Critic Reviews
Mulan (1998) Rank 3 Reviews
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San Francisco Chronicle (Peter Stack)
This film, which opens today, is wondrously fleshed out despite the use of computer animation techniques that tend to produce spare, mechanical imagery. Co-directors Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft and production designer Hans Bacher held firm on story and ...read the complete Mulan movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Peter Stack)
Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
"Mulan" is the re-telling of an ancient Chinese fable about the titular girl (voiced by Ming-Na Wen when speaking, and Lea Salonga when singing), who impersonates a man in order to take her father's place in the Imperial Army of feudal China. As a ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
filmcritic.com (Jesse Hassenger)
In the rush to contrast the early-nineties Disney golden age (Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King) with the current crop of underperformers (Treasure Planet, Brother Bear, Home on the Range) that have resulted in Disney’s foolhardy ...read the complete Mulan movie review at filmcritic.com (Jesse Hassenger)
JoBlo's Movie Emporium ("JoBlo")
Funny, interesting, and mostly entertaining animated Disney feature made for the marketing summer of 1998. Having gone in with little expectations, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised to find many humorous moments in this animated fable, along ...read the complete Mulan movie review at JoBlo's Movie Emporium ("JoBlo")
Empire Movies (Liam Cullin)
Overall, I'd have to give Mulan a recommendation. Although I found the features a bit misguided and the filmmakers a tad boring, the material itself was interesting enough to warrant checking out, simply as a curiosity. And the movie was fun, with a ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Empire Movies (Liam Cullin)
ShowBIZ Data
Most critics seem to agree that Disney, by restoring a healthy portion of schmaltz to its animated-feature formula, has got things right again with Mulan. Jami Bernard in the New York Daily News calls the film "another magnificent piece of animated ...read the complete Mulan movie review at ShowBIZ Data
Cheng-Jih Chen
Amusingly, I was sitting around this morning, waiting for the cable guy. Time Warner upgraded their system on the Upper West Side, and is selling something called "MetroChoice", which lets me break that mystical Channel 77 barrier. It goes up to 88 or 90 ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Cheng-Jih Chen
Scott Renshaw
Now that no one expects $300 million every time out of the gate, maybe Disney will get the credit it is due for pushing the limits of animated filmmaking. MULAN defies convention yet again, bypassing the welltrodden ground of Western literature and ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Scott Renshaw
Movie Mom's review
Disney's 1998 animated feature is based on the legend of Mulan, a Chinese girl who helps the Chinese army defeat the Mongols. After the Mongols invade, led by Shan-Yu (voice of Miguel Ferrar) every family is called upon to send one man to the army. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Movie Mom's review
A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
I didn't enjoy this Disney release nearly as much as critics across the country have. This film, about a Chinese girl who dresses as a boy to take the place of her father in a war has a problem with tone; the begining of the film seems like good old ...read the complete Mulan movie review at A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
Wolfpack Productions (Sujit 'Chief' Chawla)
Disney comes through with yet another animated masterpiece, and this one goes by the name Mulan. Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen, signing voice of Lea Salonga) is a young girl in ancient China. When the Huns start attacking the country, the Emperor orders ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Wolfpack Productions (Sujit 'Chief' Chawla)
Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD
Mulan took some time to grow on me. I enjoyed it very much at first, but I didn't see what was the big commotion about amongst Disney fans. After repeated viewings, I can see why. Mulan is an excellent Disney film that manages to be unique yet still have ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD
SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
I may have been one of the few to have been relatively disappointed with the 1990s renaissance of Disney animation. Both Beauty and the Beast (1991) and The Lion King (1994) were impressive. But while many have too hastily rushed to make comparisons to ...read the complete Mulan movie review at SF, Horror and Fantasy Film Review
Crazy for Cinema
When I came upon this film on cable I figured it was probably worth the 90 minutes. I was more than pleasantly surprised. What I found was a stunningly drawn, engrossing tale of a young woman's adventurous search for honor and self. I'm sure the Chinese ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Crazy for Cinema
Martin Thomas
As for the story, it's very simple and predictable, yet enjoyment. Though it centers around the gender conflicts and honor, it is mostly a story of empowerment. A must-see for little girls and a should-see for little boys. I couldn't help but make ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Martin Thomas
