Review of Mulan (1998) by Phillip M — 05 Jan 2012

Firstly, I'd just like to say, Mulan was released in 1998, not 2002, which it is listed here in flixster. Yea, that kinda peeved me a bit. Anyway...

It makes up for its cheesiness with great visuals, catchy songs, amiable characters and a good story. Of Disney's second wave of hand-drawn animated flicks that came out of the 90s, this one is my favourite.

For Disney, this is quite a deep story, instead of primarily focusing on a love story, Mulan is about honour--family honour. Mulan makes a huge sacrifice as she takes her father's place in the army, for she cannot let her aging father who has previously served his time in the army be reenlisted. Having being deemed an unfit wife, she is adamant on having prove herself to her family, especially her father that she is not a disgrace.

This is about as deep as Disney can get, and it's quite refreshing. The story does emote a sort of disappointed atmosphere, but as usual, Disney films must remain kid friendly. There are some dark tones, mostly with the depiction of the Huns, but war in itself is not something gleeful. And this may be the Disney film with the highest dead body count (the avalanche scene--which by the way is beautifully done.).

I think that Disney's target demographic inhibited Mulan from being an all time great. Undeniably, Mulan is a classic; it's unique enough from other Disney films to stand above some of them. But what could have pushed it further was the exploration of more serious topics.

Mulan is about breaking boundaries, both plot-wise and for Disney. It takes place in a time where equality between men and women didn't exist. "Why is Mulan any different?" Mulan asks when her true self is revealed. It's because she's a girl. It's an empowerment story, that plays heavy on Mulan proving herself worthy. It's intrinsically a serious film, but the constant downplaying of this seriousness unfortunately lessens its impact.

However, this does not mean the movie isn't enjoyable or strays too far from it's central message. The musical and visual aspects of Mulan are highly entertaining. With great songs and very beautiful animation, it's easy to see the appeal. The comedic elements are there as well. Murphy as Mushu is great, but again, the contrast between light and serious child's movie is questioned. With his inclusion we get the comic relief from the heavy material, but is it too much? He's a great character, but he sets the tone of the film of balance.

All in all, for me, Mulan is a success. It was a new direction for Disney, it paid off commercially, and it gave them a new material to possibly work with in the future with strong female characters. 8/10.