User Reviews

Mulan is a young girl in ancient China. When the Huns start attacking the country, the Emperor orders one member of every family to join the Chinese Army and defend the country. The one member must be a man, but in Mulan's family, the only male is her injured father. Not wanting to allow her father to die, Mulan dresses like a man, and escapes into the night to join the war. To protect her, the ancient elders of her family ask the great Stone Dragon to watch over her. Unfortunately, the great Stone Dragon is destroyed by the little tiny dragon Mushu (Eddie Murphy). So with Mushu and a small cricket by her side, Mulan heads off to help destroy the Huns.

I think we can all guess what happens. Mulan, although a woman, manages to save the day. The plot line isn't really a surprise when you break it down. And the animation is, by now, expected to be great, and Mulan certainly lives up to the great Disney tradition. It's the story and the feeling you get that makes this movie so wonderful. Disney went through a lot to make sure it's depiction of ancient China was accurate. From the decorations on the walls, to the matchmakers, to the great honor in family, Disney manages to show what the country of China was like, and in many ways, still is today. Following the Disney tradition, there is a strong female character, this time taking lead. There are the over the top bad guys, and of course, the comic relief. Eddie Murphy was just down right hilarious in this movie. I wish they had showed more of him. The songs were sort of a change of pace, with Matthew Wilder and Jerry Goldsmith doing the honors, and not the venerable Alan Menken. The music was good, but the lyrics in some of the songs were weak.

The reason I feel Mulan was better than recent Disney fare like Hercules and The Hunchback of Notre Dame is because it had a much more lively feel to it. Hercules was very dark, animation-wise. Everything was centered on the color blue, so it didn't feel alive. And The Hunchback of Notre Dame was a more adult story, and some of the scenes were very dark and broody. Mulan took a simple plot, put it in ancient China, and made it very colorful and fun to watch. It was light, and "Disney" enough for kids to enjoy, while still being adult enough for the parents to enjoy.

Overall, I'd say Mulan is definitely one to watch. Disney animation has done it again.

I have a 4.5 year old daughter who is going through the princess phase. We read lots of fairy tales etc and its very difficult to find a fairy tale where the princess is strong and resourceful. Most of the time they are pretty passive and the worst one is sleeping beauty. I find myself treading a fine line between letting her enjoy the fairy tale and occasionally commenting on the fact that perhaps some of these princesses just don't do enough to help themselves and how they can help themselves a little bit more. I don't want to destroy her pleasure in these fairy tales, after all, I loved them too. But it took me a while as adult to see how the subconscious message of helplessness in these fairy tales can reinforce the existing values of society and parents that girls are meant to be saved.

So it is a great pleasure to be able to show my daughter a story of a strong and intelligent girl - Mu Lan and its great that Mu Lan and we are both ethnically Chinese. Here is a heroine who is resourceful, uses her brains, saves the Captain and China. We draw many discussion points from the story, such as why it is that women were not allowed to join the army, the value of trying hard and training and practising hard, what is discipline and why it is needed to succeed, using your brains and thinking of how to solve a problem, not just using brute strength, etc. Even some politics - like why did the Hun king want the Emperor to bow to him and why the Emperor wouldn't bow to him but would bow to Mulan. My challenge is the explain things in a way which is both accurate and yet understandable to a 4 year old. My daughter loves the story because Mulan does a lot of "saving".

My daughter has probably watch the movie only 3 times coz I limit TV and video a lot. But she'll ask me to tell her the story in my own words, based on the video. It works out great.

The fact that the movie Mulan captivates me as an adult also helps. There's only so much I can enjoy of a barney video.

I definitely recommend this movie to parents with young girls, as a good place to start talking about being a strong and intelligent woman. Another good one is Beauty and the Beast. I've not seen Pocahontas so I can't comment on that.

I was impressed by this Disney film for so many reasons, too many to list here, but I will go on the record as saying that Mulan has got to be one of the best Disney female characters that ever saw production, in the midst of a colorful and artistic film, that will resonate in your memory.

Mulan sticks out in my mind for this reason. For once, we have a strong female lead, or at the least, stronger than most of them. She isn't counted among the Disney "princesses" line-up. She doesn't want for herself, and she seeks to look deeper within herself to discover her inner being. She isn't like Ariel, who wants to be someone else. She isn't like Jasmine, who sits in luxury, waiting to be swept off her feet by Prince Charming, just like Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and almost any female character that Disney brings to life. And while she does share some traits among this list, she stands out because she does something that these do not. She uses her mind.

