It is based loosely on the encounter between the colonists of Jamestown, Virginia with the native Powhatan tribe, and in particular presents a highly romanticized account of the meeting between Pocahontas and John Smith. It is a musical; the songs have music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
The film starred the voice acting of Mel Gibson as John Smith, Irene Bedard and Judy Kuhn as Pocahontas (speaking voice and singing voice, respectively), and David Ogden Stiers as John Ratcliffe.
Pocahontas was criticized by many for presenting stereotypical images of Native Americans, and by others for presenting a highly distorted version of the historical events on which it is based. It is regarded by many as the first misstep of the 1990s "renaissance" of Disney animation, being neither as critically well-regarded nor as commercially successful as the films that preceded it: The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King.
See also: List of Disney animated features