David N. Butterworth
Kids will no doubt go gaga over "Mulan" (or at least the fast food tieins), but familiarity can, after a while, leave grownupsthis reviewer includedwishing for a little more. Maybe an animated feature withoutshock! horror!the songs, for example? Or ...read the complete Mulan movie review at David N. Butterworth
Apollo Movie Guide (Dan Jardine)
The Disney twist is applied to an ancient Chinese folktale about a girl who takes her elderly father's place in the army. The promising premise in undermined by an over-reliance on tried and true formula of past Disney animated features. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Apollo Movie Guide (Dan Jardine)
Steve Rhodes
Opening with a reluctant and unconfident Mulan fixed up with pancake makeup to look like a porcelain doll, the story has her off to audition to be a bride. (Mulan is voiced by MingNa Wen, last seen as the takecharge, sexy wife in ONE NIGHT STAND.) Mulan ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Steve Rhodes
Steve Kong
Disney makes good animated features, but once in a long while Disney will create a great animated feature. Mulan fits into the latter category. There's nothing to criticize Mulan about, so this Don't Miss film will get a shorter review than most films. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Steve Kong
The Onion A.V. Club (Stephen Thompson)
Much has been made of Mulan's unconventional heroine (a young Chinese woman, voiced by Ming-Na Wen, who poses as a man to fight in a war and honor her family) and source material (it's based on an ancient Chinese legend). Though Disney's animation ...read the complete Mulan movie review at The Onion A.V. Club (Stephen Thompson)
Movie Hell (Michael J. Legeros)
MULAN is too tidy to be entirely enjoyable. Despite a generous Laugh Quotient (LQ), some ground-breaking gender twists, and a remarkable degree of ethnic authenticity, Disney's umpteenth animated feature so strictly adheres to formula that it never once ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Movie Hell (Michael J. Legeros)
The Tech (MIT) (Vladimir V. Zelevinsky)
I guess I should not complain too much, because I saw two films for the price of one. The first film is about a young chinese girl, Fa Mulan (speaking voice by Ming-Na Wen, singing voice by Lea Salonga), who dresses up as a man and joins the army, to ...read the complete Mulan movie review at The Tech (MIT) (Vladimir V. Zelevinsky)
Soundwaves Cinema (Dale Jay Dennis)
In fact, MULAN does not pretend to be historically accurate. The legend of Fa Mu Lan, from which the tale is taken, is fabled enough, with variations and embellishments that rival Arthurian lore. Nonetheless, MULAN is an engaging story, one ripe for ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Soundwaves Cinema (Dale Jay Dennis)
Movie Gazette (Gary Panton)
Talking dragon or not, the sparkle's missing from this middle-ranking Disney effort. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Movie Gazette (Gary Panton)
Brian Takeshita
MULAN, based on a Chinese epic poem, is a classic tale of the triumph of the ugly duckling. Mulan herself is a disgrace to her loving family, as she has a difficult time fitting into the traditional woman's role, and in a very amusing scene where a ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Brian Takeshita
Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
To its credit, Mulan does strive to present its characters as something more than potential Happy Meal toys. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
The UK Critic (Ian Waldron-Mantgani)
My problem with the new Disney movie "Mulan" is that it's a cartoon with a story that isn't best suited to the medium. In every scene, the thought could not escape me that this same piece, with the same structure, should be adapted into a live-action ...read the complete Mulan movie review at The UK Critic (Ian Waldron-Mantgani)
Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
To its credit, Mulan does strive to present its characters as something more than potential Happy Meal toys. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Creative Loafing (Matt Brunson)
Movie Habit (Andrea Birgers)
Both picture and sound are up to Disney’s high standards. The DVD also has Spanish, French and Mandarin language tracks. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Movie Habit (Andrea Birgers)
Nitrate Online (Elias Savada)
Mulan is the latest Disney goldmine to hit thousands of screens and millions of Happy Meals. I can't vouch for the food (well, the fries are heavenly), but the film will quench your animated thirst for once upon a time during the hot summer days ahead. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Nitrate Online (Elias Savada)
BBC Films
Championing traditional themes like family, honour and duty, Mulan was among a new wave of animated films produced by the Disney stable during the 90s. Based on the Chinese legend of a young maiden who disguises herself as a man and joins the fight ...read the complete Mulan movie review at BBC Films
The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)
Damn! Mulan is thisclose to being not just a brilliant animated film, but a brilliant film, period. It has a dramatic story, a heroine who kicks butt, a villain who kicks butt, a square-jawed hero with a not-so-nice side, and some of the most sweepingly ...read the complete Mulan movie review at The Flick Filosopher (MaryAnn Johanson)