Mulan, in fact, has more in common with male Disney leads than the female Disney leads. Mulan is a thinker, and a do-er. She's resourceful, like Aladdin. She is quick to act, like Eric (mermaid.) And she sacrifices herself for the sake of others, like Hercules. She also speaks her mind, even in a culture that does not allow such a thing. She doesn't waste time pining about "will I ever find true love?" Indeed, we see that she has an attraction to Shang (as he was her husband in the legends,) but we see her uncomfortable and unsure of meeting the Match-maker. She begs for her father's life when Chi-Fu came to the village. When you see her make her decision to take her father's place in the army, she does so out of her love for him, valuing his life above hers. She doesn't wish to become a man to see what it is like or for a change. Only to save his life. She later doubts herself and her reasons for going, but she did so because of her inner strengths, something other female Disney leads too often lack. (And it is these strengths that Shang is attracted to at the end.)

This movie also has a simple, but very effective villain, Shan Yu. Though not as memorable as Jafar or Ursula, he is more effective and more menacing because he is not fantastic. By that, I mean that he is not magical, he holds no special power. He is portrayed as a man, and as a man that could have truly existed, performing vicious acts that men do. We see the destruction that his army lays to a village, and when Mulan finds the doll, it shows that Shan Yu left no one living, man, woman or child. This is what makes him so effective as a villain, showing how truly human he indeed is. Granted, the producers did not develop him in any great depth, but they showed enough of him to remind us of his threat to China. Besides, sometimes the better villains are the ones you don't know too much about, or see a lot of.

Of the rest of the supporting cast, I will only mention four of them as being memorable in any real way. Chi-Fu, the emperor's consultant, was a reminder of the way many men looked at women in this culture. He thrusts his head up when Mulan begs for her father's life, and when she is discovered to be a woman, though she is a hero, he is quick to insult her, and to order her execution, simply because she impersonated a man. The other three were, of course, her comrades, Ling, Yao, and Chian Po. Though they were mainly comic relief (almost like a 3 stooges set,) they remained loyal to Mulan and trusted her fully, even after she was discovered. I like them, because they were not discriminatory to her in any way, even trying to stop her execution. When Mulan told them she had an idea to help the emperor faster, they were the first to her side, even when Shang was still reluctant to do so.

Overall, a wonderful movie to the Disney list. If you haven't seen it, then do so, you won't regret it.

And yes, Mushu was a cool character as well.

**** In Response to an earlier post by Phoenix-1 **** To expect any movie to accurately portray history in any way is lunacy. Even those movies that come close to historical accuracy are flawed in many ways. This was a way of telling a story, as any movie is. It can be argued that it tries to provoke curiosity in another culture, but it is also meant to entertain. I would also like to point out that Mulan is really not "historical," like Joan of Arc, but rather she is a legend, much like Hercules and Aladdin, who also come from the realm of myth, stories and legends. And while there is some difference between the original legend and this movie, your examples of how Disney would butcher tales of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln do not compare to this story in any way. Your arguments for comparison should be better applied to Pocahontas, as she was an actual historical figure.

There are two things I love about this movie, aside from its stunning and beautiful animation. One is that I love the fact that Disney is exploring legends from other cultures and I am so glad it brought us this one. The other is that I just wanted to stand up and cheer at this great heroine. I am a huge fan of Disney movies, but most of the heroines, while spunky, are still just your basic damsel in distress. I loved Mulan's character. She was strong, she was powerful, she could do anything she wanted, and she overcame much diversity. I was thrilled to see the portrayal of a strong female character surviving because of her own integrity and strength rather than because of her looks. Bravo, Disney, for bringing us this wonderfully progressive Chinese tale.

I can't think of a single animated feature film done by Disney that I don't like. For some reason they never bore me and they never feel the same. The classics like 'Snow White' and 'Cinderella' are great but I think I like the newer ones ('The Little Mermaid', 'Beauty and the Beast', 'The Lion King') even more. 'Mulan' definitely belongs to the best ones.

