Though Pocahontas used to be buried deep in the “Disney Vault,” the 1995 animated film is now easier to access than ever. In addition to being featured on Disney+, the movie is also available for streaming on Hulu.
While Pocahontas is beautifully animated and features a strong, brave lead heroine, adult viewers will notice a few things when they watch the film 25 years after its premiere. Even if you ignore the musical's glaring historical inaccuracies and romanticization of colonization, you'll find that the movie lacks a lot of sound logic in general. That’s what we’re here to focus on now.
Warning: We’re going to be super picky. Yes, we know it’s a fictitious animated romance, and Pocahontas' creators were allowed to do whatever they wanted with it. But why not have a little fun, right?
With that said, it’s time to look back at one of the most classic films of the Disney Renaissance; Here are 10 things that don’t make sense about Pocahontas.
10 Pocahontas’ Waterfall Jump Should Have Killed Her
When Nakoma informs Pocahontas that her father has returned, she decides to jump off the waterfall to reach her friend down below. Though the scene is gorgeously animated, the fall definitely should have killed her (and Meeko and Flit who jump in afterward).
Nakoma thinks Pocahontas is a show-off; We think she's just dangerous.
9 John Smith Dives Into The Sea During A Storm And Somehow Lives
Like Pocahontas, John Smith thinks it's totally safe to jump head-first into dangerous waters. Rather than jumping off a waterfall, though (which he does end up doing anyway with Pocahontas during "Colors of the Wind"), he decides to rescue Thomas after he falls overboard during a storm at sea.
The winds are rough and the Susan Constant is filling with water; Even so, Smith decides to tie a rope around his waist, wade through the fierce ocean, and bring Thomas back to safety.
Was is a heroic effort? Yes. Was it a plausible one? No.
8 There Is A Talking Tree
Though some might suggest that Pocahontas can communicate with Grandmother Willow because of Native American's belief in spirits, her existence is nonetheless peculiar.
This tree spirit isn't explained very much. Her origins are unknown, and it's implied that she serves only as Pocahontas' advisor and doesn't have relationships with any of the other natives.
Where does she come from? Why can't all the trees talk? How can John Smith see her? How does she trip the other Englishmen who are snooping around? So many questions, so few answers.
7 John Smith Decides Not To Shoot Pocahontas Because She’s Hot
John Smith makes it clear that he has no problem shooting down any foreigner he might encounter. In fact, the moment he notices Pocahontas is nearby, he pulls out his gun and takes aim.
However, as she stands their innocently — her hair flowing in the wind — her dark eyes piercing into soul — he all the sudden decides he'd like to get to know her. Convenient much?
If Pocahontas wasn't smokin', we think her ending would have come a little faster.
6 Pocahontas Speaks English
Pocahontas is understandably afraid of John Smith when they meet each other. After all, he tried to shoot her and then chases her to the edge of the water. However, before she goes, he makes a last-ditch effort to communicate with her.
Though Pocahontas at first doesn't understand Smith, only speaking in her native tongue, she grabs his hand and listens with her heart. All of a sudden, to everyone's surprise, she can speak English. Blame magic or spirits all you want; This doesn't make sense.
5 John Smith Has An American Accent
Speaking of language oddities, is it not strange that John Smith has an American accent instead of a British one?
All the rest of his crew speaks with English accents. After all, how could he speak with an American accent when he was just discovering the land.
Did we mention that the English crew spoke with modern English accents rather than historical ones? Maybe we're getting too deep into linguistics; The point is, no one in this film talks correctly.
4 The Characters Don't Bleed
We get it; Pocahontas is a G-rated animated film. If Disney had shown any blood, that rating could have been bumped up fast. However, for a Disney tale filled with so many guns and arrows, its surprising that not a single injury is evident even though the characters were getting hurt all the time.
Decades-old spoiler alert: When Thomas shoots Kocoum after he starts attacking John Smith, his face goes blank and he falls into the water. Not to get ahead of ourselves, but later on, when Smith gets a gunshot wound, he simply falls to the ground and covers his side. The lack of any visible injury is strange.
3 Chief Powhatan Is Quick To Forgive A Convicted Murderer
Pocahontas' tribe believes that John Smith is guilty of murdering Kocoum. After Thomas shoots him, Smith urges the young soldier to get away and takes the blame instead.
Smith is captured by the natives, and Chief Powhatan determines that he is to be executed at sunrise. However, at the last second, Pocahontas covers Smith's body with her own and says that if he is to be killed, she is to be killed as well. She encourages peace between her tribe and the Englishmen, a gust of leaves swirls around Powhatan's face, and he ultimately decides to pardon Smith of his crimes.
Though this makes for a romantic climax, it lacks logic. One of Powhatan's prized warriors was killed. Does he not want to avenge his death? He has no idea that Smith is innocent. How does he know the explorer won't just kill another native?
2 John Smith Doesn’t Give Pocahontas Time To Decide About Her Future
Though Chief Powhatan decides to make peace with the Englishmen, Governor Ratcliffe is not on board with the plan and tries to shoot him. However, John Smith jumps in the way of the bullet at the last minute, thus saving Pocahontas' father. He decides that he has to head home to England in hopes that he can get the medical care he needs to keep living.
Pocahontas and her people come to say goodbye to John before his trip; That's when he requests that Pocahontas comes with him. Could he not have brought this up earlier? Did he really have to ask her to make a life-changing choice just minutes before his ship left for England?
Pocahontas ultimately says no, and we get why. She had no time to pack or say goodbye to her friend and family forever. If Smith really wanted her to come with him, he would have thought it through.
1 John Smith Should Have Died Before He Reached England
As revealed in the inferior direct-to-video Pocahontas sequel, John Smith makes it back to England and fully recovers from his gunshot wound, even though Pocahontas had assumed he died. We don't blame her for making this assumption, however.
When the Susan Constant first traveled to America, the voyage took over four months. If the cruise home took place over the same amount of time, would Smith have actually survived his bad injury for that long with little medical care? Was it really a good idea to send him back on a potentially dangerous four-month journey when he could have stayed behind to rest? The logistics make little sense.
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