1998 cartoon
Rating: 16/20 (Buster: 20/20)
Plot: The titular feminist, with the help of the talking donkey from the Shrek movies, has to become a man in order to save her father's life and the future of China.
There are animation issues with this one, but it's hard to argue a movie's greatness when it features the voice work of Mr. Miyagi, the dude in the Chinese restaurant in that Seinfeld episode, and Sulu. Is Mulan a Disney princess? She's one of the better role models if she is. I mean, sure she runs away, steals, lies, and befriends a dragon, but she's a good smart and brave character who I wouldn't mind my son emulating. Her army friends--including a little fellow voiced by Harvey Fierstein who, if I made animated films, I'd have do all the voices in one of my movies just to do it--are good comic characters although her love interest is a little generic. The bad guy is menacing and brings some darkness, and I'm glad the Disney people didn't decide to unleash Gilbert Gottfried to give voice to his bird. I also like most of the songs, especially the exciting "I'll Make a Man out of You," a song which, when I first heard this in 1998, helped encourage me to urinate standing up. Some day, I will make an animated movie based on my personal urination history. Tentative title--I Pee: Stand Up for Yourself, Hotshot. Harvey Fierstein will provide the voice of young Shane and older Shane, Shane's father, Shane's mother, Shane's best friend Vernon, Shane's future wife Jennifer, "locker room bullies 1-17," and Rodolfo the Talking Toilet. And his character in Mulan if I can get the Disney people to let me borrow him.
2 comments:
You sort of got off track. I think "Mulan" is one of Disney's most underrated films. There is a lot of humor, action, the characters are well drawn, and the whole thing has great pacing. I really can't think of how they could have made this any better. You really pull for a girl who risks her life to save her father, then stops the Mongols and saves China. What more could you want? A 17.
Just better animation...
I decided while playing disc golf after I wrote this that I was going to bump it up a point.
Is it really underrated? I thought it was universally beloved? It'll never be as popular with marketing, etc. with Disney fans because the characters aren't white.
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