POCAHONTAS

"POCAHONTAS"
(1995) (Disney Animated Feature) (G)

Alcohol/ Drugs	Blood/Gore	Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude	Frightening/ Tense Scenes	Guns/ Weapons
Minor	None	Mild	Mild	Moderate

Imitative Behavior	Jump Scenes	Music (Scary/Tense)	Music (Inappropriate)	Profanity
Minor	None	Mild	None	None

Sex/ Nudity	Smoking	Tense Family Scenes	Topics To Talk About	Violence
None	None	Minor	Mild	Mild

QUICK TAKE:: Children’s Animated: An English explorer and a Native American come together to prevent a war between their people.

PLOT:: Disney’s account of the exploration of the new world begins when an expedition sets out for Virginia. It is led by Governor Ratcliffe (voice of DAVID OGDEN STIERS), who is looking to make it rich by striking gold, and John Smith (voice of MEL GIBSON) who is looking for adventure. Upon landing and setting up camp in Virginia, Smith sets out to look for "savages" and meets Pocahontas (voice of IRENE BEDARD) the daughter of Chief Powhatan (voice of RUSSELL MEANS). After their initial awkward encounter, they become friends. Their respective people, on the other hand, prepare for war. The explorers see the Native Americans as savages who in turn see the explorers as white-faced devils. From then on, it’s up to Smith and Pocahontas to prevent the war.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: G: For not containing material to warrant a higher rating.

CAST AS ROLE MODELS:: JOHN SMITH is the adventurous point man for the expedition, a man who is good at heart.
POCAHONTAS is an adventurous young woman who wants to follow her own path instead of tradition.
RATCLIFFE is the greedy governor who thinks everybody and everything is trying to prevent him from acquiring his gold.
POWHATAN is the leader of the Native Americans and is a wise man who believes he’s pushed to point where fighting is the only answer.; POCAHONTAS is an adventurous young woman who wants to follow her own path instead of tradition.
RATCLIFFE is the greedy governor who thinks everybody and everything is trying to prevent him from acquiring his gold.
POWHATAN is the leader of the Native Americans and is a wise man who believes he’s pushed to point where fighting is the only answer.; RATCLIFFE is the greedy governor who thinks everybody and everything is trying to prevent him from acquiring his gold.
POWHATAN is the leader of the Native Americans and is a wise man who believes he’s pushed to point where fighting is the only answer.; POWHATAN is the leader of the Native Americans and is a wise man who believes he’s pushed to point where fighting is the only answer.

CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE

ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE: A few sailors drink what may be some form of alcohol that erupts from a barrel on their ship.
Ratcliffe drinks a glass of wine.

DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE: Both the English explorers and the Native Americans are ignorant of the other ("blood thirsty savages," "white faced devils," etc...), and thus believe that the other is evil and must be destroyed.
Ratcliffe is disrespectful of his men, stating that he’ll use the "witless peasants" to dig up his gold.
Ratcliffe tells a young solider, "A man is not a man unless he knows how to shoot."

FRIGHTENING/TENSE SCENES: The explorers’ ship encounters a storm at sea and there is much lightning, huge waves, people being swept overboard, and dramatic music. Smith rescues a man who’s fallen overboard and nearly drowns along with the man.
The Native American medicine man conjures up a vision of the "visitors" which includes lightning, thunder, and ghostly apparitions of the explorers as well as menacing wolves.
Smith and an Indian fight, with Smith nearly being cut by a knife. A soldier then comes along and shoots the Indian dead.

GUNS/WEAPONS: Rifles, pistols, long swords, spears: Carried by the explorers and not used except as noted below.
Tomahawks, bows and arrows, spears: Carried by the Native Americans and not used except as noted below.
Knife: Pulled out by Smith when a friendly racoon unexpectedly bumps into him. He quickly puts it away.
Pistol: Fired into the air by Ratcliffe as the men begin digging for gold.
Canons/Explosives: Used by the explorers to clear land as they dig for gold.
Rifle: Used by Smith as he prepares to shoot the first "savage" he sees, which turns out to be Pocahontas. He lowers his weapon.
Rifles/Bows & Arrows: Used by both parties to shoot at each other during their first encounter.
Rifle: Used by Ratcliffe to shoot one of the Indians.
Tomahawk/Knife: Used by Pocahontas’ suitor as he attacks Smith.
Rifle: Used by solider to kill the suitor.
Rifle: Used by Ratcliffe to shoot at Powhatan who is knocked out of the way by Smith, who ends up being shot (but lives).

IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR: Phrases: "Half wit," "Sea dog," and "Idiot."
Pocahontas has something of a care free, reckless attitude. She dives from an incredibly high cliff into the river below (which would probably have killed her) and later takes her canoe over a high waterfall and then through the rapids without any apparent harm.

MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE): There is some mildly tense music during the frightening/tense scenes.
The first encounter between the explorers and the Natives has tense music.

TENSE FAMILY SCENES: Pocahontas briefly mentions how she misses her mother (as is the case in nearly all Disney films where one or both parental figures are missing).

TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT: The historical accuaracy of Disney’s version of the story (ie. Pocahontas was much younger in real life and probably wasn’t such a buxom young woman, etc...).
Race relations and getting along with people different from you ("walking in the footsteps of another.")
How Pocahontas couldn’t understand English one moment, and the next she’s rather fluent in it (Yes, that’s nit-picking, but kids may wonder why).

VIOLENCE: The explorers and the Natives fire guns and arrows at each other during their first encounter. Ratcliffe shoots one of the Natives with a rifle and a soldier goes to hit the downed Indian with the butt of his rifle, but is knocked aside.
Ratcliffe warns that anyone who associates with the "savages" will be tried for treason and hanged.
Pocahontas’ suitor, seeing her and Smith kissing, attacks Smith with his tomahawk and then a knife. Smith holds off the attack and then a soldier comes to the rescue and shoots the Indian dead.
Both sides prepare for a big battle as the Natives also prepare to kill Smith, who they've captured.
Ratcliffe grabs a rifle and fires it at Powhatan, but Smith knocks him out of the way and is hit by the bullet (but lives).

Reviewed May 25, 1996

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