Mulan (1998)

Directors:

Tony Bancroft
Barry Cook

Writers:

Robert D. San Souci (story)
Rita Hsiao (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

19 June 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Drama | Family

Tagline:

The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.

Plot:

To save her father from death in the army, a Chinese maiden secretly goes in his place and becomes one of China's greatest heroes in the process.

Plot Keywords:

China | Dragon | Mountain | Matchmaker | Luck

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 14 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

Miguel Ferrer	...	Shan-Yu (voice)
Harvey Fierstein	...	Yao (voice)
Freda Foh Shen	...	Fa Li (voice)
June Foray	...	Grandmother Fa (voice)
James Hong	...	Chi Fu (voice)
Miriam Margolyes	...	The Matchmaker (voice)
Pat Morita	...	The Emperor (voice)
Eddie Murphy	...	Mushu (voice)
Marni Nixon	...	Grandmother Fa (singing voice)
Soon-Tek Oh	...	Fa Zhou (voice)
Donny Osmond	...	Shang (singing voice)
Lea Salonga	...	Mulan (singing voice)
James Shigeta	...	General Li (voice)
George Takei	...	First Ancestor (voice)
Jerry Tondo	...	Chien-Po (voice) (as Jerry S. Tondo)

Also Known As:

China Doll (USA) (working title)
The Legend of Mulan (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

88 min | Philippines:85 min

Country:

USA

Language:

Mandarin | English

Colour:

Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Philippines:G | Denmark:7 (DVD rating) | Iceland:L | USA:G (certificate #36035) | UK:U (cut) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Belgium:KT | Brazil:Livre | Canada:G | Chile:TE | Finland:K-8/5 | France:U | Germany:o.Al. (bw) | Hong Kong:I | Mexico:A | Netherlands:AL | Peru:PT | Singapore:G | South Korea:All | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud)

Company:

Walt Disney Feature Animation

Trivia:

Credited with launching the career of Christina Aguilera whose first song to be released in the US was the film's song 'Reflection'. The song went down so well that it landed her a recording contract with RCA Records.

Goofs:

Continuity: The cricket cage attached to Mulan's behind reappears during her meeting with the matchmaker and the first few seconds of the "Reflection" sequence.

Quotes:

The Emperor of China: I've heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan. You stole your father's armor, ran away from home, impersonated a soldier, deceived your commanding officer, dishonored the Chinese Army, destroyed my palace, and... you have saved us all.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in George of the Jungle 2 (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

True to Your Heart

Excellent, if a little different

Now I must admit I wasn't sure about this one. MULAN seemed to break most of my preconceived rules on Disney movies. These included the fairytale element - a cross-dressing Chinese soldier doesn't have the same magical appeal as, say, the son of the Greek gods searching for his birthright, etc etc. Also, this verge towards realism meant that the bad guy would not be as appealing - Disney villains are camp, over-the-top thespians by rule - Jeremy Irons in THE LION KING for example. I was concerned about the absence of king-of-melody composer Alan Menken, whose wonderful songs encapsulate the charm of Disney.

However, that said, I thought this film was wonderful. The characters were well thought out and expertly drawn. Not enough songs were present for my liking, but those that were fit perfectly with the story, and the chance to hear the wonderful voice of Lea Salonga (Mulan's songs) is worth the price of this film alone. Eddie Murphy has managed to be as good, if not better, than Robin Williams as the comic sidekick. And the film's conclusion is as genuine and as heartfelt as any adaptation of this story. The mountain scene contains some of the best animation I have seen from Disney, and the rousing score from maestro Jerry Goldsmith accompanies the action superbly.

This may not turn out to be a classic in the same way as THE LION KING and BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, but I enjoyed it immensely. Go see it now!!!