1. "An impressive achievement ranking with BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and THE LION KING!" -- Roger Ebert 2. Deleted Scenes -- Never-Before-Heard Song; Alternate Openings 3. Songs of MULAN 4. Music Videos Featuring Jackie Chan, Raven, And Christina Aguilera 5. "Discovering MULAN" -- Embark On A Behind-The-Scenes Adventure With The Filmmakers 6. Early Presentation Reels 7. Progression Reels 8. DisneyPedia: "Mulan's World" -- Explore The Fascinating World Of Ancient China With Your Host, Mushu 9. MULAN Fun Facts 10. Audio Commentary 11. Storyboard-To-Film Comparisons
1 Girl Power!
There's something about this movie that gives you sort of a "Girls can do anything!" kind of feeling...well, unless you're a boy; but you understand what I'm saying. The animation is very colorful, which is a very desirable quality in any cartoon, movie or T.V. show. The characters were very likable, and I didn't find myself rolling my eyes or nearly gagging at any of them. That's another good quality in a movie: likable characters. Trust me, I've read plenty of books where I think the author got the main character mixed up with the main character's enemy who everyone is supposed to hate. But back on the subject of "Mulan", it was a funny, well-thought-out movie that you will want to watch over and over again. And did I mention that it has REALLY catchy songs?
2 Enchanting
Mulan is not a success when she is presented to the local Matchmaker (a terrifying woman) as a prospective bride, and the meeting ends in chaos. Feeling that she will never be a credit to her family, Mulan gets her chance when an envoy arrives from the Emperor, China is being attacked by the Huns, and one man from every family must go to serve in the army. Mulan doesn't want her frail father to have to go, so she steals his sword and armour and gallops off on her horse Khan in his place.The spirits of her ancestors send a somewhat undersized dragon (the voice of Eddie Murphy)to guard her. She bluffs her way into the army, struggles through the training process, and eventually succeeds in becoming a real soldier, winning the respect of her comrades and doing her bit to save the Empire.
This is a wonderful film, with gorgeous animation, a thrilling plot,lots of humour, great characters and a superb score. Mulan herself is an attractive and heartwarming heroine who keeps your interest and sympathy throughout.You feel like cheering when she manages to climb to the top of the pole and throw down the arrow, and there is a breathtakingly exciting scene where the Huns come sweeping down the snow-covered hill and she defeats them with a brilliant piece of strategy The supporting characters are good too, Mulan's parents (unusually for a Disney film, she has a father as well as a mother)are very sympathetically portrayed, and she also has a feisty grandmother who has one of the best lines in the film, when she sets eyes on gorgeous Captain Shang and says "Sign me up for the next war!" Eddie Murphy is very funny as Mushu, and Mulan's army colleagues are amusing too. Everything about this film is an absolute delight.
3 Mulan Rocks!
The review titled " Ive seen better cartoons from the WB network " is plain dumb. Mulan doesn't have to be pretty.
That's the good part about it, she isn't a stupid, dumb
princess who looooves fashion! She may be reffered to as
a princess, but princess is NOT what she is. She's tough,
strong, brave... she's awesome! The songs are awesome,
the movie's awesome. Now about the bad review, here's what
it said:
i didnt like this movie because the dragon took away from plot. Mulan has too much western style in it.plus Mulan is not pretty enough!
THERE. MY REVIEW'S DONE!
4 Wonderful
Mulan is a movie I will never forget, and I mean it. After several years, I found out it had a special edition DVD in a commercial. I had to get it, and within a hour or two, it was in the DVD player, and I watched it two times in a row. This movie is heart-warming, magical, and fun and the deleted scenes give insight of the making of the movie. Mulan, to me, is just as great a classic as Bambi or Cinderella is.
5 Never took my eyes off it
Such a captivating movie-the music, characters, scenes, situations and troubles they all get into, keep you glued to the tube. The music is so beautiful. I've heard that some people say Mulan is not a "Princess" like all the other "Disney Princesses" but you don't have to have royal blood running through your veins or to marry a prince to be a princess, Mulan is a princess in every way, shape and form.
6 The movie is cute, but it really lacks any plot...
Mulan 2 I had hoped to be with abit more action and exciting and so as the 1st one. This movie is more about for little girls who dream of love and adventure.
Not to say the movie wasnt cute to watch, just that when your taking about 3 guys to fall in love with 3 women that are destined to be with someone else.
That and Mushu being a bad character this time around... was odd..
I mean it was kinda a dissapointment. But anyways, I know alot has been said about this movie as it is. Just thought id drop this in.
Couldve had abit more in the story in my view.
7 Powerful
The Disney version of Mulan is a very precious addition to anyone's Disney collection. In this masterpiece, a young woman by the name of Mulan feels uncomfortably pressured to be the traditional perfect bride and daughter of her time and culture in China. But unknown to everyone who knows and sees her, she has much different and untraditional plans for herself. When the Hun Army invades China, one man from every family is called to serve in the country's defense. When her previously injured father is called to serve, Mulan seizes the opportunity for adventure and honor and takes his place. Tagging along with her is ex-guardian Mushu, a tiny scrawny dragon willing to put her life in danger to regain his position of exalted guardianship, her lucky cricket, and her trusted anti-Mushu horse Khan. Together they embark on a remarkable journey so save China and, perhaps, herself. Will she succeed? Will she be discovered by her commanding officer? And will Mushu ever regain his position?
Mulan is played by the talented and spirited Ming Nga (sp?) and Mushu by the hilarious and gifted Eddie Murphy. It is a worthwhile addition to any collection. Songs include "Honor to us all" and the hilarious and inspiring "Be a Man" sequence.
Personally, my favorite character in the movie was the cricket, and I loved the never ending Mushu/Khan feud.
8 Drawn from greatness
I loved this movie when it first came out, and I recently saw it 2 and a half times on DVD. If I could only own one Disney movie, this one would be it. The principles are profound, the humor is laugh-out-loud, and the music is exhilarating. "Reflection" never fails to give me chills. I especially like the Special Edition with Jackie Chan's performance of the "Be a Man" song, and options to set the language to Mandarin (as well as French, German and Spanish). It's wonderful!
9 Good Message For Young Girls
Although "Mulan" isn't my favorite of the big Mouse's productions, it is definitely in my top ten. In this tale, a young girl goes against tradition and takes her father's place in a great war with the Mongols by disguising herself as a young man. The tale has been told before in various forms, but it works very well in this picture.
The story gives girls a strong message of doing what you believe in or what is best, even though it may go against tradition or the majority's point of view. In the end, Mulan not only gains the respect of her fellow soldiers, but of the entire empire of China.
The action sequences are fairly intense, although there are really only two major battles. The first is the brilliantly animated fight in the snowy mountains where the Chinese, outnumbered, take on a huge Mongol force lead by the sinister main villain whose name escapes my memory right now. The second major conflict takes place in the emperor's palace and spills into the streets of the city.
The characters in this film are all given proper introductions, though the main bad guy doesn't have many chances to develop. All we really know is that he wants to take over the Chinese empire. Ming-Na Wen provides the speaking voice for Mulan. The rest of the character voices include B.D. Wong, Pat Morita and a hilarious Harvey Fierstein. Of course, everyone focuses on the comic relief of Mushu(Eddie Murphy). Murphy does a splendid job with the character, though I think he could have been given a little more room to expand on the character. In all honesty, Mushu is almost as funny as Murphy's "Donkey" from the "Shrek" films.
The songs in this film are pretty good. "Reflection" is a rather good song that is performed by Mulan(singing voice provided by Lea Salonga). The song is very inspiring. My favorite song has to be "Be A Man," however. It just sounds great and reminds me of Elvis' "GI Blues." You'd think the military would be an odd setting for musical numbers, but it works in both of these films. Another excellent song is "True To Your Heart," performed by Stevie Wonder and boy band 98 Degrees. It's a very peppy, feel-good song that finishes off the film in great fashion.
The DVD includes a number of special features. From games to the obligatory "Making Of" featurette, it's all here. There is a music video of the aforementioned Stevie Wonder/98 Degrees song and a very, VERY virginal looking Christina Aguilera performing "Reflection."
Overall, a fine addition to the family DVD collection. I highly recommend this to folks with young daughters due to its good message. Don't worry if you only have sons, the message works for them as well, and there's plenty of action to quench their craving for fight scenes.
Highly recommended.
