Mulan (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
'Mulan' (directed by Tony Bancroft & Barry Cook) is a Disney animated film based on the 2,000 yr. old story of a legendary Chinese girl warrior. Set in feudal China, the story begins showing an army of evil Huns under the command of the ruthless Shan-Yu (voiced by Miguel Ferrer); they have invaded the country, spreading disaster & death in equal measure. The Chinese Emperor (voiced by Pat Morita) commands that one male from every family must serve in an emergency army. All the while, in a faraway village, a young woman named Mulan (voice-acted by Ming-Na Wen; sung-acted by Broadway star, Lea Salonga) has shamed her family by being rejected by the local matchmaker/yente due to her tomboyish, strong-willed nature {a humorous song/scene follows}.
It is after this where Mulan wanders away to begin a period of soul-searching; and she sings the beautiful hit song, Reflection (Lea Salonga). When the Emperor's decree arrives, Mulan puts her family's desire for her to find a husband on the back burner; she cuts her hair, dresses like a man, runs away & enters the army in her ailing father's place. With the aid of her incompetent mythical guardian, the scrawny dragon Mushu (a funny Eddie Murphy), she hopes to win the confidence of her captain, Li Shang (B.D. Wong), & the acceptance of her fellow warrior peasants, alllll while keeping her sex concealed from all. Disney goodness ensues.
I really enjoyed 'Mulan'. Disney took a little bit of a gamble here because Mulan doesn't fit the typical princess mold; and that's a good thing. The songs are lovely; particularly Reflection - which brings so much meaning & emotion. Lea Salonga's gorgeous voice raises the song to another level, and Christina Aguilera lends her own vocal chops to the version you hear on the radio version. The supporting characters are well drawn; literally & figuratively. As mentioned, I enjoyed Eddie Murphy as energetic Mushu; though, he's not as wildly successful as Robin William's Genie sidekick in 1992's Aladdin -- that's the pinnacle. If there's a major disappointment here it's Shan-Yu. Sure, he's appropriately vile ... but he just doesn't have the screen time we're used to seeing for villains.
The animation is gorgeous, with interesting camera angles, exotic settings & beauuuutiful watercolor-like compositions. I admire how many aspects of Chinese culture are incorporated into the story - art, architecture, appreciation for one's ancestors, devotion to one's country, the hefty significance of dragons, & the importance of family honor. 'Mulan' tackles war/death on a large scale {showing the devastating aftermath of war; no blood, though}. And it even tackles gender roles; very intriguing. You know, something holds me back from giving this movie a ringing endorsement. I enjoyed it, a lot. But for some reason, I can't call it one of the classics. Still, 'Mulan' is a stellar family film about perseverance, ingenuity, and it gives us a heroine who'd rather be strong & courageous than anyone's ornament.
It is after this where Mulan wanders away to begin a period of soul-searching; and she sings the beautiful hit song, Reflection (Lea Salonga). When the Emperor's decree arrives, Mulan puts her family's desire for her to find a husband on the back burner; she cuts her hair, dresses like a man, runs away & enters the army in her ailing father's place. With the aid of her incompetent mythical guardian, the scrawny dragon Mushu (a funny Eddie Murphy), she hopes to win the confidence of her captain, Li Shang (B.D. Wong), & the acceptance of her fellow warrior peasants, alllll while keeping her sex concealed from all. Disney goodness ensues.
I really enjoyed 'Mulan'. Disney took a little bit of a gamble here because Mulan doesn't fit the typical princess mold; and that's a good thing. The songs are lovely; particularly Reflection - which brings so much meaning & emotion. Lea Salonga's gorgeous voice raises the song to another level, and Christina Aguilera lends her own vocal chops to the version you hear on the radio version. The supporting characters are well drawn; literally & figuratively. As mentioned, I enjoyed Eddie Murphy as energetic Mushu; though, he's not as wildly successful as Robin William's Genie sidekick in 1992's Aladdin -- that's the pinnacle. If there's a major disappointment here it's Shan-Yu. Sure, he's appropriately vile ... but he just doesn't have the screen time we're used to seeing for villains.
The animation is gorgeous, with interesting camera angles, exotic settings & beauuuutiful watercolor-like compositions. I admire how many aspects of Chinese culture are incorporated into the story - art, architecture, appreciation for one's ancestors, devotion to one's country, the hefty significance of dragons, & the importance of family honor. 'Mulan' tackles war/death on a large scale {showing the devastating aftermath of war; no blood, though}. And it even tackles gender roles; very intriguing. You know, something holds me back from giving this movie a ringing endorsement. I enjoyed it, a lot. But for some reason, I can't call it one of the classics. Still, 'Mulan' is a stellar family film about perseverance, ingenuity, and it gives us a heroine who'd rather be strong & courageous than anyone's ornament.