Mulan
Directors: Barry Cook & Tony Bancroft
Producer:
Pam Coats
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Ming Na Wen, B.D.
Wong, Harvey Fierstein, Miguel Ferrer, Pat Morita, George Takei
John's Review
Disney's latest animated movie is a big hit. Much
like Aladin and Lion King it succeeds on many
different levels. It is funny, it is enjoyable, it is a good
story told well.
Mulan a young girl in old China is getting
prepared to find a husband when we find out that the Huns have
invaded China. All of the families of her village must send a man
off to war. Since her father is the only man in the family he
steps forward and agrees to go. Mulan is upset and feels that her
father should not go because he has already given himself to
service for his country and wounded his leg because of it.
That night she cuts her hair and takes his
scroll that identifies his family. She goes to a pseudo-boot camp
and is quickly made into the least popular boy. Meanwhile back at
the family house Mulan's disapearance has not gone unnoticed. All
of the family prays to their gods.
The Gods decide to send a dragon to save
Mulan. Unfortunately the stone dragon crummbles when ajshkjh
(Murphy) goes to awaken him. So sgkjsakl goes in his place. This
is where the film gets funny. Eddie Murphy, much as in Dr.
Doolittle is frightfully funny.
Shortly there after the General and his men
are killed and the new recruits have to save the day, so to
speak. Here Mulan shows her heroics and smarts by burying the
entire Hun army under a blanket of snow. But, to the army's
dismay we found out that Mulan is a girl. From here the film
becomes a moral story about not judging a book by its cover.
The animation is very well done, but looks a
bit more childish than in previous Disney films. While The
Hunchback of Notre Dame's designs relied on excess for
success, the Mulan patterns are smaller, more rounded but never
simplistic. Instead of filling the screen with self-conscious
grandiosity, the artists succeed at creating a Chinese backdrop
with broad yet delicate strokes. Even the combat scenes are
stirring without being jarring, and an avalanche scene, which is
part of Mulan's military strategy, is expertly conceived. The
music is well done and the songs are kept to a very enjoyable
minimum. Only 3 are in the film and they aren't that bad.
I guess the theme would be, Girle too, can
accomplish anything. I don't know how true to form this version
of an apparently very popular Chinese fairy tale is, but I (and
my two six year old sons) thought this was a lot of fun. Definate
recommended viewing for the entire family!
Grade: A-