10 Honorable
I love this movie. Its probablly the last BESTest film that came out in theatures that was from disney. Oh that wasn't pixar. This is A Great movie and the extras aren't that bad because their wasn't alot, but that doesn't matter, the movie itself matters, and the movie is good. No its not good....ITS AWESOME
11 Una oda de guerra, amor y honor
Quiz‡s el m‡s maduro de sus largometrajes animados desde el Rey Le—n. Una oda de guerra, amor y honor. Batallas a muerte contra la voluntad y el valor de una joven que no se da por vencida. Es Mulan, una pel’cula que combinando elementos tan distintos -seriedad y humor, amor y odio-, crea una historia inteligente y graciosa que nadie debe dejar de ver.
Basada en una leyenda china, Mulan es el relato de una joven que no encaja en las estructuras r’gidas impuestas por su cultura tradicional, en cuanto al rol de la mujer dentro de la sociedad. Un esp’ritu independiente sentenciado a "nunca traer honor a su familia" por manifestar una manera propia de pensar y actuar.
En la Žpoca del feudalismo chino, el Emperador, quien debe confrontar un ataque de los Hunos, comandados por el vil Shan Yu, manda a reclutar un hombre por cada familia para que tomen su puesto en la futura guerra. El padre de Mulan, œnico hombre de la familia y atado a sus tradiciones, acepta su deber sin titubeos.
Y al igual que su padre, Mulan, sin pensarlo mucho, decide tomar su lugar, convirtiŽndose en hombre. Corta su cabello, roba las armas de guerra de pap‡ y se enlista en la milicia con el seud—nimo soldado Ping. Y en el camino, se consigue 2 amigos muy caricaturescos, un simp‡tico drag—n llamado Mushu y su compa–ero, un grillo llamado Crikee. Ambos dan el toque de humor usual en este gŽnero cinematogr‡fico.
En la vida militar, Mulan enfrenta un desafiante y riguroso entrenamiento, bajo la mirada cr’tica de su jefe de comando, el Capit‡n Shang. Y demuestra en el campo de batalla tanto inteligencia como valor. La historia de su bœsqueda por defender el nombre de su familia y por lograr la aceptaci—n de su manera de pensar es contada con gran estilo.
La animaci—n es excelente, desde escenas tan impresionantes como la batalla en la nieve hasta el desfile realizado ante el palacio imperial. Se implementan ‡ngulos de c‡mara inusuales, Los colores y las texturas utilizadas dan gran delicadeza a la pel’cula, favoreciendo su fotograf’a; la banda sonora es ligera y fresca.
En Mul‡n, el largometraje animado nœmero 36 de los estudios Disney, una vez m‡s se tratan de alcanzar y explorar emociones y sentimientos como el amor familiar, el deber, el valor, el honor, la obediencia, la osad’a, la voluntad y el trabajo en equipo. Nociones muy agradables para que todos, ni–os y adultos, aprendan y practiquen. (1998)
12 Mulan
You can't help but love this movie. when a girl will go against all she knows and kick butt. can't help but love that. plus with a little romance at the end. its something every disney fan needs and would love!
13 Courageous & Inspiring......................................
This should be a story that every mother watches with her daughter. Well children cause my children and I love it. Of course they like that it's animated, there's singing not to mention talking animals. BUT for me it's a strong and courageous story, in which a young woman realizes that she has to assume responsibility for her family!
Mulan is now a young woman it's time to be a wife. Her visit with the matchmaker is the worse. The matchmaker tells her that she will never bring her family honor.
The Huns are attacking China. Every village needs to send a male to represent their family. Unfortunately Mulan is and only child.
Instead of allowing her father the only man in her family to go Mulan disguises herself as a man to help her family and her country. Her ancestors send a dragon in an effort to bring her back in order not to disgrace them. In boot camp, she's learning to fit in with the other soldiers. Mushu (voice of Eddie Murphy) a wise cracking dragon becomes her helpful sidekick. Mulan at times is barely able to maintain her secret. BUT through all of her struggles we see as Mulan learns that she doesn't have to be perfect.
As they come face to face with The Huns we see as they work as a team. I love that Mulan isn't all looking for a man and needs one to define her! Although it's obvious that she is attracted to Shang.
This is such a powerful story filled with determination not to mention the vibrant colors. I can't wait for part II.
14 Not bad one-off viewing
Not bein' as big a fan of Disney's animated fare as I used to be, I wasn't too keen on seein' this particular flick. But then Amazon sent me a "thank you" for being a Top 100 customer reviewer in the form of an advance copy of "Mulan II" on DVD (available at www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0002YLCH4/qid=1106712546/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-0488135-0118334?v=glance&s=dvd ) to review, and alla' sudden I had somethin' of an obligation to fulfill. So I figured that if I'm gonna review the sequel, I might as well watch the original movie so I'd be caught up on the back-story and such. Kinda like watchin' the first "Star Wars" so you're up to speed when ya check out "The Empire Strikes Back", ya know? Or not...
Anyhoo, I gave "Mulan I" a rent and a view. While I wasn't too hip with a few of the musical numbers and the rapid-fire rap that Eddie Murphy laid out as the miniature dragon Mushu, I found the show reasonably entertaining. I've always been a sucker for the tried-and-true "prennial-screw-up-who-tries-to-prove-his/her-worthiness-and-ends-up-savin'-the-day" plot, and this was one of the better ones I've seen in recent years. I even got a chuckle or two outta some of the more humorous situations, although most of the slapstick moments were more silly than funny. I even got a bit misty at the end, which hasn't happened to me since I watched "Snoopy Come Home" (available at www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00005BCMS/qid=1106712476/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-0488135-0118334?v=glance&s=video ) for the first time. I only wish the animation was up to the level of "The Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and the Beast"; methinks the Disney animators are gettin' a bit complacent...
Another thing I've noticed about "Mulan" is how much more risquŽ it is compared to Disney's older animated musical fare; I don't think I've seen quite so many... shall we say, "glute injuries" in a Disney flick as I saw here. There's even a scene where the title character and her fellow troops come across a defeated regiment, the silhouettes of their bodies lyin' out in a snow bank off in the distance. While this scene doesn't quite drive home the horrors of war like most Japanese anime aftermath-of-battle scenes, it's pretty intense for a Disney flick...
Finally there are the special features... which are pretty sparse on the regular-edition DVD. There's the usual theatrical teaser trailer, which (somewhat surprisingly) features a few unfinished rough-cut snippets. Also included are a couple music videos from Christina Aguilera and 98 Degrees with Stevie Wonder, both of which I found absolutely unwatchable. Which makes sense, seein' as how I found the music videos' tunes unlistenable. Fortunately, both songs kicked up during the closing credits sequences, so I didn't hafta suffer too long...
On a technical note: the "Mulan" DVD gives you the option of watching the feature in widescreen or pan-&-scan. Guess which option I chose?
`Late
15 Solid Gold
Disney's acclaimed film Mulan is a treat through and through...hey, I'm Asian. It's high time they made a film with us folks in it, hehe!
16 A girl worth fightin' for....
Brilliant! I loved this movie - and I think this is the last WD animation I actually liked ( any movie with Pixar doesn't count, since we all know It ain't no disney! ). I'm glad they bought this out on DVD with the special features attached to it. I wold have bought this DVD if I didn't watch it like 10 times so far. Good to buy for: Kiddes aged 3 - 14. Old people with Dimentia. And people young at heart .
17 A brave heart
Disney really reclaims itslef with Mulan. After the disturbing sexual innuedoes in the Hunchback of ND, Mulan brings a strong self of character to Mulan. Mulan takes her fathers place in the Chinese army and in the process disguises herself as a man. The switch proves to be both hilarious but shows the strength and love Mulan feels for her family. The dragon (voiced by Eddie Murphy) injects even more humor and choas in this delightful tale. In addition, the colorful backdrop of China's countryside and villages weaves a comfortable blanket around this story in which to enjoy. In Mulan, Disney has created a character were young girls can find independance and heart.
18 Great for Chinese adoptees
My daughter, who we adopted from China, is a HUGE Disney princess fan (5 years old). While I can deal with that on a certain level, I love being able to watch this with her and talk about how Mulan saved China and that a girl can be as smart, and smarter, than boys. I think for all girls this is a hugh self-esteem building Disney movie ... Mulan is not a princess -- she's smart and she's a hero. My daughter loves this movie and I'm happy to have her watch it.
19 Good Movie for Kids
I remember watching this when i was young and i couldnt stop LAUGHING.. Now that i watch the special edition which i said i MUST buy it just wasnt funny. I was watching it with my youngr cousin and they loved it though. sO i think it is great for young ones and it teaches a lesson but just not for adults.
20 Mulan rocks!
This is certainly the best Disney animation I've ever seen. An awesome story line, beautiful Chinese elements, great songs and background music... MULAN ROCKS!!
