Product Details

• Actors: Mel Gibson, Linda Hunt, Christian Bale, Irene Bedard, Judy Kuhn
• Directors: Eric Goldberg, Mike Gabriel
• Writers: Andrew Chapman, Broose Johnson, Bruce Morris, Burny Mattinson, Carl Binder
• Format: AC-3, Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Original recording remastered, Restored, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Unknown), Spanish (Unknown)
• Dubbed: French, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: G (General Audience)
• Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
• DVD Release Date: May 3, 2005
• Run Time: 81 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (329 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0007KTBIU
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,827 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Pocahontas (Two-Disc 10th Anniversary Edition)" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Disney's take on this historical confrontation between European settlers and Native Americans follows the paths of two future lovers. One is British adventurer John Smith, who travels the Atlantic with the Virginia Company to establish Jamestown. On the shore is Pocahontas, a typical Disney heroine: bright, beautiful, mischievous, and motherless. The two meet in the untamed wilds of America (the first meeting is quite divine), fall in love, and try to ward off the warring factions. It's Disney's version of a Native American West Side Story. Two Disney trademarks do not quite muster up: the villain isn't hissable and the score's only high point is the Oscar-winning "Colors of the Wind." Calling it "historical" is a stretch, but Disney created a very natural look at the two cultures. The Native American characters are handled especially well, and kids should be intrigued by their world; the movie is a far different lesson from the one their parents and grandparents learned. Disney has discovered a few things, though: you don't have to kill to solve your problems, and you can end the film without a happily-ever-after, illustrated by a touching final visual. (Ages 5 and older) --Doug Thomas

Product Description

All the music, adventure, and colorful fun of Disney's POCAHONTAS come to life like never before in the 10th Anniversary Edition 2-Disc Set. Bursting with all the "Colors Of The Wind," POCAHONTAS tells the story of a free-spirited girl who wonders what adventures await "Just Around The Riverbend." Pocahontas -- along with her playful pals Meeko and Flit -- relies on the guidance of her loving and wise Grandmother Willow when English settlers arrive on the shores of their village. Her chance meeting with the courageous Captain John Smith leads to a beautiful friendship that bridges the gap between two cultures, and changes history. Now fully restored, POCAHONTAS includes the song "If I Never Knew You," and never-before-seen animation seamlessly integrated into the original film. This 2-Disc 10th Anniversary Edition is loaded with spectacular bonus features, all-new games, and soaring Academy Award(R)-winning music (1995 Best Original Musical Score, Best Original Song, "Colors Of The Wind"). Disney's POCAHONTAS is a fun-filled adventure your whole family will enjoy.

See all Editorial Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

62 of 64 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Pass On the "Gold Collection" and get the "10th Anniversary" January 26, 2007

By T. Dissinger

Format:DVD

The Gold Collection disc is too flawed to seriously consider at this point with the "10th Anniversary{ two-disc set now out.

Gold Collection:

1. Worst DVD tranfer of a Disney film in recent memory

2. No "If I Never Knew You". Not even the rough cut.

3. Extras: a Trailer and some music videos. Not much going on here.

4. Not anamorphic

10th Anniversary:

1. Anamorphic 16:9

2. Great new transfer

3. "If I Never Knew You" in the movie and completely animated. Major addition to the last half of the movie.

4. Both versions of the film, the 1995 cut and the 2003 "Director's Cut".

5. Loads of extras including a documentary, updated audio commentary track, sections for each major character with art, concept drawings, deleted scenes, scenes that never made it past the concept stage......you get the idea.

56 of 62 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One song makes all the difference! August 29, 2006

By Monty Moonlight VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

Loosely rooted in real American history and based upon people who once actually lived, "Pocahontas" is a very different kind of animated classic from the House of Mouse. It's the tale of a beautiful, free-spirited, young (but not as young as Disney's usual) Native American princess who crosses paths with an English explorer named John Smith, only to have romance quickly develop between them. John Smith arrives in the Americas just in time for Pocahontas, who is troubled by her father's wish that she marry hometown hero Kocoum and, confused all the more by a mysterious dream, is in search of a different path to follow. John Smith is also in search of something, and when he finds Pocahontas, he thinks he has found it. The problem is, John is filled with prejudices against Pocahontas and her people, until she shows him the light. She teaches him about the beauty and wonder of nature and how we are all connected to each other. But love makes John an easy sell. His fellow English settlers are not quite so easily convinced. They only see the Indians as dangerous savages that must be destroyed to make the area safe to live in. Matters are made worse by the greed of their leader, Governor Ratcliffe, who is convinced the savages are hoarding the gold he can't seem to find by digging up the land. Their violent actions lead to violent reactions from the tribe, which culminate in a fiery confrontation that only Pocahontas's love and understanding can bring to peace.

