Mulan

I love Mulan, it's such a great-looking movie and it dives into Chinese folklore with such zest and respect that it's hard to fault. Based on a semi-mythological piece of Chinese history, Mulan tells the story of a clumsy absent-minded peasant girl who goes off to war disguised as a man in order to bring honour to her family. Of course, there are the usual Disney touches - a feisty grandma, a tiny wisecracking dragon played by Eddie Murphy, and characters who aren't averse to breaking into song if the mood warrants it. But it's also a film that deals with adult concepts like warfare with a certain eloquence and sensitivity. The filmmakers manage to sidestep any actual scenes of bloodshed or killing without shortchanging the realities of war, so you have to give them their dues for breaking new ground for Disney without overstepping the mark.

The chinese setting seems to have breathed a lot of life into the film's production too... there are some breathtaking animation sequences that take Chinese art and mythology as a jumping off point for inspiration. I also actually liked a lot of the songs too, especially the rock-opera influenced Be A Man, which accompanies a great battle-training montage. Mulan's army contemporaries seem to be a partial homage to the seven dwarfs from Snow White; a motley collection of amusing characters (my favourite was the giant and baby-like Chen Po) who even march in single file along a mountain pass much like the dwarfs do. Mushu (the dragon) seems to be an attempt to recapture the frenetic humour of the genie from Aladdin but Eddie Murphy makes the role his own by injecting some much-needed humility into his comedy.

Anyway, it's a great adventure rawn that never feels false or forced. You'll really cheer for Mulan in the battle scenes, she's a more original character than your usual Disney heroines. An underrated slice of golden age Disney.

DIRECTOR: Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook.
WRITER/SOURCE: Script by Robert D. San Souci, Rita Hsaio, Philip LeZebnik, Chris Sanders, Eugene Bostwick-Singer and Raymond Singer. Based on the legend of Hua Mulan.
KEY ACTORS: Ming-Na, Eddie Murphy, Miguel Ferrer, Harvey Fierstein, James Hong, Miriam Margoyles, Pat Morita, Soon Tek-Oh, George Takei

RELATED TEXTS:
- The chinese poem The Ballad of Mulan, which describes the feats and career of Hua Mulan, a Chinese female warrior from the 6th century or thereabouts.
- Disney made a direct-to-DVD sequel called Mulan II.
- Disney are also currently working on a live-action version of Mulan, slated to star Chinese actress Zhang Ziyi.

AWARDS
Academy Awards - nomination Best Score.
Golden Globes - nominations Best Original Score and Best Song (Reflection)