A note to those who find this animation Japanese. The Tang dynasty, when the story of Fa Mulan happened, was the period when the Chinese empire flourished. Historical research shows that Japan was one of the countries which had been sending students to study in China during this period. As a result, the students eventually brought back Chinese cultures including clothings, architecture, tea and language etc. back to their own country. One of the examples are the large amount of Chinese characters which Japanese people would use when they write nowadays.
21 Awesome 2-disc DVD of a great disney movie!
Somewhere in ancient China, a preety social misfit named Mulan disguises herself as a soldier in order to save her father's life from being killed and to take place. She is guided with the help of a feisty chatterbox dragon named "Mushu" and a lucky Cricket named "Cri-Kee" on her journey and training in the Chinese army against the huns lead by the fiendish Shan-Yu.
A monumental animated masterpiece that is totally the best disney movie i've ever seen, glorious animation, good story, a good cast ( Eddie Murphy, Ming La, B.D. Wong, Miguel Ferrer from "Robocop", and Pat Morita) and good lessons creates a wonderful and spellbinding animated experience you will always remember.
The new 2-Disc DVD contains great bonus features like audio commentary, an amusing Madarian music video of " I'll make a man out of you" with Jackie Chan, Music videos, featurettes, activities, publicity and much more. So if you love animation, i strongly suggest you sell your old DVD of "Mulan" and get this new 2-Disc DVD for your collection, it's worth the investment.
22 A Beautiful Story
Mulan is great! At first, I thought, What kind of movie is this? I mean, this does not have a great deal of romance. But I saw it again, and it grew in me. The songs are great, managing to convey how the character feels. The scenery is beautiful, and it gave me a chance to somewhat see what Chinese culture was like. I think that because there are about 405 other reviews, I don't have to say much about the story line,except that I agree that it is a great movie about being yourself. And also to get some laughs. Hope you enjoy it too.
23 One Of Disney's Best
This film is one of my very favorite Disney films, brimming with memorably catchy songs and stunning visuals. The storyline is usual Disney fare at heart, but one must realize that it is indeed a children's film. Overanalyzing the storyline of a children's film is like scratching an itch with a knife - a little overkill. But Mulan's story is filled with messages of honor, strength, the importance of family, brotherhood, and love. It is s a film filled with humor, color, music, and values. A true Disney classic.
24 EXCELLENT
An EXCELLENT movie. Especially for girls. Mulan tries her best to always do the right thing and succeeds in the end. A lot of humor along the way with some really good songs.
25 Mental Music
Only two types of songs get stuck in your head, the good ones and the really bad ones. the songs in Mulan, though you can count them on one hand, are catchy. The story is lovely, too. Imagine, a Disney movie not about love and not set in America. I recommend it if you're looking for a good movie for family night. And an ANSWER to the review who asked what the translation in chinese is for little brother, in Manderin, I believe it is didi [pronounced deedee].
26 Disney did it again! Mulan is fun for the whole family
Disney did it again! Mulan is a movie with a spetacular story about a chinese girl who refuses to follow the ancient boring chinese traditions. She is not afraid to follow her heart and do what she believes to be the right thing. One of the great things about Disney's cartoons is how they show the place of the story, which is equivalent to a film Photography. We had a great view of the ancient Greece in Hercules, Africa in The Lion King, Paris in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and again, the images of the ancient China in Mulan is already enough to love the movie! Another goal in all the Disney Cartoons are the loving pet characters, and Mulan isn't different. The new pet characters Cri Kee, the cricket and Mushu, the dragon are hilarious! Eddie Murphy plays the voice of Mushu. So, do you have any doubt that this dragon is funny and make excellent jokes? Cri Kee on the other hand makes only cricket noises, but not less funny because of that! Finally, everybody will love this chinese girl, Mulan. A person who refuses to follow the chinese traditions to do what she thinks to be the right thing. Her bravery will surely inspire every girl to believe in their hearts. Even when this means to struggle for what you want. The Disney Studios put everything that I said together in an amazing story of adventure that will surely be a great entertainment for the whole family! Highly recommended!!!
27 The Full Mulan Experience - Get Ready
For me, watching "Mulan" on Special Edition DVD was the first time viewing the movie. It's a great presentation and it really holds up well. The music is in the strong Disney tradition, with vocal pieces developed by Matthew Wilder and David Zippel and the awesome soundtrack by the late Jerry Goldsmith. The story is well written, with characters the viewer can really feel for, particularly the main character Mulan. Finally, the film is a visual masterpiece that really draws the eye to its beauty and helps to tell the story. Possibly the film's only weak point is its villain --- Shan-Yu doesn't really have the same effect as some of the more well-developed Disney villains such as Jafar from "Aladdin" or Hades from "Hercules."
I'm not any big, renowned film critic, so if I haven't sold you on the movie, perhaps I can at least give you a good run-down of the special features. Although the special features for the "Mulan" Special Edition DVD are not quite as numerous as those for the recent "Aladdin" release, they're just as good. The first disc contains songs / music videos and deleted scenes, as well as a tour of Mulan's World. The songs in this movie are very strong and the music videos are no exception. Some are better than others, but I definitely enjoyed them all. Jackie Chan's performance of "Be a Man" in Chinese was a great one to include. There are several deleted scenes, complete with commentary, as well as a deleted song that's fairly cool, but it's obvious wouldn't have worked with the movie. The Mulan's World feature has Mushu (Mark Moseley I would assume, since Eddie Murphy hasn't done the voice since the original feature) explaining various aspects of China. Since it's Mushu, there are plenty of jokes, of course, but I feel this actually really was quite well done as far as learning goes. Finally, the first disc includes a commentary track that gives a lot of insight into the making of the film, what things did and didn't work, and what some of the major people involved with the film liked. The second disc contains one more bonus song, "Reflection" in Spanish and a behind-the-scenes tour of the movie. Unlike the "Aladdin" behind-the-scenes featurette, this one has a bit more open feel. Each of the aspects from graphic design to music are in separate sections and you can select them to view at your leisure. You'll learn everything from how the movie was developed visually to the process of being it to other countries.
This is definitely the complete package of what one would expect from a two-disc DVD set. If, like me, you haven't seen "Mulan" before this, you should definitely take a look, or if you're already a fan of the movie, this is a great DVD set to get.
28 Glad there is another Disney storyline
I loved Mulan. The little Asian family jokes were hilarious! Frying dumplings over an open fire with chopsticks. Ingenious. The little details of humor are what made this movie so much fun to watch. I'm glad the main story line wasn't about love. A nice relief of traditional animated movies (Pocohantas, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, etc...), though I've always loved Disney movies. Q: the dog's name is little brother, is that just a translation from the chinese word for little brother?
29 Mulan!
Mulan is one of disney's great hits. Get it, and you'll be
so happy. some kids ( hopefully most) that see mulan will love
it for the rest of their lives and get and interest in the
asian culture. i know i have!
30 Delightful classic
Mulan is a great story, and the animation, music, and humor make this classic come alive. You know a movie is great when you - not just your kids - can watch it more than once.
31 The last great traditional Disney film?
Mulan is beautiful in story, art and style. It departs from the normal Disney style giving an Asian feel. The writers do an excellent job sticking to the story and the characters. The "sidekick" characters add to the story instead of distract which is a problem for a few of the recent animated films.
What sets this story apart for me is that Mulan is selfless in the story and the themes of family, respect, tradition, and sacrafice take center stage. If you look at other heroes from not just animation but live action too, the main character's motivations are generaly selfish. Mulan puts her life on the line for her father and her country, not for love, or to be human, or rich or so many other selfish reasons we see so often. The morals and principles of this story are very clear and very powerful.
I enjoyed every aspect of this film from start to finish and like many of the recent animated features in the past two decades this film is definately not just for children.
Mulan will probably be the last great tradional cel animated feature from Disney for a long time. I know a lot of people enjoyed Tarzan and Lilo and Stitch, but Mulan is a notch above those titles. Unfortunately the traditional cel format has given way to the popular 3d animation features. It is two bad, because I really enjoy both formats. I'm sure it will make a comeback in a decade or two after the 3d genre runs its course, but until then we have the luxery of great titles like Mulan on DVD to enjoy.
32 A lovely movie for the whole family
Mulan is funny, dramatic and great, and I rank it among the best Disney movies in recent history. ít`s music also brings a lot of entertainment, being in English or Spanish. Definitely you should watch it with your family.
33 THEY CUT OUT THE BEST LINE OF THE MOVIES
OKAY I LOVE MULAN...BUT WHY DID THEY CUT OUT THE BEST LINE. AT THE END OF THE MOVIE, MULAN ASKS HER BEAU TO STAY FOR DINNER AND THE GRANDMOTHER IS HEARD OFF SCREEN SAYING "WOULD YOU LIKE THE STAY FOREVER" IT IS THE FUNNIEST LINE AND THEY CUT IT OUT WHY!(...) I HATE MICHAEL ESNER AND HIS DISNEY VAULT....THE DISNEY VAULT IS TOTALLY A CONCENTRATION CAMP FOR ALL OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES!!!!
