Disney Renaissance Month - Mulan (1998)

         Hey guys, Chuck here, and it's hard to imagine that we only have two more Disney Renaissance movies to get through for Disney Renaissance Month. I have really enjoyed going back to a series of animated movies that were a major part of my childhood. With that said, let's take a look at the 1998 animated film, Mulan. Based on the Chinese legend of Mulan, this movie was directed by Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft, and features a voice cast that includes Ming-Na Wen, B.D. Wong, Pat Morita, Miguel Ferrer, George Takei, James Hong, Harvey Fierstein, and Eddie Murphy. 

         So, the movie starts with an attack on the Great Wall of China, where a number of soldiers are besieged by an army of warriors known as the Huns, who are led by Shan Yu. A signal fire is set out,.thus warning all of China of the Hun invasion. In the Imperial City, General Li informs the Emperor of the invasion, and he decrees that every family sends one man to join the Imperial Army to fight the invading Huns. It's here where we are introduced to Fa Mulan, daughter and only child of Fa Zhou, who is being prepared for a meeting with the Matchmaker. Unfortunately, a mishap involving a cricket Mulan was given by her grandmother causes the Matchmaker to flip her lid and proclaim "You may look like a bride, but you will never bring your family honor!" Returning home, Mulan realizes that she can't be herself and be what society and her family expects of her at the same time. 

        Soon after, the Emperor's men arrive to recruit one man from every family to join the army, and as he's the only man in the family, Fa Zhou accepts his duty to fight in spite of his age and ailing health. In the middle of the night, Mulan decides to cut her hair, steal her father's armor, sword, and papers, and goes off to join the army in the guise of Fa Zhou's son. Realizing what happened, Fa Zhou decides not to go after Mulan, as exposing her true identity would mean her death. After Mulan's grandmother prays to the ancestors, they are awakened, along with a demoted family guardian called Mushu, who is a scrawny little dragon. The ancestors decide to send the "Great Stone Dragon," which is a statue of a dragon that isn't really a guardian. Mushu, unable to awaken it, accidentally destroys the statue and goes after Mulan himself, with the cricket from earlier, Cri-Kee, in tow. 

         Realizing he has an opportunity to redeem himself as a Guardian, Mushu decides to help Mulan become a war hero, and helps her join the army under the name of Fa Ping. Under the eye of newly promoted Captain Li Shang, Mulan and her fellow soldiers, including Ling, Chien-Po, and Yao, all spend weeks training rigorously, and are eventually sent to intercept the Huns in the mountains. Of course, this was set up by Mushu as the Emperor's aide,  Chi-fu, sought to send word to the Emperor not to let Shang and his men join the fight. 

        At the mountain pass, Shang, Mulan, and the troops confront the Hun army, and Mulan uses a cannon to cause an avalanche to bury the Huns. And just before he is buried in the snow, Shan Yu stabs Mulan in the side. Unfortunately, when her wound is bandaged, the truth is revealed. Luckily, Shang opts not to kill her, as his "debt is already repaid." Shang orders the men to the Imperial City to inform of the Huns defeat, and Mulan is left behind. Unfortunately, Shan Yu and a handful of Huns survived, and are on the march to the Imperial City to kill the Emperor. 

        Realizing she's their only hope, Mulan hurries to catch up with Shang and his men to warn of Shan Yu's survival. Initially, Shang doesn't believe her, but quickly comes around when the Huns make their move. Mulan, Shang, Ling, Chien-Po, and Yao all work together to enter the palace, take down the Huns, and save the Emperor. All of this leads to a mass of fireworks, a final confrontation, and Mulan defeating Shan Yu with a skyrocket launched by Mushu, leading to the death of the Hun leader. Chi-fu is outraged by everything that happened, and blames Mulan. And as Shang and his men try to defend her, the Emperor himself walks up and lists everything that Mulan had done, some good and some not so good. But, he thanks her for saving himself and all of China. And while she accepts the Royal Crest and the sword of Shan Yu, Mulan declines the Emperor's offer to join his council, insisting to instead return home to her family. 

        Returning home, Mulan apologizes to her father, and offers the gifts she received to him. He refuses, however, and says to her "The greatest gift and honor is having you for a daughter," clearly happy to have her home. Shang arrives to see Mulan, especially now that he's no longer her captain, and it appears that a romance is starting to grow between the two. And, of course, Mushu is made a Guardian again, and the movie is over. 

       Okay, so Mulan is viewed as the start of a rebound in the Disney Renaissance. And after a few bumps in the road from films like Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Hercules, to have a movie that has a more centralized focus is really refreshing. And the film's setting of China is also really neat, and the watercolor design for several landscapes, as well as the overall visual aesthetic, is truly special and easily a highlight of the movie. 

        Ming-Na Wen was absolutely perfect as Mulan, and she gives an equal amount of innocence, naivety, and determination that makes for one of the most beloved of the Disney heroines. B.D. Wong is also fantastic as Li Shang, and he definitely stands as one of the most enjoyable Disney heroes since Aladdin. I also enjoyed the trio of Ling, Chien-Po, and Yao, and Harvey Fierstein was hilarious as Yao. James Hong and Pat Morita were really good as Chi-fu and the Emperor, and I enjoyed the contrast between the loud and stilted nature of Chi-fu and the more soft spoken and kind nature of the Emperor. I also really enjoyed George Takei as the Great Ancestor, and his very deep voice is really cool, and it definitely fits as a figurehead for the Fa family ancestors. 

         Shan Yu was, in my opinion, a step down as far as Disney villains go coming off of the excellent performance of James Wood as Hades in Hercules. However, Miguel Ferrer gives a air of both mystery and menace to the Hun leader, and his performance is really good. But, the one character that EVERYBODY loves in this movie is Eddie Murphy as Mushu. And, yeah, I have to agree. Eddie Murphy was really funny and had a lot of hysterical one-limers as Mushu, with "Dishonor on you, dishonor on your family, dishonor on your cow!" being a major highlight. 

        The music in this movie is fantastic. Jerry Goldsmith provides the score, and much like his other film scores, it's fantastic. The songs, written by David Zippel and Matthew Wilder, are easily memorable, and possibly the most memorable ones since The Lion King. Obviously, many who grew up on this movie will remember "I'll Make a Man Out of You," but my personal favorite was always "Reflection." Heck, I even enjoyed the end credits version of "Reflection" sung by Christina Aguilera. The music was just great, guys.

        Now, there are a few minor gripes that I have, such as them making the gathering of the ancestors more like a gathering at an old folks' home. I get the need for comedy, but that was just kinda weird. Also, the antagonists feel very underdeveloped. I mean, Disney villains are supposed to stand out as menaces that kids are terrified of. Cruella de Vil, Jafar, Maleficent, Ursula, Captain Hook, Scar, Frollo, Oogie Boogie, Hades, Lady Tremaine, the Evil Queen. All of these are Disney villains that audiences remember fondly and are still popular to this day. I honestly can't remember any of the main motivations of Shan Yu and the Huns. 

        With all of that said, Mulan was definitely a step in the right direction for the Disney Renaissance, and it was a stepping stone to what the Renaissance era would end out on. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie, and I know it's a favorite of many. I'm giving Mulan a rating of 4.85/5. Well guys, I'll see you guys after the weekend, when we look at the final Disney Renaissance film, Tarzan, on Tuesday.