By Disney renaissance standards, this was pretty close to what the film was actually based on, the ancient Chinese poem called the Ballad of Hua Mulan. There is a slight exception from the poem and the movie, in the fact, that she lasted ten to 12 years in the military without getting discovered. Disney got it wrong in the settling as well, the ballad is set in the Northern-Southern dynasties period (420 to 589 AD), but Mulan the film makes it look like the height of the Ming dynasty a thousand years later. Oh, she also died tragically in the ballad. She commits suicide because the emperor asked her to be a concubine. But that's beside the point. I'm just history nerding. In the end, the story is the same, Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) must pretend to be a man to save her elderly father from death in the army due to invasion with the Huns and it's leader Shan Yu (Miguel Ferrer). Some people think of him as forgettable due to one of the relatively few Disney villains who doesn't have a villain song, but I like Shan Yu as a villain because he looks so scary. No, his personality isn't that great, but the dude just looks like a monster! And he's a powerhouse! He can slice through the castle pillars with one swing of his sword. He's the only Disney villain I can think of that actually causes that kind of destruction. He doesn't need to be fleshed out as a character. He's the leader of the Hun Army. The Huns were trying to conquer China and were really violent and underhanded in their tactics. He belongs with the greats. One thing that bugs me in the film is how Mulan go to the camp, and get nearly kicked out of the army for not being fit, which kinda negates, the whole point of her taking her father's place. Clearly, her father wasn't healthy so if he was sent instead of her, he would have been sent home anyways. So what was the point of replacing him? Why, didn't Mulan go home after not being fit to join the army? I think it's about giving Honor to the family. Mulan's smart in a way I can see, a cheater, a bit lazy, loving, outspoken, and just fails at all things social, but lovable. This 'wood orchid' seems like the girl-power type character for the overly feminist. If anything, I've always seen her as a person who was just trying to find her own place regardless of gender roles. She tries to act as her society's definition of a woman and fails, she tries to act as her society's definition of a man and fails. If anything, Mulan only succeeds when she acts like herself rather than the roles that are put before her. It isn't about the girl power or the male dominance, it's about people finding their own place in life. Mulan may be a strong female character, but I don't believe with Disney marketing her as a princess. Mulan appealed to some girls because she wasn't a princess. The title of Princess is really just more marketable, because Queens in Disney type movies are usually evil, while the Princess is a heroine. Still, Mulan is not a princess. For example, Mulan in the movie didn't like her kimono outfit and found it uncomfortable and it's only seen in the beginning of the film. And yet, most of the toys of her showed her in that outfit as opposed to her warrior one. For Disney to do that is kinda wrong. A lot of the hate has to do with gender roles. No matter how brave or action oriented or tomboyish princesses are, they still dress in pretty clothes and have beautiful hair and fall in love which isn't realism to the source material. The main musical theme "Reflections" is well written and expresses Mulan's feelings and desires with emotion. Even though it's like the other princess songs, it's still a great song. 'A girl worth fighting for' is just as good, but my favorite is 'Be a man'. Most badass song in Disney history. How come only guys can have no singing ability whatsoever but still make an awesome song? Was it really necessary for Shang to be shirtless for the entire duration of that song? Shang clearly had a thing for Mulan even during the time he didn't know she was indeed a she. Conclusion, Shang must be at least bi. Disney, you astonished me again. Want to know something interesting though, the voice actor for Captain Li Shang, was B.D. Wong, an actually an openly gay man in real life. So it was a bit odd in a while. The confusing gender roles jokes and visual gags closely border on PG, but it was funny. Another person who was funny was Eddie Murphy as Mushu, the Chinese Dragon. He did OK in the role, but couldn't they find a Chinese or Asian American comedian, that would fit the film, more. I don't mind the fact that the Chinese culture is underplayed. Speaking as an Asian, it's refreshing to see a work of media that takes place in an Asian setting without overplaying the stereotypes to the point of offensiveness. The film was generally well received by Chinese audiences. The fact that Jackie Chan put his pipes to work as the voice of the captain for the Mandarin dub didn't hurt either. The animation was breathtaking in some scenes, but others were missing the epic sheer artistry. All in all the film itself doesn't really do any harm to the source material or the culture it seeks to portray. I really liked that about it and continue to consider it one of Disney's better animated films of recent memory.
Review of Mulan
