Disney, 2005
Voices of Ming-Na Wen, BD Wong, Mark Moseley, and Lucy Liu
Directed by Darrell Rooney and Lynne Southerland
Music by Jeanine Tesori; Lyrics by Scott Erickson
Although it wasn't as big of a hit as some of the Disney animated musicals from earlier in the 90's, Mulan impressed critics with its epic action scenes, delicate animation, and unique heroine. It picked up enough of a fan base after its release to earn one of the last direct-to-home-media sequels the studio churned out from 1994 to 2008. How does this follow-up compare to its illustrious ancestor? Let's start with Mulan (Wen) as she teaches the local kids about martial arts, and find out...
The Story: As Mulan works with the kids, General Li Shang (Wong) arrives to propose to her. She accepts, and everyone in China is thrilled...except Mulan's guardian ancestor Mushu (Moseley). If Mulan marries, he loses his new position as head of the ancestors. He's determined to keep them from marrying.
Meanwhile, Mulan and Shang accept a mission from the Emperor of China (Pat Moriata) to take three princesses to the kingdom of Qui Gong, where they'll wed the princes and unify the kingdoms. The royal ladies, however, become smitten with Mulan's three soldier buddies, especially after Mulan insists they follow their hearts. Mushu's scheming works too well. Mulan finally gets fed up with Shang insisting they stick to the mission and breaks up with him...but when disaster falls on the group, she takes it on herself to unify the kingdoms and save China.
The Animation: Not at the level of the first film, but not quite as horrible as some of the others that came out around this time. It's still relatively delicate, with softer colors and fine lines, like Chinese calligraphy as cartoon characters. Some of the expressions don't quite work or are a little too goofy, though, including a notoriously weird one from Shang.
The Song and Dance: The decent animation and characters are what makes this even mildly watchable. The trio of princesses are well-delineated, with their own adorable personalities and character quirks. I actually wished we could have seen even more of them, together and with Mulan's buddies. The guys are decently funny too, especially when they're thrown out of the bar in the beginning.
Favorite Number: Mulan teaches the local children the importance of balance in their lives as they take "Lesson Number One" in the opening. The princesses just want to do things "Like Other Girls" as they frolic through fields and fly on swings through the air in their imaginations.
What I Don't Like: The plot is ridiculous and annoying, starting with Mushu's selfish attempts to break up Mulan and Shang. Even Mulan calls him on it. There's also Mulan protesting the arranged marriages, only to sacrifice herself later. The marriages were supposed to prevent a war. What happens when none of them go through? What happened with the treaty? Did Qui Gong still become China's ally? And while the songs weren't the first film's strong point, they're even more bland here, just barely registering.
The Big Finale: In the end, the decent characters aren't enough to save the bland score, so-so animation, and confusing and annoying story. For huge fans of Disney or the original Mulan only.
Home Media: The solo DVD is long out of print, but it's easy to find on streaming and paired with the original film on disc.
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