"Is she allowed to do that?"      

MULAN (G) 

Reviewed June 28, 1998 - Check out the Mulan web site.

Disney's latest animated feature, Mulan, tells the story of a young girl who, in order to save her elderly father from going to war, pretends that she is a boy and goes to battle in his place.  The story, based on ancient Chinese legend, is an intriguing one, effectively challenging traditional male-female (and father-daughter) roles while telling a highly entertaining story.  Of course, this version has been "Disney-fied," meaning that it's slightly lighter and more musical than a traditional telling of the story, but fear not, this film is still worth seeing. 

As compared to some of Disney's previous animation efforts:

• Mulan has a slightly more serious tone than others in the Disney archives, with the pacing noticeably less frantic than other recent efforts.  Some will probably describe the pacing as "slow," but I enjoyed the storytelling style, which was willing to take its time in developing certain sequences.
• There are several musical numbers in Mulan, but these are fewer in number and somewhat less memorable than in some of Disney's prior efforts (e.g. Beauty and the Beast or The Little Mermaid).  This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is worth noting.
• The animation work in Mulan is, as expected, excellent.  I didn't see anything I'd call "groundbreaking work," but the quality seemed first rate from beginning to end.
• Relating to the first bullet point, this film may be more popular with "older" kids (seven years and up) than younger ones.  As some of the themes are somewhat more mature, it may be more appealing to adults as well.

Overall, Mulan comes in as a very entertaining animated adventure combining humor, drama, and excellent animation work.  Fans of Disney's series of animated features will not be disappointed by this entry.  For those who aren't fans of Disney animations, consider seeing Mulan anyway...just for the story... :-)

Responses from cyberspace--thanks for writing!

Lila gives this movie  stars: "This is the best movie I've ever seen. I normally think Disney movies are extremely juvenile and/or stupid, but MULAN totally rules!!!!!" (9/10/01)

rfksecond2@cs.com gives this movie  stars: "I thought the grandmother was funny. She made me think of a "Mrs. Magoo". I also liked the cricket. Not Disneys best, though." (6/17/00)

Peter gives this movie  stars: "Mulan is my favorite Disney movie, next to the Lion King and a tad more than the Hunchback. It is the most original of Disney movies and the animation is excellent, Disney can do no wrong!" (12/10/98)

Mach It gives this movie  stars: "Great animation and special effects!" (8/27/98)

Michele Gruwell gives this movie  stars: "I watched it and liked it. Shang is cute.In other words I liked." (8/6/98)

Belle Book gives this movie  stars: "I went to see "Mulan" one week after it came out, along with my parents. It was terrific! I absolutely loved it, and have every intention of seeing it again. I thought the animation was excellent and the CGI effects seemed so realistic! And while the songs weren't quite as great as those of "Beauty and the Beast", they were very good, and they were compensated for by an excellent score by Jerry Goldsmith. And finally, there was excellent characterization, especially of the title character. I really liked and admired her. The Emperor was right, you don't meet a girl like her every dynasty -- or in every movie, for that matter!" (7/4/98)