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| Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World - 1998 |
Coming up next on this edition of TV Tuesday is a direct to video movie that has been shown on television many times. 1998's "Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World" sees the title character traveling to London as a peace envoy. She meets old enemies, old friends, and makes a few new ones.
The film's voice cast includes Irene Bedard, Donal Gibson, Billy Zane, Jim Cummings, David Ogden Stiers, Linda Hunt, Jean Stapleton, Russell Means, and Brad Garrett.
In London, John Smith is ambushed by Governor Ratcliffe and his forces. Ratcliffe has framed Smith as a traitor for events that happened in the New World. Smith disappears and Ratcliffe announces that he's dead. His ultimate goal is to have war with the peoples of the New World so that he can have his greatest desire: gold.
Ratcliffe goes to the King and tells him of John Smith's death and the urgent need for an armada to travel to the New World for war. The King, however, wants to wait for a man named John Rolfe, whom he has tasked with bringing back Chief Powhatan for peace talks.
In the New World, Pocahontas has learned of the death of John Smith. She mourns her friend very deeply.
The arrival of John Rolfe, King James's emissary, throws things into disarray. He and Pocahontas get off to a rocky start.
Rolfe goes to Chief Powhatan and asks him to travel to England for peace talks with King James. Powhatan refuses. However, Pocahontas wants to lead the peace mission, and she begs her father to allow her to go in his stead.
Powhatan agrees. After saying goodbye to her family and friends, Pocahontas boards a ship bound for England. Powhatan sends Uttamatomakkin to keep his daughter from harm.
After a long ocean voyage, Pocahontas gets her first glimpse of the city of London.
She's got a lot of learning to do. And she's got to get accustomed to a new style of clothing in order to be presented to the King and Queen.
Initially, Pocahontas is a bit overwhelmed when she comes to the English court. But it's soon apparent that she possesses very good peacemaking skills.
However, Governor Ratcliffe is on hand to make sure that Pocahontas's evening goes south in a hurry. Bear baiting sends her over the edge. The King deems her a savage and all diplomacy is lost. He fully intends to go to war.
Pocahontas ends up arrested and imprisoned. In prison, she finds out that John Smith is alive. Pocahontas knows what she has to do to turn the situation in the favor of her people.
She goes to the King and appeals to him directly. She pleads passionately for the cause of peace.
She then produces John Smith, proof that Ratcliffe lied to the King and is using the war for his own personal gain. The King is furious and orders that Ratcliffe be arrested and the armada stopped.
Everyone is very happy when Ratcliffe is finally brought to justice. John Smith is pardoned and given a ship of his own. He asks Pocahontas to join him in traveling the world.
Pocahontas, however, realizes that her heart belongs to another. She declines Smith's offer and instead sails home with the one with whom she has fallen in love, John Rolfe.
Cast rundown:
Irene Bedard.......................................Pocahontas
Donal Gibson.......................................John Smith
Billy Zane............................................John Rolfe
Jim Cummings.....................................King James
David Ogden Stiers...............................Governor Ratcliffe
Linda Hunt..........................................Grandmother Willow
Jean Stapleton.....................................Mrs. Jenkins
Russell Means.......................................Powhatan
Brad Garrett........................................Uttamatomakkin
And that's it for Pocahontas II: Journey To A New World. It is loosely based on the real Pocahontas's journey to England. Taking over the role of John Smith from Mel Gibson was his brother Donal.
An amusing part in the film comes when Uttamatomakkin is announced at court. The page stops him and says that a jacket is required to enter. The camera pans away and we hear ripping and struggling. The next thing we know, Uttamatomakkin is walking down the stairs in a "jacket", leaving the page shirtless with his Elizabethan collar.
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