34 Great Movie with Aresome Extra !
The movie it self worth 5 stars, and top of that comes with some unique extra such as first time disney has madarin audio, is very good actually, i think is better in my option, jackien chan as shang and li coco as mulan is really a good combination cast. Buy it before too late?
35 Watch this movie the way it's supposed to be - in Mandarin!
I love watching DVDs so much. I especially like the foreign language tracks too. What's great about this DVD is that it has four spoken languages - English (all of Region 1), French (Quebec, Canada), Spanish (Puerto Rico, Texas), and guess what the fourth language is? Mandarin! No, I'm not making this up! You can now watch Mulan the way it was intended to be - in Mandarin! Well, now us American DVD fans can watch Beauty and the Beast and Hunchback of Notre Dame in French, The Three Cabarellos (did I misspell this?) and Saludos Amigos in Spanish, and now Mulan in Mandarin Chinese! What's next, Hercules with a Greek soundtrack? Aladdin with an Arabic soundtrack? How about The Lizzie McGuire Movie in Italian! Disney should make more DVDs with foreign languages of the settings in their movies!
BTW, this isn't just the only Region 1 Disney DVD with an uncommon language. The Winnie the Pooh Sing Along Songs DVD has English, Spanish, and Italian, the DVD storybooks have five languages (three include English, French and Spanish; I think the other two might be Italian and German), and some of the Japanese Anime movies distributed by Buena Vista (not Disney) have the original Japanese audio as well as English dubs. And maybe some movies from the Adult divisions of Buena Vista may have special foreign language tracks, too.
DVD foreign language fanatics, enjoy!
36 Modern Masterpiece of Animation!
Mulan is has to be one of the finest Disney movies ever produced. I have yet to disagree with Disney on any of their choices for "Platinum" or "Special Edition" releases.
The first thing I would like to address is the aspect ratio. A reviewer claimed that "this is obviously not the original aspect ratio for this film!". Well, that statement is false. The previoius release of Mulan on DVD had CROPPED widescreen. Which means that the picture was squshed so that it would appear to be the 1:85:1 ratio, which trimmed off the edges of the picture as well as some of the top and bottom (true widescreen gives you MORE picture and the bars are UNUSED space). Also,the orignal DVD release was NOT compatable with widescreen Televisions.
Now, for the FIRST time, Mulan is presented in it's ORIGINAL aspect ratio of 1:66:1 (this was also the original ratio for other films like Aladdin and Lion King). The widescreen is Anamorphic so widescreen TV owners can rejoice. The picture quality is superb.Clear, bright, vivid colors show through on a spotless print of the film.
As for the bonus features, they are very good. A wealth of material is presented on both Disc 1 and 2, making this truly worthy of the title "Special Edition". The features themselves are covered in other reviews so I won't go into that, but let me say that this definately a DVD release that no Disney or Mulan fan should pass up.
37 entertaining but lacks historical accuracy
Yes, I have heard many stories about Mulan since I was young and I have grown to accept that the different versions existed might have presented contradictory facts about the legendary Mulan. Disney's Mulan, despite the fact that it's highly entertaining with the wonderful animation and catchy songs, I cannot help but am irritated by the writers'/producers' ignorance about the background historical facts. Mulan ia a legendary hero and I'm not sure which dynasty did she live. I'm not even sure whether she was real. However, one thing I know for sure: the Chin Emperor was not a benevolent, but a cruel ruler. It is generally agreed that Chin dynasty ended in the rebellion of Xiang Yu and Liu Pang, and Xiang Yu didn't get killed in the comical way portrayed in the cartoon. In history, the ending of the Chin dynasty was welcomed and Xiang Yu was generally being upheld as one of the heros. It's fine with me that Mulan is a well-liked film but I hope that the viwers will keep in mind that the chinese history bit in Mulan is entirely inaccurate.
38 One of Disney's Finest Treasure
Having seen Mulan at the movie theatre. It was so very good. I couldn't wait for it to come out in DVD. The Special Features are outstanding. The making of Mulan was exceptional. If you want to see a DVD movie with humor and heart. This is the movie to get.
39 Differences
Besides the cost, how does the Mulan Special Edition differ from the Mulan (Disney Gold Classic Collection)?
40 Well Worth Watching
First of all, kudos to Disney for *finally* including a MANDARIN LANGUAGE AUDIO TRACK (the original DVD had French and Spanish- no Chinese). It's about time!!!
Next: I have to emphatically disagree with reviewer Bill Mydo below. -You will excuse me if I spend some little time defending this film against his critique; Mulan happens to be my favorite Disney animated movie, second only perhaps to Beauty and the Beast. Perhaps my being Chinese-American may have something to do with it, as does the fact that at the time (and even now) I strongly identified with the character's self-doubts. Still, I am fairly particular as to what I consider "good art"; and it boggles and confounds me that anyone would fail to see the difference between this movie and, for example, Hunchback or Hercules.
Yes, Disney's Mulan is very much a western/ American movie, made for western and American- not Asian- audiences. No, they "didn't get it right"; or, not exactly. But I never expected them to, and I give them a good deal of credit for trying. They came quite a bit closer that I ever thought that they would. Nor do I find this movie overly feminist (no more than Snow White or Cinderella are "chauvinist"). Mulan may be a strong female character, but she is not Aladdin's Princess Jasmine. Mulan is not defined by rebellion, nor by what she rejects. Instead she upholds her sense of honor as she struggles to find out who she is and where she fits in. Moreover, in a genre known for its blatant ad nauseum boy-meets-girl love themes, I truly appreciated the downplayed understatedness of the "interest" between Mulan and Captain Shang.
As to the "commercial" aspect of the film; yes, it had its tie-ins and its merchandising. What Disney movie doesn't? But the real issue is the worth of the film itself, and on this I take exception to the review below. I believe there is more in it than Mr. Mydo gives credit for.
The film does have its awkward moments. The scene with the match-maker and Mulan's first entrance into the army camp are both extremely painful to watch- I do not enjoy watching anyone be utterly humiliated, not even a cartoon character (and I do not believe that someone as bright as Mulan would fumble so badly over simply coming up with a new name). I also find it somewhat irksome that one minor character, Mushu the dragon, continually steals attention away from the movie's proper focus. And there are a number of jokes and visual gags that closely border on PG. I found this in somewhat poor taste in a kid's movie.
But these faults are counterbalanced, and more than compensated for, by the scenes that really work. The opening "brush painting" of the Great Wall; Mulan's song (Reflections) and the ensuing scene of loving encouragement from her father; the scene where she decides to leave home; her heart-to-heart talk with Mushu, at the abandoned camp in the mountains; the Imperial Palace where she is honored by the Emperor before all China... the sheer artistry of these scenes is breathtaking.
When the Special Edition DVD is released, I intend to be first in line!
41 An Instant Classic!
This is definetly a big achievement for Disney. It is more than just a great children's movie. It is based on an incredible true story. Definetly a must own for any family.
42 An Instant Classic!
This is definetly a big achievement for Disney. It is more than just a great children's movie. It is based on an incredible true story. Definetly a must own for any family.
43 GREAT !! but not for young children
Mulan is a favorite to me. it's excellent in matters of characters, making, and music. smart and funny too. but the only hitch is that I regret that I have showed it to my little ones because:
1- they got terrified at the shan-yu introduction scene
2- they learnt the skill of spitting from Mulan (tsk tsk)
other than that, I think it's worth the buy and a treasure of a Disney movie to keep.
44 Bringing Honour to us all
Mulan was Disney's last animated grasp at a musical. Following this movie we have yet to have another Disney theatrical animated feature that features the characters singing songs Broadway-style. Strange considering that Disney were making animated musicals during the years when bursting into song in a film was not considered fashionable and, not long after Mulan was made, the musical came back into cinematic vogue. Still it seems that Disney pride them selves on being out of step with everyone else - even to their detriment. The songs in Mulan are wonderfully fitting and, although the score has nothing to seriously rival Be Our Guest or Circle of Life, numbers like Reflection and I'll Make a Man Out of You deserve a place in Disney's musical Hall of Fame.
Mulan is not one of Disney's mordern greatest hits along the lines of The Lion King, The Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast. Instead it sits with the likes of Hercules and Hunchback as one of those films that is great but didn't receive much publicity and box-office in comparison. Hopefully this extras-heavy package will rectify this somewhat and help it attain more than being a 'Disney Princess' movie (not being a six year old girl, I find the whole notion of the 'Disney Princess' drive rather cheapening to the characters involved - still it's good marketing).
