One of Disney's best "modern" animated efforts, "Mulan" features some great animation, winning songs, and a compelling, if not somewhat sanitized plot. Certain to please both children, their parents, and nearly everyone else, this one turned out to be one of Disney's bigger animated hits in quite some time.
Of course that was somewhat in doubt since it was questionable whether audiences would flock to a story that probably wasn’t overly familiar to western audiences. Based on a popular 2,000 year old plus Chinese fable, the story might not have had a built- in draw, but then again, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Hercules" didn't exactly live up to the critical and financial standards set by "The Lion King."
Fortunately, it does have the universal themes of family and honor and its main character is a slightly flawed (ie. normal), but determined and completely likeable and sympathetic creation. While not as terrific as my personal Disney favorite (1991's "Beauty and the Beast" -- still the only animated film ever nominated for a Best Picture Oscar), this film does have many positive things going for it and comes off as a very good picture.
The animation, while not always quite up to par with Fox's "Anastasia," and briefly suffering from some surprisingly flat work early in the story, is exceptional for most of the film. A middle set piece -- featuring a shower of flaming arrows, a thundering "stampede" of attacking Huns on horseback, and a subsequent avalanche -- is jaw dropping in scope and visually stunning.
As with Disney's other modern animated features, this one's a musical and is arguably the best since "Aladdin." With the musical composition by Matthew Wilder (who had a big hit with the pop single "(Ain't Nothin' Gonna) Break My Stride") and song lyrics by David Zippel ("Go The Distance" from "Hercules"), the songs are good across the board. While not as fun or as exceptional as some of Disney's other work (notably the collective efforts of Alan Menken & Howard Ashman), several songs stand out, including "Reflection," "A Girl Worth Fighting For," and the winning "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" (sung by Donny Osmond).
The other obligatory element found in all of these films is the comic sidekick, who usually appears in the form of an animal or other nonhuman creature. Obviously included to amuse the kids (and hopefully sell lots of stuffed toys) and to provide some comic relief (in this otherwise serious drama), this is the strongest such character since Robin Williams' take as the genie in "Aladdin."
Seemingly given free reign with his dialogue (but not the stream of consciousness that Williams rattled off), Eddie Murphy takes his jive-talking, diminutive dragon to comic extremes. While some may believe that his comedy doesn't quite fit in with the story (the same is true of Williams' material in that other film), it's a comic delight nonetheless and I didn't find it distracting in the slightest. The nice thing is that the humor plays equally well to kids and adults, and often comes from other sources besides Murphy's hilarious character.
The story itself (credited to a team of five scribes), is well-written, and while not unpredictable to any great extent, easily maintains one's attention throughout. While there have been some complaints that Disney has carefully whitewashed any potential political or other incorrectness from the picture, it's not so obvious that it becomes a distraction. In fact, the film's majority use of Asian voice talents (when others could easily have adopted the proper "sound") should be commended and the vocal and singing efforts are all quite strong.
Once again it's nice to see a strong female protagonist as the lead character, especially one who ably overcomes personal and exterior obstacles to achieve her goal. In doing so, the character of Mulan should become a new favorite among kids. Most of the rest of the characters fall into the standard animated quota, with the dashing and strapping young man, the muscular and evil villain, and the comic buffoons. It's good, however, to see a strong characterization for the part of Mulan's proud, but aged father.
Featuring a decent arrangement of songs, many funny moments, and the occasional awe-inspiring animation, this film is quite enjoyable and entertaining to watch. As far as the DVD itself, the visual and aural components are both quite good, with the theatrical trailer and two music videos making up the included supplemental materials.