Mulan is a girl who doesn't do much right. For the honor of her family she joins the army instead of her father. She takes his gear and runs off. She pretends to be a man and does the training to go to war against the Huns who invaded China.

With some nice new songs, great music by Jerry Goldsmith and beautiful animations this is a real Disney. A little dragon called Mushu is helping her on the way. He is send by the ancestors. The voice of Mushu is from Eddie Murphy and he does a very great job. With a quick and good story and a lot of funny moments this is a great movie.

Mulan is a well-known ancient folktale in Chinese history. It tells the story of mulan, who disguises herself as a man and goes to the war to protect the country in place of her aged father, and finally returns as a national hero/heroine. Although the story of mulan was evidently modified from its original, Disney did a fantastic job at retelling the story, and delivered it through the beautiful hand-drawn animation that has been lost to us for many years. As a Chinese myself, I know the mulan story like millions of Chinese people do. Some people (espcially Chinese people) may not like the Disney version of mulan simply because Disney didn't stay true to the original, but i feel somewhat differently about this. Not only did i have no problem with Disney's decision to make modifications to mulan's story, I actually kinda appreciate that they did. Cuz Disney's retelling of mulan turned out to be rather amazing, and even better than the original in my opinion. I mean, the original story is great, but it lacks fun and humor, which you can find in Disney's mulan. In the Disney version, Mulan is an outgoing, smart, and independent young woman who has difficulty fitting in the more traditional and reserved ancient Chinese society, where a woman's value is judged by marrying into a good family and being a good wife. So naturally this creates conflict and inner struggle for mulan, and thus brings out the musical number "reflection" that expresses mulan frustrations and desires. This song is so beautifully written and the lyrics have such meaningful morals and depth that it touches me every time i hear it, and I'm a guy! This song can certainly relate to a great many of young people, not only girls but also boys, cuz its central theme is all the same, that is to be your true self regardless the environment that you in. And now back to the movie, there's a lot to love about Disney's mulan: the story, the fun characters, the songs and music, the beautiful animation, etc. The story is smoothly-paced and very believable. You have no problem understanding why things happen the way they do and why mulan has taken certain actions. And I think Disney created the characters very successfully because they made them look like real Chinese people instead of the classic Disney characters that we used to see. And they made the backgrounds in the animation look like beautiful Chinese landscape paintings, which really amazed me! And the opening of the movie is probably one of the most brilliant among the Disney animation features. I was completely blown away when i first saw it in the theater. Although Disney didn't completely stay true to the original mulan, it stayed true to the spirit of the original story and the spirit of china in most part! And as Mulan being a Chinese story, i think Disney did its best to make it look like and feel like Chinese, and i really appreciate their effort. So thank you Disney, for making mulan so great!

Mulan is an entertaining tale of a young girl who takes her father's place in the Chinese army. I think what I appreciate most about this film is that they don't spend a massive amount of time on her possibly being discovered. There's one scene that creates that kind of tension, but otherwise she remains hidden until the movie is ready for her to be revealed. The rest of the time she's just treated like any other soldier who is trying their best to become an effective warrior in the battle against the Huns. I like the training sequences, I find the other soldiers that she meets to be charming, and I'm always a sucker for those scenes when the instructor presents a seemingly impossible task and our protagonist figures out how to make it happen. The film manages to condense the war down to a single moment, but I thought it was a surprisingly effective way of making our heroine a savior on such a grand scale that it allows people to ignore centuries of tradition that minimize the role of women.

Where I think Mulan suffers to some degree is that the creators felt beholden to the Disney animated tropes. The small cricket and dragon are not important to the plot and mostly provide slapstick comedy breaks. I'm all for Eddie Murphy being silly in an animated film, but the tone of Mulan feels less suited to his antics. In fact, I suspect the live action remake of this film will be one of the best because they will probably excise Mushu and Cri-kee from the script. The musical numbers are good songs, but they also feel a bit unnecessary in this story. I wouldn't say they bothered me, because the tunes are catchy, but I didn't think they needed to be there. My only other complaint about Mulan would be that the entire film feels a bit rushed. This might also be based on the fact that they were trying to meet some Disney animated movie standards, and keep it under 90 minutes for the young kids. I just felt they could have used a little more time to let some aspects of the story breathe and develop some of the characters a bit more. However, Mulan works quite well as a film, and it also looks great. This is definitely one of Walt Disney Animation Studios' successes.