The package seems similar to the treatment that Alice in Wonderland got earlier this year (and that Disney keeps threatening to do with Lilo and Stitch, Pocahontas and Mary Poppins - but still no sign of them) with more scope due to the film's comparitive youth. The never-before-heard song will be interesting although it is doubtful it will appear fully animated and part of the finished film a la Human Again and Morning Report. More likely it will appear accompanied by stills like I'm Odd on the Alice DVD. Mushu the Dragon pops up on some extras but, since he hasn't been involved in the character since the original film, it is doubtful whether Eddie Murphy will be providing vocals. The audio commentary should be extremely interesting (they always are) as should the information supplied on China and it's customs (although they are sure to be child-friendly since they're hosted by an animated dragon!). For the adults and buffs there seems to be plenty of behind-the-scenes stuff although on some Disney DVD releases these are frustratingly short and undetailed - fingers crossed for this one. Digital Dim Sum also sounds very interesting.
Since this is a double discer I'm sure we can expect the extra's quality to be similar to that of the Alice release although the heights of The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, Snow White and the upcoming Aladdin (which this seems to be an appetiser for) would be prefered. Just as long as we aren't fobbed off with one similar to the very disappointing Pinnochio 'Special Edition' released last year.
45 One of My Favorite Disney's
I love most of the Disney movies whether they are animated or acted. What impressed me most about this movie was not just the animation, voice acting, and music great, but the moral was super. Most good movies have a lesson to be learned. This one was incredibly simple and to the point. Value all people and learn what they have to offer no matter what their sex, believes, et cetera. I highly recommend this movie for the whole family. It is ashame Disney hasn't learned it shouldn't limit the sales of their movies yet. I think they are going to learn the hard way when someone buys them out and stops the stupid moratorium policy. I know if I could buy Disney the first thing I would do is fire the person or persons responsible for the moratorium and second I would immediately make all Disney movies available all the time. If you see negative votes here there is a good possibility they come from scalpers. They want to sell you used Disney movies for three or four times what they are worth. They don't want them to be available all the time. They want them to be unavailable for at least eight years.
46 My Favorite Animated Film of All Time...
I do not believe that I have EVER watched an animated film that taught more of the values that I would want future generations to learn from than MULAN. I have watched this movie at LEAST 25 times and simply put - it is PROFOUND.
The movie opens with Mulan getting ready to go to the "Matchmaker." Although, she is a beautiful girl, she lacks the grace to make a good impression. Devistated, she returns home. Her father tells her that "like the cherry blossoms, her season has not come."
When China is invaded by the Huns, there is one line in the movie that is uttered by the emperor and it is SO insightful. The general in charge of the armies confidently announces that his men can handle this invasion. However, the emperor issues a proclamation calling all available men because, "sometimes a single grain of rice may be the deciding balance in tipping the scales." Or - "one man may make a difference between conquest and defeat."
In this case, it turns out to be a woman! I LOVE how Mulan interacts horribly with the men at first and how she is told to leave. Mulan has to prove herself and she doesn't give up.
Even after she is a hero, Mulan is disgraced when it is discovered that she is a woman. She is shunned and yet when she must come to the rescue of China again, her comrades are loyal to her and listen to her ideas.
Throughout the movie there are the different interactions of those who accept women for who they are and those who are stuck within stereotypes.
Mulan is a cute and VERY funny movie with adorable songs. What makes it a GREAT movie however, is the very powerful message that we should judge one another on our merits and character - whether we be men or women.
47 A fun movie, never boring to watch!
I first remember when this movie came out, and I wanted to see it SO bad! I loved it, and would continue to rent it over and over again, until I finally got it as a Christmas present. But, as time went on, you get kinda tired watching it over and over again, as with all movies.
The plot is exciting and adventurous, with a little bit of humor, from, of course, Eddie Murphy, who plays Mushu, her comical 'guardian' dragon. Fa Mulan is a girl trying to at least get a decent match and bring honor to her family, when she hears about the Hun Army's invasion on China, lead by their ruthless leader, Shan Yu. Her father is too weak to fight the whole Mongol army, so she puts matchmaking matters aside, and joins the army, pretending to be a boy. Action-packed and cute, this is a fun movie, and will keep your kids watching in eager anticipation.
48 Sweet
Mulan is one of my all time favorite movies. You can easily fall in love with all the characters. It's one of the recent good films by disney (like Lilo and Stitch) One thing that I dislike is that it doesn't get enough recognition. I would recomend you get the special edition mulan dvd coming out in October, instead of the gold edition out-of-print dvd. The special edition will have lots of neat features.
49 Disney bliss!
This is yet another Disney favorite of mine. I never saw it in theatres,but I did see it quite a bit once it came out on video. I really was into it after that.
Mulan is a story about a Chinese girl,destined to be settled down with the man,as is her custom,and to bring honor to her family. But her ailing father gets a summons for war,but cannot go. So,Mulan decides to "chop away" her beauty and join the Army to stop the Huns from invading China. Of course,Disney provides a comical relief in Mushu,a disgraced guardian sent to protect Mulan. And Cri-Kee,a cricket bestowed onto Mulan from her family. Mulan learns lessons along the way. Along with a lot of humor.
Another film excellent of it's "Gold" status!
50 The beauty within
Wow! This is my most favorite movie of all time. I know it
has dull graphics, but the story is beautiful. The story is different from other Disney movies.
It is about a Chinese teenager, Mulan Fa, who doesn't give honor to her family. Her father was going to fight for China, but Mulan doesn't want that. Instead of watching her father die, she does something about it. She sits on the stone dragon watches her father through the window. Once the lights turn out, she runs away from home.
She cutted her hair and putted it in a bun. She learns that beauty isn't the key to honor. That it is to be the most kindess.
51 The beauty within
Wow! This is my most favorite movie of all time. I know it
has dull graphics, but the story is beautiful. The story is different from other Disney movies.
It is about a Chinese teenager, Mulan Fa, who doesn't give honor to her family. Her father was going to fight for China, but Mulan doesn't want that. Instead of watching her father die, she does something about it. She sits on the stone dragon watches her father through the window. Once the lights turn out, she runs away from home.
She cutted her hair and putted it in a bun. She learns that beauty isn't the key to honor. That it is to be the most kindess.
52 good for kids
this is,like all disney movies,very pleansent to watch with your family,great story and beautiful images.
53 Enchantment= A Superb Film!!!
Mulan is yet another superb Disney film I've seen. It's tied for first with Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, and Finding Nemo. This story tells about a young Chinese girl who failed the test for honor, but when she noticed that her dad was going to war, it got WORSE! To protect her father, she cuts her hair and puts on her armor (there was a wonderful dramatic music while she did that. It was so unbelieveable and touchy!). After that... well, you have to watch the film!!! This movie was so brilliant that I almost cried when I saw it in theatre. It also has a nice final battle. If you have to, SEE THIS MOVIE NOW!!!!
54 An Exotic Tale
Back in its release in 1998, executives at Disney were not sure of how well this movie is going to do at the box-office, especially when released in june as the 'summer hit' that Disney puts out every year. After all, it followed a streak of disappointments, films which never returned their expected profits but made tons of money nonetheless.
"Mulan" however, was a breath of fresh air in every sense. It broke from the usual Disney concept, mainly thanks to the heroine. The title character is a chinese girl, who disguises as a male soldier and joins the army to protect the emporer and her country from the invasion of the huns. The film features the usual Disney sidekicks: this time it's a tiny dragon named Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy) and a mute, though hilarious, cricket.
A major let-down in the film is its villain. Shan-Yu pales miserably in comparison to such over-the-top villains as Ursula, Gaston and Scar. And he was animated very dull as well. He definitely doesn't look as striking as Ursula or even Hades.
The film is visually exotic and has a unique style that greatly differs it from other Disney films. My only drawback about it is the animation of the minor (i.e., the soldiers) chararcters; they look too cartoonish and abstract. The music is terrific. "Reflection" is the typical heroine ballad and is the best one since "Pocahontas"' "Just Around The River Band". The pop version is sung by then-debut singer "Christina Aguilera".
To conclude this review: "Mulan" is an excellent movie which features a beautiful story, appealing characters, wonderful songs and gorgeous animation. Don't miss out on this one.
55 Mulan VHS video
It is my daughters favorite movie. It came in the origian shrink packaged case. I have eatched it several times with my six children they all enjoy it over and over again. That is why I rated it a 5 star product.
56 love it
thats about it. Mushu is hilarious, Khan cracks me up, and you root for Mulan throughout.
