Mulan (Special Edition)
by Barry Cook, Tony Bancroft
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: B.D. Wong, Eddie Murphy, Harvey Fierstein, Miguel Ferrer, Ming-NaDirector: Barry Cook, Tony Bancroft
Brand: BUENA VISTA HOME VIDEO
Writer: Alan Ormsby
Writer: Anonymous
Writer: Barry Johnson
Writer: Burny Mattinson
Writer: Chris Sanders
Writer: Chris Williams
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Anamorphic, Animated, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Special Edition, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.66:1
Running Time: 88 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-10-26
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Movie Reviews of Mulan (Special Edition)
Movie Review: Was all that humor necessary?
Summary: 3 Stars
Disney could have done a great job with this adaptation of a Chinese folk tale. But unfortunately, they just had to ruin it with some comedy. Now, I'm not saying that this automatically makes the film a complete failure. The animation is top-notch, with some beautiful scenery and a powerful action sequence. The drama really adds to the tension in some scenes. The music from Jerry Goldsmith is also a treat. But what really makes this a mediocre Disney film is the unnecessary comedy. Disney could have made this one of its more outstanding animated films, if it weren't for all that humor. Instead of it being a serious epic like Princess Mononoke, Mulan is more of an uneven display of drama and slapstick. All of this funny stuff is very out of place for such a powerful folk tale. Couldn't they have taken Mushu more seriously? Plus, the songs are very forgettable. "A Girl Worth Fighting For" and "I'll Make a Man Out of You" aren't in the same level as "Be Our Guest" and "I Just Can't Wait to be King." There are no memorable melodies and no decent lyrics, though "Reflection" is a slightly up there.
So Mulan is basically a mixed bag. The stunning animation and the apparent drama are what's good about it. The unnecessary comedy and underwhelming songs are what's bad about it. It's too bad, really. This project had some big potential, but they just had to turn it into an adequate animated film.
Grade: C
Summary of Mulan (Special Edition)
1. "An impressive achievement ranking with BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and THE LION KING!" -- Roger Ebert 2. Deleted Scenes -- Never-Before-Heard Song; Alternate Openings 3. Songs of MULAN 4. Music Videos Featuring Jackie Chan, Raven, And Christina Aguilera 5. "Discovering MULAN" -- Embark On A Behind-The-Scenes Adventure With The Filmmakers 6. Early Presentation Reels 7. Progression Reels 8. DisneyPedia: "Mulan's World" -- Explore The Fascinating World Of Ancient China With Your Host, Mushu 9. MULAN Fun Facts 10. Audio Commentary 11. Storyboard-To-Film ComparisonsSolid entertainment from a new group of Disney animators. The story source is 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 full-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's 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
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