In the 1990s, I felt that Disney made quite a few undistinguished cartoons following Aladdin. Unlike most of the world, I wasn't all that enamored with THE LION KING and subsequent offerings such as the wretched HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME and POCAHONTAS were huge disappointments. Sure, POCAHONTAS is a lovely film to watch, but it's so wrong historically and it's so politically correct and hokey. And as for HUNCHBACK, the story was so dark and unappealing, I have no idea WHO the intended audience was. So it was in this context that I expected to hate or at least be underwhelmed by MULAN. Instead, it seemed fresh, well-made, humorous and fun--something distinctly missing from these other films. While the anachronistic aspect of having a lady warrior is problematic, for once Disney had another strong and likable female lead following Belle in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. This was a definite home-run for Disney and well worth your time whether you are a child or an adult.

Good-looking but lumpish and derivative Disney animated musical based on Chinese folklore. Young girl, a failure in Concubine School, decides to join the Chinese Emperor's Army disguised as a boy to save her family's name. The dozen-plus "drag" jokes and vocal hamming from Eddie Murphy (as a tiny dragon) may make older kids giggle, but this is far from the studio's best work. The bathing sequence is a hoot, there are moments of beauty and wonder, but Mulan simply isn't a very intriguing character. The songs from Matthew Wilder and lyricist David Zippel are not memorable and the picture seems exceptionally long at 88 minutes. ** out of ****

Now I must admit I wasn't sure about this one. MULAN seemed to break most of my preconceived rules on Disney movies. These included the fairytale element - a cross-dressing Chinese soldier doesn't have the same magical appeal as, say, the son of the Greek gods searching for his birthright, etc etc. Also, this verge towards realism meant that the bad guy would not be as appealing - Disney villains are camp, over-the-top thespians by rule - Jeremy Irons in THE LION KING for example. I was concerned about the absence of king-of-melody composer Alan Menken, whose wonderful songs encapsulate the charm of Disney.

However, that said, I thought this film was wonderful. The characters were well thought out and expertly drawn. Not enough songs were present for my liking, but those that were fit perfectly with the story, and the chance to hear the wonderful voice of Lea Salonga (Mulan's songs) is worth the price of this film alone. Eddie Murphy has managed to be as good, if not better, than Robin Williams as the comic sidekick. And the film's conclusion is as genuine and as heartfelt as any adaptation of this story. The mountain scene contains some of the best animation I have seen from Disney, and the rousing score from maestro Jerry Goldsmith accompanies the action superbly.

This may not turn out to be a classic in the same way as THE LION KING and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, but I enjoyed it immensely. Go see it now!!!

I know this sounds silly, but Mulan is actually my all-time favorite movie. Trust me, I am a perfectly intelligent young woman who likes to read and is going to college, but there's just something about Mulan that I have always loved. It suffered a lot in release because it was lost in an avalanche of new CGI movies like A Bug's Life. But Mulan's story is every bit as good as those movies, even if you find the animation less impressive.

The strengths of the movie for me are not the songs (which are very weak compared to earlier Disney), nor the animation (which is charming with a few Chinese flourishes) or any other technical aspect of the movie production. What makes this moving great is that it has a truly endearing, likable main character. While in most Disney movies the silly sidekicks or cute animals steal the show, in this movie Mulan is both funny and brave, making her a truly human character that I rooted for whole-heartedly.

I am also a crazy feminist and for me this movie is the ultimate girl-power movie. Who would of thought that could ever be said of a Disney movie? But really, Mulan, as a Chinese tomboy who never quite feels that she fits in in her society, is an excellent picture of a woman finally proving to the world that she can do everything a man can do. After watching the movie (which I have done over 15 times) I always feel really inspired and motivated! Seriously! The movie without a doubt has lots of production problems (bad songs, clichéd side-characters, mediocre villain), but I still highly, highly recommend because fundamentally the characters are likable and believable and the plot is well constructed. Oh and I think it's pretty damn funny. Mushu always makes me laugh, and watching Mulan try to spit is still the funniest thing I've ever seen in a movie.