57 "You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty!"
Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook's "Mulan" helped break a string of misfires from the famed Disney animation studio. It does not rank high in the pantheon of the Magic Kingdom's library of classics due to its weak songs and villains, but Disney's time-tested combination of a strong heroine, amusing animal sidekicks, and bumbling supporting characters works well enough once more to provide a good time.
To help fend off the invading Hun army, a Chinese girl named Mulan (Ming-Na) changes her appearance to pass as a boy in order to take her father's place in the Emperor's army. She suffers through the training for the new recruits but develops feelings for Shang (B.D. Wong), the captain in charge of her. Soon Mulan is thrust into the heat of battle but with the help of a lucky cricket, a dragon named Mushu (Eddie Murphy), and some colorful comrades-in-arms, she manages to save the kingdom, preserve her family's honor, and find true love.
The one glaring weakness of "Mulan" is its songs. The musical score from Jerry Goldsmith is great but the individual songs are forgettable. "Reflection" is the only song that you can hum along to. All of the rest of them are lackluster and limp. This is too bad because, as "The Little Mermaid" (1989), "Beauty & the Beast (1991), "Aladdin" (1992), and "The Lion King" (1994) have proved, quality songs can greatly enhance one's enjoyment of a film. Furthermore, the Huns are woefully underdeveloped as villains. They are simply portrayed as one-dimensional thugs who show up to help push the story along. Yet, the positives outweigh the negatives in the final count: the animation is great, Murphy provides ample comic relief, the film moves at a brisk pace, and Mulan herself is vividly defined. Certainly the Chinese heroine makes a worthy addition to Disney's honor roll of characters.
58 Fantabulous!!!!!!!!
WHAT ARE YOU PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!? Sorry but I read some discouraging reviews and I just wanted to ki-... Ok Mulan is a GREAT movie!!! Funny, Cool... All that. I think it was made very well. Now I don't know the original story or whatever but this was great! It could be for girls or boys. It doesn't have all that lovey dovey stuff. If your like... I don't know how old, but this is a very good movie! It's about a girl who was told by the matchmaker that she would never bring her family honor. So she dresses up as a boy to fight in the army in her father's place. Her father uses a cane so he wouldn't do so good in the army. You know fighting... Anyway there's Mushu(Voice of Eddie Murphy), Cri-kee,(her lucky cricket), her horse Kahn, Li Shang(Her captain), the bad guy Shan-Yu and her friends Chien-Po, Ling and this short guy but I forgot his name... Something with a 'Y'... But anyway Disney did good with this. Good for the whole family. You may want to hear stuff people say these days and stuff. Or stuff Eddie Murphy would say normally or whatever but I think you don't need that because It's still a cool show! So go out and BUY IT because it's cool, fun and just FANTABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S(It WAS made in 1998 after all, then was... kind of different from now, right?) :-) >^,,^< (Trust me. All of this is the honest truth!!! I mean why would I lie?) ;-]
59 Love it!
I loved this movie! It was great, one of the best Disney films in a long time. I don't know why people are so upset about Disney tearing apart the original story...Disney does that to a lot of English stories and nobody cares, (...)
60 Get rid of the 90's humour-this is historic China !
What could have been a great film, with a terrific story, and a terrific cast of voices, fails to be a truly great Disney film. Eddie Murphy is not welcome here as the '90's LIKE' dragon, who's lines are soooo coooool, and rad. I felt like I was listening to a cartoon from Saturady mornings! Why not keep him still GOOFY and FUNNY but historically correct? It's like Disney is so afraid that if the dialouge of the kids we have today isn't in there somewhere, then it'll flop. Not TRUE. My niece brought this up, and she's only eight! She asked me why do some of the characters in the movie not sound historic? 'Most of them sound and act like us today' were her exact words.
'Be A Man' and other songs are sure winnners, keeping right to the story, and the culture VISUALLY is great and acurate, so why not keep the culture of the way people spoke to each other back then? They had humour too! Just not this sarcastic ' Right on, keep it cool daddy-oh' junk. Some of the jokes were funny.....like the part where Eddie Murphy's dragon was wearing the stone head of a guardian dragon to be disguised so he can save the day was hilarious! Or Mulan swimming with the soldiers, and had to hide her 'woman' body since she cannot reveal that she's not a man....poor Mulan. Lousy parts,(too many of them) like the BACON & EGGS ??!! (in ancient China??!!) for breakfast, or of course, they had to use fireworks at the end, like a "MISSLE" to keep things a bit too familliarly modern.....you guys can't be original...have to be so SAFE FOR MODERN COOOOL RAD KIDS, HUH?
So, keep up good humour and great stories...and the visuals culturally.....the dialouge and attitude stinks of most of the characters. Stop modernizing any of your movies that are suppose to be historical!!!
Disney, for the last twenty years, you STINK.
61 A story of bravery and overcoming the odds.
This is a story about the daughter of a nobleman asked to join the army to repel an invasion. Mulan realizes that he could never survive a battle, let alone the riggers of winter in the mountains. She disguises herself as a man and sets out to represent the family as a member of the army. This is no GI Jane, a 1 star movie. This is a solidly told story that is all the more interesting because it is set in China, where a girl has no status. Mulan is brave, determined and admirable and wins over those in per patrol that must fight with her.
We rated this movie 22 out of 41. Disney used CG here but the effort could have been better. This is a story that the whole family liked and we watched it several times, but then interest waned. My little ones will go through phases of watching a new Disney movie to death, and then it wanes to "periodic". This one never an obsession for anyone in the family, no one has anyone asked to see it lately. When the kids were asked to help rate it they remembered that there really was some cool stuff in this movie. But ultimately, there were 21 Disney movies that they liked better.
I thought the problems might be the medium coloring, but they watch the "power puff girls", and Disney's worst isn't ever close to being that bad. I also didn't care for the digital imaging job that was done... almost as if it was rushed. I thought the action was good and the characters interesting, so maybe the kids didn't care for the music. What would the Hunchback of Notre Dame be without that wonderful music!
We had a lot of fun by gathering the family together to rank the 41 Disney movies we have that include some cartoon work. All the kids, ages 6 to 27, participated along with mother and dad. Lion King was selected number 1 of the 41 as the family favorite, but narrowly. Peter Pan was 2. Pete's Dragon 3, Beauty & the beast 4, Sleeping Beauty 5, Snow White 6, Robin Hood 7, 101 Dalmatians 8, Fox and the hound 9, Cinderella is 10th, Rescuers 11, Hunchback of ND 12, Aladdin 13, Aladdin King of Thieves 14, Jungle Book 15, Little Mermaid 16, Hercules 17, Winnie the Pooh 18, Rescuers Down Under 19, Sword in the Stone 20 and Pinocchio 21
62 Mushu is funny!
This is a tale of a young chinese girl who steals her father's "call to arms", cuts her hair and disguises herself as a boy so that she can join the war instead of her father. She has a little dragon with her, Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy), sent by her ancestors to protect her from danger. Mushu is the highlight of the movie! Though the lines are not quite as funny as what you'd expect them to be for Eddie Murphy, he is the best part of the show.
Good movie. The animation is wonderful. It's just not one of those movies that my family requests to watch very often at all. It is at the back of the pile of Disney movies now - waiting to be requested again. It is worth seeing once - from there you'll have to form your own judgement as to whether it becomes a family favorite - or just a once in awhile movie.
1smileycat :-)
63 Disney's best action/animation movie
It was very good! It is about a girl named Mulan that runs away from home to go out to war for her father. Her ancesstors have a little dragon named mushu to follow and protect her. She disquises as a man and attemts to save China from the evil Hun warlord Shan-Yu. A great addition to your video colletion. You should buy this movie today.
64 Good story and cultural glimse.
This is a story that the whole family liked and we watched it several times, but then interest waned. My little ones will go through phases of watching a new disney movie to dead, then it wanes to "periodic". This one was never an obsession for anyone in the family, not has anyone asked to see it lately.
I thought the problems might be the medium coloring, but they watch the "power puff girls", and disneys worst isn't ever close to being that bad. I also didn't care for the digtal imaging job that was done... almost as if it was rushed. I thought the action was good and the characters interesting, so I think it was the music. The music here is mediocre to bad. The music can make a big difference. What would the Hunchback of Notre Dame be without that wonderful music!
65 Don't expect Disney to get anything right.
It's a terrific story, but the costuming and legend is off. If you don't let that bother you, it's great. Just accept it for what it is: a wonderful message set in a made up place with some Asian customs. I took off one star for poor research and one star for an excess of slapstick, stupid humor. The Matchmaker especially is annoying and not funny enough to hold your attention for the amount of time she's on screen,
66 absolutely beautiful!!
this disney masterpiece is a real visual treat for everyone. the backgrounds, characters, storyline ...everything is just fantastic. the true story of mulan is so beautiful it takes you along. a must buy dvd!!!
