Mulan (1998)
1998’s Mulan is a cut above most animated films. Wonderful art direction (particularly in the character designs), a rousing soundtrack, a great story, and memorable characters make it an instant favorite.
In ancient China, the Huns have traversed the Great Wall. The Emperor (Pat Morita) orders one man from every family join the army to defend the country. Fa Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen) realizes her father will be killed if he enlists and disguises herself as a man to takes his place. Accompanying her on this journey is the disgraced family guardian, a pint-sized dragon named Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy).
Let's get the film’s weaknesses out of the way so we can focus on what makes it so good: the animal sidekicks. Eddie Murphy as Mushu brings plenty of laughs to balance out the intense sequences of combat and drama. He’s given a “buddy” - a lucky cricket named Cri-Kee. The insect is ultimately unnecessary and could’ve probably been merged with Mulan’s (non-anthropomorphic) horse.
Unlike most other female-led Disney animated films, the romance is downplayed, replaced with themes of duty and family honor. Mulan is a well-developed protagonist you instantly relate to. As a woman, she’s expected to look good, cook, and bear children. She wants more but doesn’t reject the expectations placed on her. She’s not a brat. There are moments of comedy when arrives at the boot camp but overall, this story plays out seriously. Mulan risks execution by taking her father’s place but when told to quit and return home, she chooses not to. She’s determined to prove herself, to bring honor to her family. Ultimately, she turns what others would perceive as her weaknesses into strengths - a recurring theme.
Mulan has visuals that stand out and they're working overtime. Few of the menacing Huns have any dialogue. Shan You (Miguel Ferrer) barely gets more than a dozen lines but one look and you know all you need to. We don't need to be told what makes him and Mulan different, why they're opposed. The real struggle is our heroine versus the expectations placed upon her.
The watercolor-like aesthetics make each scene pop, particularly when it uses blacks and whites. The best example comes in a massive battle set in the mountains. The scene is a microcosm of everything good about the film. Mulan gets to show off what makes her a hero, the humor and peril flow into each other seamlessly, and the score is terrific.
Mulan gets to be quite intense in several emotional scenes. These moments, along with its titular character make it a film that endures much more than the comedy, the visuals, or even the soundtrack - which is memorable but features surprisingly few songs. Although there are a couple of blemishes that could’ve been polished, it’s hard to imagine another crack at this story reaching the legendary status this one's earned. We’ll just have to wait and see. (On Blu-ray, March 15, 2020)