If you want the classic singing, dancing fairy tale-style Disney movies a la The Little Mermaid, this is not quite what you're looking for. Mulan is more character driven and less lavishly made. But it absolutely belongs in the upper ranks of Disney, and it's a pity that Disney couldn't have continued to make animated features of this quality.

Classic Disney. Why bother remake this great story, and remake it bad ?

This animated movie has everything : characters, story, music, fun, action...

Golden age Disney. The one we'll never get back.

This movie is great as it's got an amazing catchy soundtrack, brilliant animation, great relatable themes like to always honor your family's name and to follow your heart. I think it is a positive educational film that has established the image of the ancient female hero through the tortuous story of Mulan joining the army on behalf of his father, and has promoted the traditional virtues of filial piety, perseverance, patriotism and so on.

Musical, adventure, drama, comedy. Do you remember, dear viewers, that in ancient times, when mammoths still walked the earth, Disney studio was associated with the words "quality", "humor" and "great pastime for the whole family", where viewers of all ages will find for themselves what something close to his heart? Yes, my dear old men, there was a time! This is now Disney mired in such a brown substance with its subpoena and openly careless attitude to business that it earned me the nickname "Evil Corporation". But let's not talk about the sad, and therefore - let us remember today one of the well-deserved masterpieces of my childhood, which I can revisit an infinite number of times - and again have pleasure, as in the very first. I don't remember the circumstances of the first viewing, but it was definitely in childhood. And here is my brief opinion - Honored Masterpiece of the Corporation of Evil. In this review we will consider the expressive advantages of this cartoon, because, firstly, I don't want to talk about the shortcomings here, and secondly, they are insignificant here, and the word "absolutely" does not affect the general perception. Now, let your humble servant dwell on the merits in more detail. So, here they are: 1. Told Story - this musical, intertwined with several genres, tells the story of a brave girl Mulan - a character from a Chinese legend (about the reality and fiction of which is still debated), who went to war instead of her elderly father. And everything would be fine, but if the deception is revealed, then death and shame for the whole family awaits her. Of course, the story is retold with a Disney touch of talking animals and is filled with songs and humor. I also note that Mulan is shown as a strong and courageous girl who took such a step to save her father. At the same time, she remained a wonderful girl, very emotional. I fell in love with this heroine, and empathized with her throughout the cartoon, absolutely in any situation. A strong heroine who is loved by boys and who has been admired by a girl for more than one generation. And do not care, as it was in the legend, because it is very similar to the truth. 2. Animation - I definitely indicate this item in cartoons with classic 2D animation, since 3D is already frankly enough, not to say even worse. Characters, environments, backdrops - everything looks amazingly beautiful and does not age. I assure you, and in a hundred years, this animation will delight a new generation of viewers and bewitch with its beauty. 3. Chinese entourage - since the legend of Mulan is Chinese, the creators tried to immerse the audience in this era, applying a minimum of details, but strengthening the emphasis on being of that time (strictly patriarchal). And they succeeded. I literally ended up in Ancient China, threatened by nomadic tribes from the north. Clothes, design, music - all this perfectly conveyed the entourage. 4. Songs - I estimate them according to the Russian version, because I did not watch the cartoon in the original. But I know that the Corporation of Evil is very vigilant about the localization of its products in different countries, and knowing the experience of the Russian branch, you can not worry about the quality, because the translation is not verbal, but it perfectly fits the motive and meaning of the songs. The songs themselves turned out to be strong and emotional, and even touching, funny, and so on. Plus, the dubbing actors obviously tried, and in their voices you can hear the whole gamut of feelings that a person is capable of. Bravo! 5. Images - fear of the enemy, the ominous image of a strong enemy, the monstrous consequences of a bloody battle and much more - the creators of the cartoon managed, in the absence of blood or scenes of a cruel slaughter (after all, a cartoon for family viewing), to convey all this through the images, actions of the characters. Using a minimum of details, the creators were able to demonstrate and make us feel emotions, including fear for China and the heroes. 6. Humor - Evil Corp would not be Evil Corp if there was no humor in their cartoons. And he is here, there is a lot of him, and he is amazing. In some moments you experience a real "Spanish shame" for the heroes doing such that at least stand still fall. The lion's share of humor is formed here by the dragon Mushu - my favorite. Of course, some jokes were adapted to Russian realities (naturally in dubbing), and this added points to the cartoon from the viewer in the CIS and the former USSR. 7. Characters - each is worked out and interesting, both first and second plan, from a soldier to the Emperor himself. But Mushu takes a separate place. For without him it would be definitely boring, I assure you. Mushu is a cartoonish loser-merry fellow who hooks the audience from the very first appearance in the frame and does not let go until the very final credits. A little about the main characters: 1. Fa Mulan is an ordinary girl who, in a difficult time for the country and family, committed a daring and deadly act - disguised as a man and went to war. An awkward, daring, strong and courageous girl. A real warrior maiden. Who did not become a radical feminist, but remained a woman capable of feelings and excessive emotionality. She will be admired by both boys and girls. A worthy image of a strong girl who evokes sympathy from start to finish. 2. Mushu - a dragon, the keeper of the family, who went to help Mulan in order to help her cope with an impossible task. A treasure trove of humor and a source of endless laughter. The classic loser who gets the chance to make something memorable and benefit. In the original, he is voiced by Eddie Murphy himself, but in Russian dubbing he speaks in the voice of Valery Kukharyoshin, whose voice will always remain with me. 3. Li Shang is the commander of the recruits, in whose ranks Mulan has arrived. I must make from yesterday's peasants a combat-ready army, which must defeat the invaders who attacked China. He shows himself as a skillful mentor and a courageous commander who knows how to make decisions in difficult situations. Well, the romance has not gone anywhere. It looks appropriate and evokes emotion and joy. There are still many heroes that deserve mention, but if I list them all, I will ruin the viewing for those unfortunate people who have not yet watched this wonderful cartoon. Of course, there are some comments, but they, I repeat, are insignificant and do not affect the overall impression. Let's call them small shoals that are inevitable when working on an animated film. This masterpiece has a sequel to "Mulan 2", but it is frankly weak, and keeps only on Mushu's humor, but even it is better than that squalor called "Mulan" 2020, which I don't even want to talk about, otherwise the pressure will jump up and you will have to drink funny pills ... Therefore, let's imagine that the story of the brave warrior Mulan ended in this cartoon with a predictable and well-deserved ending. As a result, we have a real masterpiece of the Corporation of Evil about the brave girl Mulan, with an excellent script, great surroundings, great humor, catchy characters, great songs and stunning animation. My rating is 10 out of 10 and my recommendation for viewing!

