Film Review #31: Mulan

When this film came out, people really liked it.  It did the best business of any Disney film since Pocahontas, and the critics liked the film more than any film since The Lion King.  As time passed, the fanbase for it has grown steadily over the years and many even have this film as the best animated film of all time on their lists.  But for me, this film is extremely disappointing, both from a technical and artistic point of view.  With a few exceptions, this may very well be the most disappointing film of the 1990's.  Now, I'm not saying anyone who likes this film is dumb, nor am I saying that there is nothing at all good in this film.  To me, Mulan is something that Don Bluth or Warner Bros. would have done for an animated film.  It seems more like a clusterfuck of things that made the other films of the 90's good all taking place in China.  There isn't any new ground being covered and while the action is fairly decent, the film lacks in the most important areas in storytelling.

Plot: In ancient China, the Huns invade.  This forces the Emperor to issue the draft that one man from every family must defend China from the conqueror, Shan Yu.  But the father of a young woman named Mulan is too old and weak to fight and Mulan fears that he will die if he goes onto the front.  Mulan disguises herself as a man and enters the army as her father's "son", Ping.  One of the family's guardians, a small dragon named Mushu, plans to make her a war hero to earn the praise he feels he deserves. 

During her training camp, she and the other recruits hit it off and train well under the command of Captain Shang.  But when the King's Majordomo decrees that the men aren't fit to be soldiers, Mushu writes a fake letter to him, stating that the army needs help on the front.  After making a long trek to the mountains, they find that the entire army was slaughtered by the Huns.  Then, the Huns ambush the army in the mountains, but Mulan causes an avalanche and crushes them.  After treating her injury, Shang finds out Mulan's secret and banishes her from the arm.  On her way home, she notices that Shan Yu and several of his followers survived and are on their way to the Forbidden City to kill the Emperor.  Mulan and Mushu must win back the army's trust and save China before Shan Yu conquers everything.

What's Wrong?: As I stated above, Mulan just appears to be just one giant clusterfuck of things that made the other films of the era good, but instead having it all take place in China.  This begins pretty early on with Eddie Murphy as Mushu in this movie.  Obviously trying to recreate the buzz from Robin Williams in Aladdin, Disney cast Murphy very poorly in the film.  Where the Genie was funny but sympathetic, Mushu is both unfunny and an egocentric douche most of the time, not caring about anything but himself.  If Murphy's character was able to be loose and Eddie Murphy like, like Donkey in Shrek, this would have been a memorable role. 

Shan Yu is the most boring and uninteresting villain in the history of Disney Animation.  Even in Kingdom Hearts II he was unable to have a character.  He was just a big burly obstacle in Mulan's way.  Especially after Frollo and Hades, Shan Yu sets the bar for Disney Villains very low. 

The songs and musical score are again not very interesting.  With the exceptions of  "Reflection" and "I'll Make a Man Out of You", none of the songs are memorable at all.  The score isn't allowed to have it's standout moments, which also hinders the film. 

But Mulan's biggest problem is that it wasn't made to be a film.  It was one of the first few Disney films where you can plainly see that the film was made to make money, with little to no effort thrown in.  Compare this film to three others that came out around the same time: A Bug's Life, The Rugrats Movie, and The Prince of Egypt.  You can argue that A Bug's Life pushed the very boundaries of technology forward, following in Toy Story's footsteps.  The Rugrats Movie also changed the movie dynamic, turning what could have been a half-hour special about them getting lost at the mall, into a dark an complex story that goes deep into a character's heart and shows what jealousy and fear can really do to people.  But the biggest comparison must be done with The Prince of Egypt.  Rather than fear what the demographics were going to be or say, this film tells another side of the ancient Ten Commandments story, by studying the relationship between Ramses and Moses and the struggles they would endure, without even needing an incredible string of Alan Menken songs.  Mulan is commercialization to the max, following what the numbers would instead of the gut feeling would. 

What's Good?: The movie needed something good in it, and at least they got one thing right.  Mulan is a very engaging protagonist.  We as an audience grow with her and we learn with her.  And while Hercules was a big doofus in his movie and Pocahontas was a walking amateur Facebook post, Mulan is able to match the quality of a Disney protagonist of the 90's.  Well done.

And while not being particularly interesting, the animation is still Disney Animation.  The lines are still smooth and the colors are still great.

Overall: The "Girl Power" mantra aside, the film has little else quality to offer.  I'd say you can skip this one, but since it is a renaissance movie, you can see it if you want.  Just don't expect pre- Pocahontas good.

Report Card

Hero:                                             B-
Heroine:                                        A
Villain:                                          F
Side Characters:                         C+
Songs:                                           B-
Musical Score:                             B-
Animation:                                   B
Special Effects:                            C
Themes:                                       A-
Story:                                           B

Final Grade:                               C+