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Even though "Mulan" shares some common themes with another animated adventure, "Quest for Camelot" (which also takes a somewhat feminist attitude toward women participating in a war), the two films couldn't be more different. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Deseret News, Salt Lake City
kids-in-mind
Disney's 36th full-length animated feature chronicles the adventures of Mulan, a strong-willed young Chinese woman who clashes with her traditional culture. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at kids-in-mind
DVD Authority.com ("Fusion3600")
Mulan is a young, beautiful woman, in a time and place where young, beautiful women are to be seen and not heard. The trouble for Mulan is that she is so smart and adventurous, that she often gets into trouble for going against tradition. She is ...read the complete Mulan movie review at DVD Authority.com ("Fusion3600")
Teen Movie Critic (Vivian Rose)
The plot is a little hokey, naturally - Mulan is a young Chinese woman who isn't ladylike enough to suit her family. When her elderly father is called to war, she decides to steal his armor, pretend to be a boy, and serve for him in the Imperial Army. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Teen Movie Critic (Vivian Rose)
Parent/Teacher Learning Guides at teachwithmovies.org
China is facing yet another invasion from the North. Mulan's father is drafted into the Emperor's army, but he is old and ill. He has no sons to stand in for him. His only child is a girl and girls are forbidden to enter the army. Mulan disguised as a ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Parent/Teacher Learning Guides at teachwithmovies.org
Dr. Daniel's Movie Emergency
Okay, here's the deal. Y'all remember here a while back, I told you a tale about an old gunfighter, still sharp after all the years of dueling it out with anyone who wanted to call him out? A young upstart named Fox tried him, and got both barrels in ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Dr. Daniel's Movie Emergency
Movie ram-blings (Ram Samudrala)
Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) is the name of the heroine in the movie, a Chinese girl who goes to fight in her father's place, disguised as a male. Accompanying her is a dragon invoked by her ancestors, Mushu (Eddie Murphy), and a cricket, Cri Kee. Needless to ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Movie ram-blings (Ram Samudrala)
filethirteen.com
I think that "Beauty and the Beast" is the most awesome Disney animated film ever made. Even more - the best cartoon of any type ever made. It's a fantastic spectacle. Beautiful in both it's technicality and it's storytelling, it is also full of fun, it ...read the complete Mulan movie review at filethirteen.com
JackassCritics.com (Mike Long)
Ever since the renaissance of the Disney animated film with The Little Mermaid, we have seen a parade of films from the company which represent a wide range in quality. While some, like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King are considered classics, ...read the complete Mulan movie review at JackassCritics.com (Mike Long)
The Flying Inkpot (Dominic Ow)
When it comes to movie-making, Disney is more consistent than Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. It's better favoured to bet on good animation in a Disney feature than bad acting in a Steven Seagal movie. You'll get the same strong heroes and pretty ...read the complete Mulan movie review at The Flying Inkpot (Dominic Ow)
LowComDom Online Film Reviews
Perhaps what it takes these days for me to enjoy a Disney movie is to have no prior knowledge of the subject. If you have followed my reviews for some time, you would recall my unhappiness at Disney Politically Correct bastardizations of classic stories. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at LowComDom Online Film Reviews
Comingsoon.net
Clever Mulan proves her worth outside of her tradition-bound society when, disguised as a male soldier, "Ping," she bravely takes her father's place in the Imperial Army. Helped by her outrageously funny guardian dragon Mushu and a lucky cricket ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Comingsoon.net
digitallyOBSESSED.com (Jeff Rosado)
It hasn't spawned Broadway musicals as have Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, or been revered as being in the same league as those films or more viewer-friendly fare as Aladdin or The Little Mermaid, but in terms of durability, Disney's Mulan has ...read the complete Mulan movie review at digitallyOBSESSED.com (Jeff Rosado)
Sleep Deprivation Institute
The Huns are coming! The Huns are coming! Yes, that's right, it's Disney's 36th animated feature and if there's one less memorable then I can't remember seeing it. Basically, China is in danger, and the Emperor (Morita) has decided to conscript ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Sleep Deprivation Institute
digitallyOBSESSED.com (Brian Cook (age 32) and Roddy Cook (age 6))
We didn't get a chance to see Mulan during its theatrical release, but my six-year-old son, Roddy, did manage to watch his VHS tape enough to almost wear it out. I was very excited when this movie was announced as one of the earliest Disney DVD releases, ...read the complete Mulan movie review at digitallyOBSESSED.com (Brian Cook (age 32) and Roddy Cook (age 6))
