Mulan Review- By Michael Carlisle

 Title: Mulan
Year: 1998
Country: US
Language: English

 Be a man! Mulan has elements of the typical Disney film (brave heroine, cute animal sidekicks) but tends to stray into material that is much more epic, adventurous and mature. When one thinks of animated films they often think of content specifically made for children, I assure you that this film is much more suited to an adult audience than small children as very few small children can comprehend the messages Mulan attempts to send to its audience. Often under-rated and criticized for it's gender stereotyping, though these types of critics have clearly missed the message of the entire film, Mulan is not only worthy of the prestigious "Disney Vault" honor but it is worthy of being declared one of the best animated films of all time.

Disney's Mulan is based on a Chinese folk tale about a courageous Chinese teenage girl who disguises herself as a boy to fight the invading Huns. The merciless Shan-Yu leads these huns, as they sweep the Great Wall of China. This alarms the emperer who calls up all able men to defend the kingdom. Mulan's father is an old and frail man but he decides that he must "be a man" and protect his country, throwing down his crutch in exchange for a sword. Mulan steals the family sword to save her father from certain death, summons the family ancestors for aid, and secretley goes in his place.

And Lennon. The world needs more Lennon

Mulan is often heavily criticized for its gender stereotyping. There have been plenty of Youtube videos about how Disney screws up our gender expectations within the pivitol learning years of our lives. This film is frequently featured in these videos, usually compared with the clip of the scene in which "Be a man" is sung. This couldn't be farther from the truth, if any Disney film defies gender stereotyping it's Mulan. Mulan defies convention! Throughout the film we are greeted by incredibly manly characters, who have an ego as massive as their arms. They want a "girl worth fighting for", they want to "be a man". Yet these manly characteristics get them nowhere. If it wasn't for Mulan's intelligence these "men" would have died in battle very early in the film. Her small  friend  Mushu, played by the quick witted Eddie Murphy, is also an example of how the film defies gender stereotyping. He is a dragon, yet so petite that everybody thinks of him as a lizard, however what he lacks in strength he makes up for in humor and intelligence. The world doesn't need "tough" men, the world needs intelligent, compassionate and funny men.


The film also has the conventional "be yourself" attitude. Defy the matchmaker, defy societal standards, dress as a boy, and choose your own career.When Mulan is forced to act the gender stereotype (dress pretty, walk nicely, serve men) she is very unhappy with herself. She finds herself asking "When will my reflection show who I am inside?" A question, I think, a lot of transsexual, transgender and in the closet homosexual people are asking themselves. Why stay in the closet? Why not be yourself no matter the consequence. If you cannot accept yourself then who will? Of course, this is MUCH easier said than done. Mulan also had to defeat a whole hun army to get her father to accept him. I personally wish that Mulan was a lesbian, the relationship with Shang is a little too conventional for this unconventional film. It would only benefit from the change in sexual orientation, though I can understand if Disney didn't due to the controversy that would ensue.

In conclusion, Mulan is an unconventional and compelling film that deserves its place among the greats. There are songs like "Be a man" and "Reflection" that are incredibly memorable. It has great heart and has great thoughts about defying gender tradition. Mulan teaches that women are capable of doing greater thingss that the average "brawny" man. It also teaches that men do not need to be strong to make a difference as well. Combining chinese folk tale and American storytelling, this film is a funny, daring and enthralling experience. 3.5/5