# Mulan (1998)

### reviewed by
Tim Voon

                                   MULAN 1998
                          A film review by Timothy Voon
                          Copyright 1998 Timothy Voon
                 3 :-) :-) :-) for the warrior princess of China

Featuring the voices of: Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, B.D. Wong, Miguel Ferrer, Harvey Fierstein, Pat Morita, Soon-Tek Oh, George Takei Directors: Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook Screenplay: Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, Rita Hsiao, Philip LaZebnik, Chris Sanders, Raymond Singer Music: Jerry Goldsmith Songs by: Matthew Wilder and David Zippel

In one of the most politically correct Disney movies to date, we have a female saving China in an era when male chauvinistic pigs dominated the continent – and they still do! This is the tale of a legendary Chinese heroine, Mulan, a folk tale of courage and honour handed down by mouth over centuries. It is the time when China stands on the brink of disaster, and the threat isn't the Japanese. The Huns of Mongols are about to invade China from the north, and not even The Great Wall can keep these big, hairy barbarians out.

A royal decree is issued by the Emperor, summoning a male from every family to stand and defend the country against the Huns. Mulan's father is crippled in the last war and like any strong-willed, progressive thinking, independent female, Mulan decides she can take her father's place by acting the man - and she does a great job! In fact Mulan looks outright ugly as a girl, but when she cuts her hair and throws on the manly garb - she blossoms into one of the spunkiest looking young studs this side of the divide. Don't get the wrong idea, this isn't just a story about cross-dressing - there's ALSO romance. The love interest is none other that the general's son, Captain Shang who has been ordered to train the recruits. Shang has an annoying tendency to bear his muscles every opportunity he gets in front of a very flat chested Mulan. This actually generates a buried sexual tension that erupts in the end when Mulan not only saves China, but also the hunky Shang. When she is wounded the secret is out, but how does a man brought up on the traditionalist views of a male domineering society take to being saved by a woman?

Hearing Donny Osmond sing, will bring tears to your eyes - and it's not because he can sing. Lea Salonga is the leading Asian girl of Broadway, and would have easily snared the singing part of Mulan with little difficulty, if not due to lack of competition. As for the speaking voices, Ming-Na Wen of THE JOY LUCK CLUB and THE SINGLE GUY, is ideal as the spirited Mulan. Eddie Murphy generates a lot of the laughs as Mushu the family dragon – somehow hearing him is easier than watching him.

If this movie doesn't make a father proud of his daughter, I'm not sure what will. If only the boys of this day and age had more of the character and initiative shown by MULAN, the world would be a better place. Great family viewing.

                                  Timothy Voon
                        e-mail: stirling@netlink.com.au
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