Though it was extremely well known in its native China, the story of Mulan was virtually unheard of in North America before 1998, making Disney’s Mulan something of a risk. Though there had been a few notable exceptions, such as The Lion King, Disney had always had the most success when adapting stories that the audience was already familiar with, even if those stories were heavily modified to fit the Disney mold. The story of Mulan had all of the classic Disney elements, though, so it was a good fit for the company, especially as they were trying to branch out from the European fairytales they had become so deeply associated with.
From a directorial standpoint, Mulan succeeds. It balances action, comedy, and drama without falling too heavily into any one genre. The pacing varies appropriately from slow and serine to fast paced and hectic, without feeling disjointed. The music, on the other hand, is a bit of a disappointment, delivering easily the weakest soundtrack in ten years. Though it was well received by critics, like Hercules and The Hunchback of Notre Dame before it, the audiences just didn’t show up in the same numbers as they had at the beginning of the decade.
Mulan was never high on my list when I was young. I liked the character of Mushu and the avalanche scene, but beyond that it just didn’t hold my interest. Revisiting it now, I found I enjoyed it more. It’s still not one of my favorites, but I did find a lot more that I could connect with. While it may be too sedate for the youngest viewers, it is still a solid film that is enjoyable for adults and slightly older children.
Up next: Tarzan (1999)
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