Mulan (1998)
A Film Review by Mark O'Hara
One hears and reads opinions and statistics about Walt Disney Pictures. THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989) was a watershed film, recharging the animation division. THE LION KING (1994) grossed over $300 million. The entries of the last two summers, however, disappointed both critics and Disney's money-counters.
There's no telling yet about MULAN'S box office, but for my money it's the best entry since BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1991).
The legend on which the story is based is a masterful choice. It avoids familiar, sexist lore; it stresses the strengths and determination of a young heroine; it even goes out of its way to avoid the formulaic treacle typical of Disney.
Though the narrative begins with action – a herd of Huns overrunning the Great Wall – it spends the next several minutes exposing and developing characters. We meet minor figures like Mulan's grandmother, and the family dog "Little Brother," both of whom are used for comic relief. There is also a little cricket: it's no Jiminy, but it does have a mute charm akin to the dog-like carpet's in ALADDIN. But the character that casts his influence upon the rest of the film is Zhou, Mulan's father.
An aging, dignified and prayerful man, Zhou receives a conscription notice send by the Emperor . One male from each family must fight the invading hordes. Observing her father's ineffectual attempt to swing his long-closeted sword, Mulan makes the crucial decision of the film's premise. She cuts off her hair, dons her father's armor, gallops off on her black stallion, Khan. Zhou charges out of the house and falls in a rain puddle, horrified, of course, at his daughter's smashing of tradition and honor. Voiced expertly by Soon-Tek Oh, Zhou appears again only briefly, at the far end of the tale; but he proves to be a quick-forgiving father, causing many tears to spill, I am sure, from viewers' eyes.
Another laudable aspect of the film is that its characters are drawn consistently. Way back when Snow White and her Prince moved with the grace of their human models, while the dwarves cavorted like the buffoonish caricatures they were, we witnessed the gap Disney pictures' animation style. Look at Cinderella versus her step-sisters, even at Belle and her eccentric, barrel-like father. No, the plain beauty of Mulan does not contrast strongly with the supporting roles. Captain Li Shang (voice of B. D. Wong), Mulan's would-be love interest, does not differ strikingly from the other males in the story. The Huns are an exception; they are demonized through lack of development and through Neanderthal bulkiness. Miguel Ferrer, in his role of Shan-Yu, creates the most velvety and threatening male voice since Robbie Benson's Beast.
MULAN is strongest in the story of its heroine's quest. Although the film is too short to be considered picaresque in nature, we watch Mulan meet and conquer many obstacles, from training to rejection as a meddlesome female. She is certainly a dynamic character, a strong woman who does not spend her time waiting to be rescued. Instead, she conceives the rescue schemes.
I find it remarkable that MULAN can be criticized as though it were a live-action drama. I was so caught up in the exposition that, when Eddie Murphy's dragon, the strutting sidekick Mushu, appeared, I felt a disturbing change in tone. Then I remembered the audience. This was a kids' picture that adults could enjoy too. Along with Mushu, I admired the portrayal of Mulan's ancestors. George Takei does nicely as Number 1 Ancestor. He leads a cast of ghosts that tells us a great deal about Chinese tradition. A film 88 minutes long cannot do justice to such a culture; however, we spy customs, dress, art and even some musical cues that serve as a thorough short course on that time.
Watching some scenes in MULAN – specifically the ones aided by computer digitalization – I was reminded of the racing introduction of THE RESCUERS DOWN UNDER and the dancing scene of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. When Shan-Yu appeared atop a snow-covered hill, the horizon high in the shot to show the immense width of the landscape, I experienced the awe induced usually by the cinematography of war epics. And when the Hun leader and his legions of mounted warriors commenced to cascade down the snow-covered mountain, I felt the slight but pleasurable vertigo evoked by carefully-placed cameras. This animation is indeed top-notch.
The music accomplishes the main task of songs that appear in musicals: their lyrics further the plot. That's all. The numbers are not bad, just unremarkable. I doubt even the Stevie Wonder song that accompanies the credits will receive much play on the radio.
In future viewings – my daughter has already asserted that we will purchase the video – I will try to spot the twisted humor of animators, jokes like "SEX" spelled out in the dust and blown leaves of THE LION KING. The silliest gag I noticed is the casting of Harvey Fierstein as a macho soldier who asks, late in the film, if his dress makes him look fat!
Because of Fu Zhou and his loving relationship with his daughter, it was all the more pleasant to catch MULAN on Father's Day weekend, its opening date. My family was thankful for a G-rated film as summer began. I understand other studios have noticed the scarcity of good family entertainment too. But with MULAN, the best of Disney is back.
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