67 Woman Power!
A eye-catching film about a strong, determined girl who wanted to tell the world to look at her strength and intelligence and not her gender. A movie all girls should see.
68 The Best
Simply put, this is one of the best movies ever made, animated or unanimated, Disney or otherwise.
The characters are perfect. Every character has a distinct, memorable personality, and the Mulan-Mushu-Crickee combination was just perfect.
The plot is excellent. The storyline was detailed and memorable.
The sound and music are beautifully done. A few reviews said that the music was only average, I have no idea why. The tunes from this movie were stuck in my head for weeks (not a bad thing)
The animation is excellent. Just watch the battle where the Huns charge down the slope. Possibly the best looking scene from any animated movie.
Forget the notion that disney movies are for kids. I'm 17 years old, I loved this movie, and a lot of my friends that are about the same age loved it too. (Some scenes in this movie might actually not be for kids, like the scenes with the Huns, and the somewhat violent battles.)
69 good movie
Disney needs to keep on making movies that are this enteraining
70 A disappointment
Perhaps I'm being harsh to award this only a single star when it's clear that this is another of my little errors, but this falls so wide of the Moulin Rouge mark that I was hoping for that I feel honour bound.
A tip: to anyone looking for something other than an animated film, about someone called Mulan, steer well clear. I know I will in future.
71 Vintage Disney
Another fine animated triumph from the Walt Disney Co., "Mulan" follows the struggle of a young girl during her country's time of war. Determined to fight on her family's behalf, Mulan pretends to be a man and uses her brain to fight warriors much bigger than herself. Along the way, she's accompanied by a crazy dragon named Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy). Murphy does a great job, very close to as good as Robin Williams in "Alladin". In addition, the usual love story is woven into this tale, complimented by a sound track that includes Christina Aguilera, Stevie Wonder, and 98 Degrees. A good movie.
72 great!
when this movie came out, it was so refreshing to see a positive asian role model. yes, there were definitely some stereotypes, but overall, it was nice to see such a strong female character who wasn't just waiting for her prince to come.
73 Great!
You've seen them all. Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty. They all have hipsy-sdipsy girls who drop hankerchifs and want the princes to pick them up. However Mulan creates Avalanches, Fights an extremley dangerous army leader on a roof top and defeats him and defeats half of the hun army. I'd like to see Cinderella do that. The characters are also great. Mushu the tiny red dragon (who is voiced by Eddie Murphy) is hilarious. Shan Yu and the Hun army are perfect villains for the movie and the ancestors are funny. I always crack up when I see what happens with the Matchmaker.
74 Disney Does It Again!
I straight out loved this movie. Mulan isn't the typical Disney sit-around-and-wait-for-fairy-godmother kinda girl. She's strong, independent, and not afraid to stand up for herself. With Eddie Murphy playing Mushu, there's some great laughs. The ancestors also crack me up. Even though I hate to admit this, some scenes with Mulan and the captain (sorry, brain freeze), made me blush! They were so adorably nervous together....Gawd, I love Disney.
75 a great film for all
THis film has it all. And in particular the plot and story are wonderfully told. It may be overlooked by some but that would be shame, this is one for adults and children to enjoy. And the relationship between father and daughter is particularly poignant. A great gift for a father to give his daughter. I loved this film and have watched with my daughter over and over again....One of my all time disney favorites. and I have seen them all...
76 I LOVE MULAN!
This is a great movie, though I wouldn't recommend showing it to small children due to some violent battle scenes. Mulan is the beautiful young Chinese girl that has a kind of tomboyish way of thinking, way after her time. After having a terrible time at the Matchmaker, she learns that her father, being the only man of the house, is being called off to war. She knows that he is not in fighting health, and that he would surely get hurt in battle. In order to save her father, she cuts her hair and pretends to be a man and goes off to war in his place, posing as a little known son. After going through a rigorous training course, led by the lovable male figure of the movie, she is ready for battle accompanied by Crick-Kee, Mushu the dragon, and her horse. Mulan encounters some face to face combat with the Huns, and eventually is injured. She heals, but the injury revealed her true gender. She is sent home with a strict warning, but overhears a plan of attack on the emperor by the Huns. She rushes to the palace to warn the army, but because of her history, she is not believed. When the Huns arrive, she pulls together the army and engages in a swordfight with the leader of the Huns. After a close escape, she defeats the Hun leader, and watches in amazment as the emperor presents her to the crowd and she sees everywhere, the people of China bowing down in respect to her. She is awarded the position of Emperor's advisor, and the respect and trust of everyone. This movie has some great music, the best by far being "I'll Make a Man Out of You". It also has some great humor, thanks to Mushu, voiced by Eddie Murphy. This is one of the best Disney movies that you can get and really has a good lesson to it. You should definitly buy this movie. It's historically accurate, too!
77 not the best disney film but definately the best villian
shan yu was the highlight of the movie for me. the scary yellow eyes, the deceptive bird on his shoulder, the hun army, (finally theres henchmen that dont act like dorks. a first in a disney flick.) perhaps the best since scar fron the lion king. i believe this was the last great traditional animated film from disney. then they took a nose dive afterwards. i go to art college and study animation. this film and its villians are one of my inspirations.
78 Mulan ...
I just recently rec'd the video MULAN ..., and I must say the video was in EXCELLENT Condition. I not only received it
in record time, but I was very pleased with the condition.
For those of you wishing to purchase used video's, I HIGHLY recommend this seller.
Thank you Again
Donna from Fremont
79 An 11 year old viewer!! 2 thumbs up (more if i had some)
By far this had to be the best out of all the disney classics! This hillarious film about a chinese girl who goes to war agenst the hun dynasty so her father doesn't get hurt makes me cry i am laughing so hard!! This movie is a have to see for all ages. Don't think just because you have grown out of most disney movies that you still won't have a BLAST watching this!!!!!!! Rent it now and have fun!!!
80 I'm just passing by I might as well rate it (I own it),
This is a good movie, well made, and has a good storie. as I said, just passing by.
81 Not one of Disney's best
What could have made this, better is when this movie was getting edited, all the songs were deleted from the movie. The songs in this movie are not that good. Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and the Lion King all has much better songs than this. I mixed on this movie. Songs in this movie (* of *****) and the rest of the movie (*** of *****). As the movie opens, the emperor (Noriyuki "Pat" Morita) orders one member of every family go to battle when trouble happens. And the emperor wants one man from every family to sign up. So when Mulan's (Mina-Na Wen) father signs up, she doesn't want him to. So she secrtly takes her father's place. And one her family finds out they prey to her ancester's that Mulan will be taken care of. So the ancesters send somebnody to watch over Mulan. And thier choice is a big dragon. And thier choice to wake him up is Mushu (Eddie Murphy). Mushu is not one of the ancester that watches of people, so when trouble happens he secretly takes the dragon's place. If you like Disney animated movies you might like this. Of course the songs are worth singing to.
82 Pretty Good
This is definatly a good Disney that deserves to be remembered. It doesn't follow the traditional story-line of Disney movies. It is new and creative. It ditches the romance and features a female heroine that actually is a hero. She saves China! Another thing is, this is the only animated movie my 11-year-old brother likes. Quite an accomplishment. The only reason I didn't give this five stars is because it lacks the traditional music that all Disney movies posses. There are some songs but they aren't very memorable. But, overall, this is a wonderful Disney film that should be treasured for many years to come.
83 But, they all look JAPANESE!
So typical of Disney to get things "not American" wrong when "preparing" them for their North American market.
I was at Disney World the summer before this film had its North American premiere and saw that they had a display for the movie set up. As I walked through the exhibition, the first thing I thought was "Gee, this is a film about a Chinese girl? The costuming/character styling for this film certainly looks Japanese to me" (I am of Japanese ancestry) and thought nothing more about the film after I left the display.
When the film finally came out, I went to see it and remembered the display at Disney World that I'd seen. All through the film and after it was over, I still thought that the characters and the artistic styling of the characters (and even some of the buildings, with the exception of perhaps the Imperial Palace) looked awfully Japanese (Mulan's armour, especially the helmet that she wears reminds me of period Japanese armour)... I was also angered that the film's researchers couldn't have done a better job in researching/verifying their information (as others have commented before) before calling the film "finished."
I consider this film to be a slight against both the Chinese (for wrecking what is otherwise a v. good cultural legend) AND the Japanese (for aparently "borrowing" parts of their cultural history and passing it off for what it isn't) by Disney to have done what they've done to what could have been a v. good historically based film.