Except, they do still sing--as sort of narration for their emotions. The songs are highly unmemorable (as I sit here writing this, I can only remember the line, "I'll make a man out of you," which is from the very worst song ever including in a Disney film.

By the way, will Disney ever have a "training session" that will last more than a couple minutes and that isn't put to a song? They did that to this movie, Hercules, Tarzan (who also grew into an adult instantaneously), and Beauty and the Beast (in that Belle changes her mind about the Beast during a song).

One more really bad thing about Mulan--Mushu is a total hinderance. I'm not just talking about his pop-culture mouth (which someone should have popped), but that he in fact causes more problems than he solves. Would it really be so much to ask if Mulan could have made the mistake that "gave away our position," instead of having Mushu shoot off a rocket? At least that way, she's redeeming her own mistake, instead of someone elses, which gives no emotional payoff. Better yet, why not have the falcon find the line of troops--after all, that's what the falcon is for, right? It scouted earlier for the general's encampment and brought back the doll, remember?

Oh, and the cross-dressing thing at the end was a little too weird--a bit too Fushigi Yugi and not really very intelligent--do you honestly think that anybody would fall for that trick, even if they were really women (especially considering what the Monguls would have done).

The best parts of the movie were the references to Japanese cartoons (anime). When Mushu fries the feathers off of the falcon, it looks like a Chocobo from the Final Fantasy series, but is just as likely a reference to the horseclaws from Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind (the director, apparently, is a devotee of Miyazaki). Another Nausicaa reference--the doll, which is similar to the one that Lord Yupa finds at the beginning of the Nausicaa movie (it crumbles, and Yupa says, "Another village has died."). Also, Mulan's hair is given incredible attention, which is not usually the case in Disney films (usually they're just pretty and blow in the wind). Just watch her hair when she bows in shame after they find out she's a she!

