Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World MPAA Rating: G Entertainment: +2 1/2 Content: -1/2

Editor's Note: This movie is Not Rated by the MPAA. The original Pocahontas movie was released by Disney to the theaters in 1995, but this sequel is being released only on video.Though it is not rated, it would probably earn a G rating. Like the original film, this animated sequel is a fictionalized account of Pocahontas, the daughter of an Indian chief in Virginia in the early 1600's. In this sequel, a British emissary, John Rolfe(voice of Billy Zane), lands in the Jamestown colonial settlement in Virginia to persuade Pocahontas's chieftain father to visit the King and Queen of England in London. But Pocahontas(voices of Irene Bedard/Judy Kuhn) goes in his place and pleads with the King to call off an armada of English ships scheduled to sail to Jamestown to destroy her people. The King agrees to call off the armada if Pocahontas can convince him she is civilized. So, she is trained by Rolfe and a comical housekeeper(voice of Jean Stapleton)and attends a grand ball sponsored by the King and Queen.But things go drastically wrong and she finds herself in serious trouble. This fun filled animated story is full of action, romance, enchanting musical numbers and the comical antics of the animal friends of Pocahontas. It doesn't seem to have quite the appeal of the original, but still will likely be popular among younger viewers.

This sequel doesn't portray the English settlers as unfavorably as the original, though they are still portrayed as oppressors of the Indians. And most of the fighting in the film is when Rolfe and Smith do battle with the English guards.They engage in lively , but rather mild, hand and sword fighting in the prison, on board ship and on other occasions. Like the original, Pocahontas practices Indian spirit worship and communicates with the spirit of her deceased grandmother. She is encouraged to listen to the spirits around her and the one inside her, but in one scene she tries and can't hear anything. And the story never indicates that she becomes a Christian which she actually did in real life. Happily, there is no foul language or sexual content in the film, and Pocahontas is not portrayed in a sensual manner. It is legitimate for film producers to portray other religions in films and to leave out some facts in a fictionalized version of a story.But it is very disappointing that Disney chose to portray spiritism favorably and ignore the conversion of Pocahontas to Christianity. So, we are not inclined to give this video a positive recommendation.

Preview Reviewer: John Evans
Distributor: Buena Vista Home Video, 3900 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank, CA 91521