Pocahontas * * *
1995 - Rated G - 85 mins				BY TONY ZIDEK

    The Little Mermaid began a renaissance from Disney that lead to films
like Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.  Now comes Pocahontas,
the latest from the Disney animation studio.  From the outset the film has
much to live up to.  Each of the aforementioned films out grossed its
predecessor.  Its been said that Pocahontas will be a disappointment if it
doesn't make the $350 million that The Lion King did.
    Tough job.  So is Pocahontas up to it?
    Simply put... Nope.
    The tale of a young Powhattan maiden and Englishman John Smith falls far
short of the highwater mark of Beauty and the Beast, and struggles to keep up
with the other three.  
    So what's wrong with the film?
    Maybe it's the subject.  A touchy topic from any angle.  Which side
should Disney write it on?  The Native Americans or the English?  Who's the
"evil" side in this one?  Who's "right" and "wrong"?
    Maybe it's the storyline.  Not much is known about Pocahontas, or John
Smith, or the settlement at Jamestown.  We don't know how the two met.  And
we don't really know how or why Pocahontas stepped in to save John Smith.  
    Maybe it's the music.  The orchestrations from Alan Menken seem tired.
 The lyrics, from Stephen Schwartz, are banal.  This is one area where Disney
usually excels.  Yet, it seems to be oddly lacking for this picture.
    Maybe it's the style of the film.  Unlike most Disney films, where the
style is lush and full of life, Pocahontas is very much graphic and simple.
 Far less detail is the norm here.  A style that seems to contradict the
story's tone and feel.
    Maybe it's the intended audience.  The film is geared toward older
audiences.  It seems that Disney very much wanted to make an older, more
mature film, and suceeded in pushing away the young crowd.
    Maybe it's the lack of some traditional Disney elements.  We are used to
seeing talking animals, and laughing at Iago, or Pumba, or Sebastian.  Those
elements are either missing, (no talking animals), or hushed, (a raccoon,
dog, and hummingbird provide the only funny moments of the film).
    So will it make the $350 million mark?  
    Nope.
    But is it still worth seeing?
    Yup.