Beyond that, there is a good deal of emotional content, though once the possibility of execution is lifted (a life for a life), it is never mentioned again--even though the overseer, who really hated her, could have had her executed at a moments notice once she caught back up with them. And I'm sorry, but for all their knowledge and art, the Chinese were rather steadfast about their ways and about honor--they would not suddenly become so accepting of women, especially since they are still rather unaccepting of women.

Definitely one of my favourite Disney movies ever. It's always nice to see a female come to the rescue. And after Hercules, I'm glad that the villains in this movie were actually scary. A chill went down my spine during the mountain scene. And the ending was great too, not completely wrapping up the story like most Disney movies do. Excellent work.

'Mulan' is good Disney.

There's a lot to enjoy about this film, it's not without a few less entertaining parts but overall it's one that many will like. The plot is pretty fascinating, even if it isn't as dark or in-depth as it could be.

Ming-Na Wen gives a more than acceptable performance in the lead role. Eddie Murphy, though, is definitely the most memorable voice from this. I don't love his character, who is a bit too cartoon-y and looks out of place, but Murphy is simply funny, in what certainly feels like a precursor to his role in the 'Shrek' franchise. None of the other cast standout, yet still give what's required.

Animation-wise it's nice, while a few of the songs are catchy. I don't, as already alluded to with Murphy's Mushu, overly rate the character design. Aside from the aforementioned, I also don't like how Shan Yu (Miguel Ferrer) looks - he, at least to me, just looks angry all the time rather than terrifying or threatening.

I do class this as a film worth watching for sure, the pacing helps keep things enjoyable.

Love watching this with my daughter's. One of Disney's best. Very fun and exciting for a animation film.

I'll be honest here. I started watching this movie with a pretty negative attitude about the whole thing. I think that most Disney movies have gotten worse and worse over the past few years, so I assumed "Mulan" would be no exception. But then, after I watched the movie for a little while, I realized it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it might be. The characters are quite well-developed, and the movie itself moves along fairly smoothly. I think the only thing that really "clogged" the movie was the frequent songs, although I truly enjoyed a couple of them. All in all, I found the movie quite enjoyable, and I give it about a 7 out of 10.

"Mulan" is one of Disney's last "hand-drawn" animated works from before it bought Pixar and started exclusively producing computer-animated films and pre-teen pop starlets. The animation here is certainly nice when compared to Disney's television shows, but like other Disney cartoons from this era (Pocahontas, The Emperor's New Groove) the lines are simple, the colors are a bit flat and the cast seems to be on auto-pilot. Yeah, Mulan isn't a Disney film that I would say was particularly "inspired".

The musical numbers by Jerry Goldsmith are pretty droll and even offensive (for instance, the fat Chinese soldier character sings about how his ideal woman would know how to cook beef, chicken and pork; you know, like on a Chinese food menu?). Donny Osmond sings the main theme song for Mulan's training montage. I don't like Osmond, but the song is actually flawed by the weak and tepid songwriting, not the vocal performance. Most of the songs here are memorable because they're so laughably awful. I mean, compared to "Beauty and the Beast", "Aladdin" or "The Lion King" the songs here are not even in the same ballpark.

Eddie Murphy isn't laugh-out-loud hilarious, but he's the only saving grace of the film. He voices a sassy supporting role, Mulan's pet dragon and best friend, and is the only entertaining part of the film. He's a little miscast, but is also somehow the only substantial character. For instance, the villains (here it's the Mongolian Horde, ancient China's consistent historical adversary) have such little character depth -- not to mention humanity. I know Disney films paint the world in simplistic shades of good and evil, but good golly... the Mongolians are depicted here as a collective race of monsters! They're given no incentive or individual reason for existence. And I don't recall seeing any female Mongolians either. Their whole depiction is clumsy and comes across as ignorant. Also, it's kind of weird that Mulan falls in love with a tough guy who, well... beats her into shape.

The film's not unwatchable, it's just really mediocre. The use of the CGI makes it clear that Disney was just about finished with their signature (historically significant) hand-drawn animated works. But Mulan comes nowhere close to any of Disney's back catalog. To any parents looking for a good Disney animated film to watch with their kids, go for anything before Pocahontas. Mulan is lackluster in the departments of charm, pacing, songwriting and memorability.

I've heard the more recent animated Disney film "Lilo & Stitch" was much better, so maybe I should check that out.