The first time I saw Pocahontas, and for long after that, I had mixed feelings about it. I'm a hardcore Disney fan, and there's little I hate more than to be disappointed in a Disney animated feature. Unfortunately, this was something I had to deal with for... possibly the first time ever in theaters upon seeing "Pocahontas." Not doubt, "Pocahontas" was always a gorgeous film. The art is Disney at its best, and the music and songs are truly beautiful. The comic relief, in the form of Pocahontas's animal friends, is right on the money. The voice cast is top notch, with Mel Gibson as John Smith and Irene Bedard as Pocahontas (Judy Kuhn doing her wonderful singing voice), David Ogden Stiers as Ratcliffe and his servant, Wiggins, Russell Means as Chief Powhatan, Christian Bale, Linda Hunt, and more rounding out the cast, but there was just something missing,...something crucial. I soon decided that the problem was in the villain, Governor Ratcliffe, who just wasn't villain ENOUGH for my tastes. This sudden realization of what was wrong with "Pocahontas" was a big mistake, but it's one that is still commonly made. I failed to see then, that the true villain of "Pocahontas" is not Governor Ratcliffe at all, but "prejudice" itself. This is something that is even pointed out in the DVD's audio commentary, but, of course, I only heard that recently. My bad. I should have been able to see past the expected to the pretty obvious. However, while this knowledge does help improve the movie somewhat, it still doesn't take it from, "good, but not quite `Disney' good," to "Instant Disney Classic." As it turned out, the secret lay in a cut musical number: "If I Never Knew You." One day, while watching the network television premiere of "Pocahontas" on ABC, I learned about a beautiful and wrongfully cut scene from the film in which John Smith, while awaiting his execution, shares a romantic duet with Pocahontas in which the two truly expose their feelings for and to each other. It's the moment in the movie where we truly get the feeling that these two love each other, and not having it in the film was a horrible mistake! And, why did they cut it? Because little kids were bored with it. Thank goodness for DVDs and Special Editions! In this 2-disc, 10th Anniversary DVD release of Pocahontas, that glorious scene has been completed and restored to the film, and it makes all the difference in the world! There's even a new reprise of the song near the end as Pocahontas and John Smith exchange two lines, and that moment will bring you to tears! After finally viewing the movie with "If I Never Knew You" intact, I can happily say that "Pocahontas" has gone from one of my least favorite Disney films to one of the best! There may be no drop-dead gorgeous, redheaded mermaids and no delightful singing bears, but Disney has managed to take a more real and serious subject and turn it into a wonderful new masterpiece! Now, if they could only fix "Atlantis: The Lost Empire."

As for the DVD, this incredible 10th Anniversary Edition is a huge improvement over the Gold Collection release. The film has been digitally remastered and is presented in anamorphic widescreen. Your are given the option of viewing "Pocahontas" as it plays, which means the "extended cut" with "If I Never Knew You" intact, or choosing the shorter, far inferior theatrical cut. Why would anyone want to do that? Still, options are always nice to have. Disc One also includes a fine and informative audio commentary with producer and directors that will only heighten your appreciation of the film. An art project, game, and two sing-along-songs ("Colors of the Wind" and "Just Around the River Bend") are included on Disc One as well, along with the Vanessa Williams video for the pop version of "Colors of the Wind." Remember how they used to play Disney songs like that on the radio during the Disney Decade? That was so cool.

Disc Two is loaded with great extras for the serious animation enthusiast. There's an enjoyable making-of featurette hosted by Irene Bedard, an early production reel, loads of galleries and clips on one of my favorite subjects: character development (art design, layouts, and backgrounds are also covered), scene production comparison reels, the pop video for "If I Never Knew You," a featurette on the music of the film, and one about the decision to restore the movie's (very necessary) cut scene. One of the highlights of the DVD extras for me was definitely the discovery of the thankfully deleted talking turkey character, Redfeather, while what some might consider a low point is the lack of insight given into the real history behind Pocahontas, Smith, and the others. Further extras include an awesome selection of fascinating deleted scenes, two theatrical trailers, a neat featurette on the movie's ambitious premiere in Central Park (on a row of 8-story movie screens), a multi-language clip reel of the Oscar Winning song, "Colors of the Wind," and a very cool publicity gallery which includes a fun fashion spread from Harper's Bazaar that used Pocahontas as a model! Yes, you get to see Pocahontas drawn in modern clothes, in full color, and she looks darn good, even if I am more of a Tink and Ariel man myself!

The is one DVD Edition I can't recommend enough, primarily because it presents a movie you've seen before as you've never seen it before, and, in this case, I think most people will find the extension to be a huge improvement. Bottom-line, even if you weren't a fan of "Pocahontas" before, do yourself a favor and check it out one more time in its extended cut. It's not the same experience. It's much, much better!

62 of 73 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars New Version Still Coming November 19, 2003

By Bruce Gray VINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

Just a quick note here - if you are thinking of purchasing a copy of Pocahontas now, just wait a little while.

On May 3, 2005, Disney will be releasing a "Special Edition", tenth anniversary, 2-disc DVD release that will be similar to thier recent reissue of Sleeping Beauty and other Disney classics.

With all of the features on that, people who buy this DVD now will be disappointed if they don't wait.

Disney will be adding the usual "Making of" clips, some pre-production art, and other features that make their "Special Editions" great, to this new edition of Pocahontas.