Mulan [DVD]

Description

Mulan 's story is based on a Chinese fable about a young girl who disguises herself as a man to help her family and her country. When the Huns attack China, a call to arms goes out to every village, and Mulan's father, being the only man in the family, accepts the call. Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen, sung by Lea Salonga) has just made a disastrous appearance at the Matchmaker and decides to challenge society's expectations (being a bride). She steals her father's conscription notice, cuts her hair and impersonates a man to join the army. She goes to boot camp, learning to fit in with the other soldiers with some help from her sidekick, Mushu, a wise-cracking dragon (voiced by Eddie Murphy). She trains, and soon faces the Huns eye to eye to protect her Emperor. The film is gorgeous to look at, with a superior blend of classic and computer-generated animation. Directors Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook make the best of it: a battle in the snowy mountains is as thrilling as the best Hollywood action films. The menacing Huns are not cute but simple and bad. The wickedness is subtle, not disturbing. The film is not a fully fledged musical, as it has only five songs (the best, "Be a Man", is sung during boot camp). Eddie Murphy is an inspired choice for the comic-relief dragon, but his lines are not as clever as Robin Williams' in Aladdin . These are minor quibbles, though. The story is strong, and Mulan goes right to the top of Disney animated heroines; she has the right stuff. -- Doug Thomas, desertcart.com Brimming with daring adventure, hilarious characters and inspiring music, Disney’s animated classic Mulan celebrates honour, courage and a young girl’s quest to be true to her own heart. As clever as she is beautiful, young Mulan is determined to prove herself – by courageously taking her father’s place in the Imperial Army. Aided by her outrageously funny guardian dragon Mushu and a lucky cricket named Cri-Kee, Mulan’s quest will lead her to a climactic battle atop the Imperial Palace, where her family’s honour, the fate of the Emperor and the future of all of China hang in the balance! Review: The Best of "Old" and "New" Disney on Blu-ray - Mulan is a rare movie, combining the best of old and new styles to create a masterpiece. Based on an ancient Chinese story, Mulan tells of a girl who rose to inspire her people against an invading foe, a story pre-dating that of Joan of Arc by many centuries. In Disney's telling, the character animation, the music, and Eddie Murphy's voicing of Mushu the Dragon are "new" style elements; while animation of buildings and landscapes are "old" style, and very beautiful. Most importantly, the story development is also in the old style, with finely crafted characters you care about. This results in a film which is emotionally affecting for adults as well as children, though on differing levels. Mulan expertly mixes cartoon slapstick, clever dialogue, magnificent sights and sounds, and eye-misting emotion, creating a powerful experience the memory of which is likely to last for a very long time. The films from Disney Studios have been hit-and-miss since the passing of Walt Disney, and Mulan is one of the hits. Perhaps the strangest example of the bull's eye scored by this film is Eddie Murphy as Mushu, with an accent that is seemingly so out of place, and yet so perfect. The Blu-ray edition heightens the effect of the thunderous soundtrack and the beautiful animation, offering a grand evening's entertainment for the entire family. Re-visit this classic from 1998 to see how good later Disney films could be. Review: Dvd mulan - Great item