginia Colony between September 1608 and August 1609, and he led an exploration along the rivers of Virginia and the Chesapeake Bay, during which he became the first English explorer to map the Chesapeake Bay area. Later, he explored and mapped the coast of New England. He was knighted for his services to Sigismund Báthory, Prince of Transylvania, and his friend Mózes Székely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pocahontas</span> Native American woman (c. 1596 – 1617)

Pocahontas was a Native American woman belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of Powhatan, the paramount chief of a network of tributary tribes in the Tsenacommacah, encompassing the Tidewater region of what is today the U.S. state of Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Rolfe</span> English-born explorer, farmer, and merchant

John Rolfe was an English explorer, farmer and merchant. He is best known for being the husband of Pocahontas and the first settler in the colony of Virginia to successfully cultivate a tobacco crop for export.

<i>Pocahontas</i> (1995 film) 1995 animated film by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg

Pocahontas is a 1995 American animated musical historical drama film based on the life of Powhatan woman Pocahontas and the arrival of English colonial settlers from the Virginia Company. The film romanticizes Pocahontas's encounter with John Smith and her legendary saving of his life. It was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powhatan</span> Indigenous Algonquian tribes from Virginia, U.S.

The Powhatan people (;) are Native Americans who belong to member tribes of the Powhatan Confederacy, or Tsenacommacah. They are Algonquian peoples whose historic territories were in eastern Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opechancanough</span> Powhatan Confederacy chief

Opechancanough was paramount chief of the Powhatan Confederacy in present-day Virginia from 1618 until his death. He had been a leader in the confederacy formed by his older brother Powhatan, from whom he inherited the paramountcy.

Sir Samuel Argall was an English adventurer and naval officer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christopher Newport</span> English seaman, privateer (1561–1617)

Christopher Newport (1561–1617) was an English seaman and privateer. He is best known as the captain of the Susan Constant, the largest of three ships which carried settlers for the Virginia Company in 1607 on the way to found the settlement at Jamestown in the Virginia Colony, which became the first permanent English settlement in North America. He was also in overall command of the other two ships on that initial voyage, in order of their size, the Godspeed and the Discovery.

<i>The New World</i> (2005 film) 2005 film by Terrence Malick

The New World is a 2005 historical romantic drama film written and directed by Terrence Malick, depicting the founding of the Jamestown, Virginia, settlement and inspired by the historical figures Captain John Smith, Pocahontas of the Powhatan tribe, and Englishman John Rolfe. It is the fourth feature film written and directed by Malick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Powhatan (Native American leader)</span> Leader of the Powhatan

Powhatan, whose proper name was Wahunsenacawh, was the leader of the Powhatan, an alliance of Algonquian-speaking Native Americans living in Tsenacommacah, in the Tidewater region of Virginia at the time when English settlers landed at Jamestown in 1607.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henricus</span> Archaeological site in Virginia, United States

The "Citie of Henricus"—also known as Henricopolis, Henrico Town or Henrico—was a settlement in Virginia founded by Sir Thomas Dale in 1611 as an alternative to the swampy and dangerous area around the original English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. It was named for Henry, Prince of Wales (1594–1612), the eldest son of King James I.

John Ratcliffe was an early Jamestown colonist, mariner and captain of Discovery, the smallest of three ships that sailed from the Kingdom of England on 19 December 1606, to English-claimed Virginia to found a colony, arriving 26 April 1607. He later became the second president of the colony of Jamestown. He was killed by the Pamunkey Native Americans in late 1609.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tomocomo</span> Indigenous American holy man

Uttamatomakkin was a Powhatan holy man who accompanied Pocahontas when she was taken to London in 1616.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anglo-Powhatan Wars</span> 17th-century conflicts between Virginia colonists and Algonquian Indians

The Anglo–Powhatan Wars were three wars fought between settlers of the Colony of Virginia and the Powhatan People of Tsenacommacah in the early 17th century. The first war started in 1609 and ended in a peace settlement in 1614. The second war lasted from 1622 to 1632. The third war lasted from 1644 until 1646 and ended when Opechancanough was captured and killed. That war resulted in a defined boundary between the Indians and colonial lands that could only be crossed for official business with a special pass. This situation lasted until 1677 and the Treaty of Middle Plantation which established Indian reservations following Bacon's Rebellion.

The Starving Time at Jamestown in the Colony of Virginia was a period of starvation during the winter of 1609–1610. There were about 500 Jamestown residents at the beginning of the winter; by spring only 61 people remained alive.

Pocahontas is the titular character of Walt Disney Animation Studios' 1995 film Pocahontas, and the seventh addition to the Disney Princess franchise.

<i>Pocahontas: The Legend</i> 1995 Canadian film

Pocahontas: The Legend is a 1995 Canadian drama film that fictionalizes the young life of the historical figure of Chief Powhatan's daughter Pocahontas and her relationship with Captain John Smith. This film, preceding Disney's animation version, was directed by Danièle J. Suissa and stars Sandrine Holt as the titular heroine. It was entirely shot around Toronto and Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario, Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Jamestown, Virginia (1607–1699)</span>

Jamestown, also Jamestowne, was the first settlement of the Virginia Colony, founded in 1607, and served as the capital of Virginia until 1699, when the seat of government was moved to Williamsburg. This article covers the history of the fort and town at Jamestown proper, as well as colony-wide trends resulting from and affecting the town during the time period in which it was the colonial capital of Virginia.

<i>Captain John Smith and Pocahontas</i> 1953 film by Lew Landers

Captain John Smith and Pocahontas is a 1953 American historical western film directed by Lew Landers. The distributor was United Artists. It stars Anthony Dexter, Jody Lawrance and Alan Hale.

Pocahontas is a Disney media franchise that commenced in 1995 with the theatrical release of Pocahontas. The franchise is based on the real-life early 17th-century indigenous woman, Pocahontas.

References

  1. 1 2 "Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998)". Allmovie . Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  2. King, Susan (August 20, 1998). "Pocahontas, Re-Revisited". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  3. "Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved April 10, 2018.
  4. Leydon, Joe (August 31, 1998). "Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World". Variety . Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  5. "Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World". TV Guide . Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  6. Sauter, Michael (August 21, 1998). "Video Review: 'Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World'". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved May 18, 2020.
  7. "Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World". Amazon. Retrieved April 10, 2016.