That said, I think that if you're looking for some "fun" and harmless enteretainment then this movie is for you. The comedy is good (but almost too "North American" to suit the film) as is the action (in typical Disney style) but if you're looking for more (ie historically/culturally accurate), then I'd say that you're better off with other films.
84 A great movie, but not many bonus features on the DVD
Mulan is a good DVD to own, but there are not many bonus materials on this DVD. Mulan on DVD has a decent picture and sound quality though. The Gold Collection by Disney is quite disappointing overall.
85 Excellent movie for ALL ages
I saw this on a whim in the theaters, and was amazed at the breath-taking scenes, the amazing (and that's amazing, not really catchy and annoying like Disney has been putting out) songs, and how funny it was. Eddie Murphy was so hilarious--and you really have to listen, because the humor can be subtle. I never get tired of seeing this movie. I highly recommend it!
86 Best Movie Ever
i'm a hudge Mulan fan, my friends even call me Mulan because they say i act just like her, some will go as far as to calling me Ping, but that's another story! i love this movie because it proves you can do anything if u believe in yourself and put your mind to it. i love the songs reflection and i'll make a man out of you. my favorite characters are Mulan (of course)and Mushu. this is a great movie for people of all ages...i'm counting down the days until Mulan 2 comes out in 2003 :)
from a true Mulan fan always and forever
Babblin Boo aka Mulan to my friends..hehe.
87 Wonderful
I have enjoyed this movie time and time again. The story is so good and the voices are wonderful. It is just a great charming movie all the way through and I love it. I would say it is one of the best anamated movies in a while.
88 One of Disney's Finest!
This movie was one of Disney's finest. I especially liked it because I finally had a female character to follow. Of course there was Ariel and Cinderella, but they never were as fully rounded as people as Mulan. They had a flat part to them. All shine but no "human" characteristics. Wheras Mulan is smart and kind, but experiences a normal human emotion. Lonliness and a longing to fit in. When she achieves her goal, made only in the end of her servings as a soldier, It was almost like doing something myself. She defied all odds against her (and there were a lot of odds against her) and ended up saving China. If she wasn't different, what she accomplished would probably have never happened. This movie embraced being different, and I think that that is a good message to portray to younger kids.
89 Very Funny and Action Packed
Mulan is a bumbling,young girl who is trying to bring honor to her family.One day the emperor announces that one man from every family must serve in the army to fight angainst the invading huns. But Mulan's father is old, injured, and the only male in her family. To save her father's life, she disguises herself as a man to take his place in the army with the help of Mushu and Crickee. This is one of the few Disney movies that isn't based on another story or is not a sequel and the songs are great! I recommend it to every Disney lover.
90 Not magical
This forgetable film has a chinese dragon with Eddie Murphy's voice. How stupid.
91 Another Disney Masterpiece, enjoyable for all ages!
Mulan is a cute, but less than graceful young woman growing up in ancient China. She has come of age, and it is time to be married off, but the village matchmaker does not believe it is possible. Mulan is simply not a proper young Chinese woman, and will never bring her family honor. Until the day a Hun army decides to make war against China, and Mulan is the only member of her family who is able to fight. The catch is, she has to hide her femininity, because only men can fight in the army. Her ancestors send a mighty dragon to bring Mulan back before she causes her family further shame and embarrassment, but Mushu (Eddie Murphy), a much more miniscule dragon, takes his place, and decides to help Mulan in her quest instead of bringing her home. Disguised as a male soldier, Mulan barely manages to keep her secret while training, marching, and fighting, but by the time her struggle is over, Mulan learns that she doesn't have to be a perfect bride or beauty in order to bring her family plenty of honor.
There's a lot of Negativity about the Disney animated features that have been released since The Lion King. Many have said that The Lion King was the last film of the Disney Renaissance that supposedly started with The Little Mermaid. Not at all true. Mulan is a prime example. It's true that the last of Disney's Broadway Style musicals was The Hunchback of Notre Dame (though hopefully we'll see more someday), but Mulan is still a wonderful animated film full of beautiful art and music. The characters are loveable, funny, believable, and endearing, and well played by their respective voice talents. Eddie Murphy, of course, is the big name tagged to this feature, playing a role that he nearly seemed to be reprising in Shrek, but he's much funnier in Mulan. And while there IS a clear villain, Shan Yu and his army of Huns, the real conflict in this film is Mulan's struggle to discover herself and to prove her worth, to her family, her people, and to herself.
The DVD includes a surprisingly sophisticated and downright old looking Christina Aguilera (surprisingly from before her Genie In a Bottle days) video, singing the song "Reflections." It also features a 98 degrees (Who? Ha ha) "True To Your Heart" video. Both are quite enjoyable, though you may want to close your eyes or squint at times during both of them. Ha ha. The Theatrical Trailer is also included. Plenty of room for more extras here, but I suppose we'll have to wait for one of those Platinum Releases to come out some time later this century. Still, this video is well worth buying, and it would be even if there were no extras! Mulan is another true and instant Disney Classic!
92 One of the really great Disney movies
Mulan is a great movie! It has humor and action. It also is a great story. Mulan has lots of information in it about the Chinese culture. I learned alot about the chinese in this movie. I fully recomend this to people who just want to see a good funny movie. Mushu steals the show because he's hilarious. Buy it or rent it, just watch it today.
93 One of my favorite Disney movies
It used to be that female Disney characters were giggling girls with helium-like voices that needed their Prince to come. Not anymore.
"Mulan" is based from a Chinese fable about a girl (of the same name) who can't see herself conforming to the role Chinese society puts her in (that of a bride and good Daughter-in-Law)and is told that she will never "bring honor to her family". When the Huns invade China, the Emperor (Pat Morita) calls one man from every family to serve in the Chinese army. Mulan has no brothers, so her injured Father is given notice instead. Desperate to save her Father, and to finally bring "honor" to her family, Mulan cuts her hair, steals her Father's conscription notice, armor and sword, and sets off for the Chinese army camp. The dead ancestors assemble to send a "guardian" to protect her (if the army finds out she's a woman, the law says she is to be killed).
Inadvertently, the guardian sent is Mushu (Eddie Murphy), a demoted dragon ancestor who, like Mulan, just can't get it right. He teaches Mulan to act like a man, gives her the name "Ping" as a disguise and helps protect her secret. Mulan goes on to seriously cripple the Hun army's strategies and is praised. But when the Army leader discovers her secret, she is cast out. Now what?
This fable makes a powerful statement for young girls and women: we can do anything we set our minds to despite the odds. I'm thrilled my 4 year old daughter loves this film, and hope she walks away from it with the same confidence Mulan displays. The songs are beautiful, as is the scenery (in one scene, the Hun army comes down a snow covered mountain, and it is impressive- I only wish I'd seen it in the theater). The very best in the recent "girl as independent heroine" themed Disney movies. Eddie Murphy has really found his nitch in voice-overs- he is hilarious in this film.
94 The last great Disney movie
I love "Mulan." I wasn't sure if it would be as good as the previous cartoon musicals I've seen (Aladdin, Lion King etc). I ended up loving it!! I thought it was a very good message about defying the norms of society and being yourself. a very big step for Disney. Eddie Murphey portrays the amusing Mushu dragon who helps Mulan on her way to join the army in honor of her grandfather, who is sick and cannot fight anymore. The songs are great...especially "Reflection" which has beautiful lyrics (also song brilliantly by Pop singer Christina Aguilera on the sountrack). The animation is great, and very similar to my fav movie "Pocahontas." If you loved "Pocahontas" and didnt get to see "Mulan" in theatres, then I urge you to buy it. This in my opinion is the last great film in the wave of Disney musicals (beginning of course with a classic favorite Little Mirmaid). Now we have to put up with annoying stories of ape-boys and Aliens visiting Earth (yawn). So that said, I really reccomend "Mulan." I think she is a good role model for girls and in addition the story is great! This will become a classic...and is reccomended to anyone of all ages (I was 15 when I saw it). Overall grade for "Mulan": A+
Thanks for reading!
Eric
95 Excellent would be a mild description
With Mulan, Disney has come up with as flawless an animated film as can be. All the characters are well-defined (and a little exaggerated in true Disney fashion), and all play their parts. There is no part of the film which seems contrived. The music is excellent, the songs are appropriate and the storyline is very plausible. The actors who have given voice to the characters have elevated the film considerably too, especially Eddie Murphy as the bumbling dragon Mu-Shu. I will not bore other reviewers with the story- but I would exhort them to acquire this masterpiece. It is one movie which I enjoy a lot, inspite of the fact that I am not a child anymore.
