Mulan . Tucson Weekly . 06-22-98

Mulan

DIRECTED BY: Tony Bancroft

REVIEWED: 06-22-98

Disney storytelling is catching up to the 21st century, slowly but surely, by reaching ever farther into the past (about the 5th century, in this case). Mulan recounts the mythical Chinese tale of a daughter who disguises herself as a boy in order to take her aged and ailing father's place in the emperor's army. The crisis is that the Huns have crossed the Great Wall of China, with plans of deposing the emperor; and in the Disney version, a band of ragamuffin peasants, lead by a handsome young captain (singing voice provided by Donny Osmond) and the heroine Fa-Mulan, are China's last hope. Say what you will about the Disney empire, the animation here is so arresting at times--from the magic of watercolor strokes on the film's opening credits, to the breathtaking vistas of torches bursting into flame all along the Great Wall, and the Hun army descending a snowy cornice of the Himalayas--you may be inclined to forgive all sins, such as the corny contemporary soundtrack, and the regrettably undignified ending. Eddie Murphy is a kick as the demoted spirit-dragon Mushu; and The Single Guy's Ming-Na Wen offers some much-needed spine to the first Disney character we know of to suggest the girl worth fighting for might be "a girl who always speaks her mind." This is the summer action flick for the wee ones.

--Wadsworth

Full Length Reviews
Mulan
Mulan

Capsule Reviews
Mulan
Mulan

Film Vault Suggested Links
Fairytale: A True Story
The Wizard of Oz
Fluke

Rate this Film
If you don't want to vote on a film yet, and would like to know how others voted, leave the rating selection as "Vote Here" and then click the Cast Vote button.