Mulan (1998) Review

Mulan

Release Date: 3rd September 1998 - Australia

Production Companies

Walt Disney Pictures (presents)

Walt Disney Feature Animation

Distribution

Walt Disney Studios Motion

Pictures Australia

Genre: Animation/Family/

Action/Adventure

Rating: G

Runtime: 88 minutes


Budget: $90,000,000

Box Office Gross: $304,320,254 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

In a tradition-bound-society, a young Chinese girl named Mulan learns that her father has been called to arms to fight the invading Huns led by the dreaded Shan Yu. Knowing her father wouldn't survive the battle in his weakened state, she disguises herself as a male soldier and takes his place in the Imperial Army. Little does Mulan know that her spiritual ancestors have sent a guardian to protect her, a disgraced small dragon named Mushu. While 

serving in the Imperial

Army, Mulan tries to earn

the respect of her fellow

soldiers and her commanding

officer, Captain Shang.

Now, Mulan must keep her identity hidden from the army and prove her worth to her family's honour by marching into battle, where China's fate and the Emperor's life are at stake.

Voice Cast
Ming-Na - Mulan
Lea Salonga - Mulan (singing
voice)
Eddie Murphy - Mushu
BD Wong - Shang
Miguel Ferrer - Shan Yu
Donny Osmond - Shang
(singing voice)
Harvey Fierstein - Yao
Soon Tek-Oh - Fa Zhou
June Foray - Grandmother Fa
Marni Nixon - Grandmother Fa
(singing voice)
George Takei - First Ancestor
James Hong - Chi Fu
Pat Morita - The Emperor
Miriam Margoyles - The
Matchmaker
Frank Welker - Khan/Cri-Kee
James Shigeta - General Li
Jerry Tondo - Chien-Po
Gedde Watanabe - Ling
Matthew Wilder - Ling (singing voice)

Crew
Directors - Barry Cook and
Tony Bancroft

Poem - Guo Maoqin (Uncredited)
Based on a Story - Robert D. San Souci
Story Co-Head - Dean DeBlois
Story - Robert D. San Souci,
John Sanford, Tim Hodge,
Burny Mattinson, Barry
Johnson, Ed Gombert,
Chris Williams, Julius
Aguimatang, Lorna Cook,
Thom Enriquez, Joe Grant
and Floyd Norman
Additional Story Material - Linda Woolverton,
Jodi Ann Johnston, Alan Ormsby, David Reynolds,
Don Doughtery, Jorgen Klubien, Denis Rich,
Joe Ekers, Theodore Newton, Larry Scholl,
Daan Jippes, Frank Nissen and Jeff Snow
Screenplay/Artistic Supervisor: Story -

Chris Sanders
Screenplay - Rita Hsiao, Philip LaZebnik and
Raymond & Eugenia Bostwick-Singer

Associate Producers - Kendra Haaland and

Robert A. Garber

Producer - Pam Coats

Casting Director - Ruth Lambert

Martial Arts Fight Advisor - B.H. Barry
Production Designer - Hans Bacher
Art Director - Ric Sluiter
Artistic Coordinator - Jeff Dutton
Artistic Supervisor: Character Design - Chen-Yi Chang
Character Designers/Visual Development -
Richie Chavez, Peter DeSeve, Paul A. Felix,
Jean Gillmore, Caroline Hu, Sai Ping Lok,
Rick Maki, Sue C. Nichols, Alex Nino,
John Puglisi, Robh Ruppel and

Marcelo Vignali
Visual Development/Lead Animator:

"Little Brother" - Shawn Keller

Artistic Supervisor: Layout - Robert Walker

Artistic Supervisor: Background - Robert E. Stanton

Supervising Animator: "Mulan" and

"Fa Zhou" - Mark Henn
Supervising Animator: "Shang" and "Fa Li" -
Ruben A. Aquino
Supervising Animator: "Mushu" - Tom Bancroft
Supervising Animator: "Cri-Kee" - Barry Temple
Supervising Animator: "Shan-Yu", "Falcon"

and "Elite Huns" - Pres Romanillos
Supervising Animator: "Yao" and "The

Ancestors" - Aaron Blaise
Supervising Animator: "Chien-Po" and

"Ling" - Broose Johnson
Supervising Animator: "The Emperor" -
T. Daniel Hofstedt
Supervising Animator: "Chi-Fu" and

"Grandmother Fa" - Jeffrey James Varab
Supervising Animator: "Khan" and

"General Li" - Alex Kupershmidt

Artistic Supervisor: Clean-Up, Los Angeles Unit -

Vera Pacheco

Artistic Supervisor: Computer Animation -

Eric Guaglione

Supervising Animator: Computer Animation -

Rob Bekuhrs
Editor - Michael Kelly

Associate Editors - William J. Caparella

and Albert Coleman (Uncredited)

Sound Designer/Supervisor - Lon Bender

ADR/Dialogue Supervisor - Curt Schulkey

Re-Recording Mixers - Mel Metcalfe,

Terry Porter and Dean A. Zupancic

Foley Artists - Catherine Harper

and James Moriana

Songs - Matthew Wilder
Lyrics - David Zippel
Music - Jerry Goldsmith

Executive Music Producer - Chris Montan

Music Coordinator - Tom MacDougall

Score Recordist and Mixer - Bruce Botnick

Awards

1999 Academy Awards
Best Music, Original Musical or Comedy Score -
Matthew Wilder, David Zippel and Jerry Goldsmith (Nominated)

Review

This film showcases a massive scope and a fascinating Chinese backdrop that would have impressed the late director David Lean. MULAN was based on a legendary Chinese poem and had an empowering message. It's no wonder Disney takes creative liberties in turning this ballad into an animated musical. It is fair to say Disney never gives up on replicating the same formula in its movies. Even the frequent use of comical characters has toned down the movie's darker themes. Unfortunately, MULAN runs a minimum of 88 minutes long and, to some degree, has only minimal action scenes to warrant a PG rating. On a positive note, the animation was delicate. The feature had some great moments, including the title character donning a male soldier disguise and the avalanche scene.

I couldn't help but appreciate Jerry Goldsmith's well-executed, bombastic score. His musical genius impressed me. I also praise Eddie Murphy for lending his energetic voice to the hilarious dragon Mushu and two of the film's songs, "Reflection" and "I'll Make a Man Out of You."

MULAN is good, but more action could have strengthened the plot. It would have been Disney's crowning achievement on a larger scale. Buy or rent it and enjoy it with the young ones or for the sake of honour.

Star rating: (7/10) Good Movie

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