Planet Sick-Boy (Jon Popick)
Ahhh, finally a big Disney animated film with strong female lead that doesn't wear buckskin. I envisioned her fighting for her chance to go to war with men (ala G.I. Jane) and imagined that perhaps the film might shatter some stereotypes about women. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Planet Sick-Boy (Jon Popick)
Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
It's a fine formula, and as displayed in Disney's "Mulan," the latest in the self-replenishing stream of animated features from the studio, it produces a number of sure-fire sentimental moments. But formula can be pushed too hard, serving as a crutch as ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
The New York Times - Family Movie Guide (Peter M. Nichols)
Chinese teen-ager disguises herself as a boy to take her frail father's place in the Emperor's ragtag army and save her country from the rampaging Huns. Based on a legend from the Northern Wei dynasty (A.D. 386-534), this animated feature is part ...read the complete Mulan movie review at The New York Times - Family Movie Guide (Peter M. Nichols)
James Bowman
The result has been such dismal exercises in feminist propaganda as The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and Pocahontas. To the number of such exercises now must be added Mulan which, as I say, is much more intended for schoolmarms like Janet Maslin ...read the complete Mulan movie review at James Bowman
UTK Daily Beacon (Maureska Steele)
The title character, Mulan, is the only person of fighting age in her family. But because of Chinese custom she is not eligible to join the army; therefore, the duty falls to her father. The problem is her father is old and already nursing a wound from ...read the complete Mulan movie review at UTK Daily Beacon (Maureska Steele)
Austin Chronicle (Jennifer Gin Lee)
Before the movie even came out, me and Mulan, we already had problems. My twisted devotion to Disney cartoons had led me down some pretty rocky roads as of late, and I wasn't prepared to be a member of the latest offended ethnic group. Mulan seemed to be ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Austin Chronicle (Jennifer Gin Lee)
Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
Silly, subpar Disney effort involving a young girl and her efforts to overcome sexism in feudal-era China. Despite some fine voice work from actors such as Ming-Na (as the titular character) B.D. Wong, and Gedde Watanabe, the film never quite takes off - ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD
The title protagonist of Mulan, a young Chinese woman, is having trouble finding her place. Despite the best efforts of her mother and the other women of her neighborhood, Mulan's meeting with the Matchmaker is a disaster, derailing her course, as the ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Ultimate Guide to Disney DVD
The Cranky Critic (Chuck Schwartz)
It's summertime, which means it's time for the annual Disney animated feature, this one based on a Chinese legend and called Mulan, after its title character. Cranky has been griping for four years now (and maybe someone finally realized) that most ...read the complete Mulan movie review at The Cranky Critic (Chuck Schwartz)
DVD MovieGuide
Following the success of Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988, the Disney animation studios finally started to return to their former stature with the hit 1989 release, The Little Mermaid. With the exception of 1990's less than boffo Rescuers Down Under, ...read the complete Mulan movie review at DVD MovieGuide
Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
"Mulan," Disney"s 36th animated feature and its most stirring since "The Lion King," offers up a summer valentine to any mom or dad kind enough to take a kid to the movies. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Sun Newspapers of Cleveland
Apollo Guide (Dan Jardine)
There was a time not long ago that I eagerly looked forward to the release of a Disney animated feature. Unfortunately, the last handful of corporate cartoons have suffered by comparison to the likes of Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Apollo Guide (Dan Jardine)
Mark O'Hara
One hears and reads opinions and statistics about Walt Disney Pictures. THE LITTLE MERMAID (1989) was a watershed film, recharging the animation division. THE LION KING (1994) grossed over $300 million. The entries of the last two summers, however, ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Mark O'Hara
Oliver Bollmann
Mulan is the latest Full-Length Feature Animated Movie to emerge from the Disney studios. Being an avid fan of many Disney movies (having seen _Lion King_ in the theatres 5 times, etc) I went to see Mulan on opening night, and again a week later to ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Oliver Bollmann
Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)
Disney animated features are very rarely bad. The only one I can think of that I didn't enjoy was Oliver and Comany, from 1988. Other than that, all have been great, from The Lion King, one of the best movies of the decade, to Hercules a zippy, ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)
Reel.com
After getting lambasted for their portrayal of Native Americans in Pocahontas (1995), it would have been easy for Disney to just stay out of the sensitive multicultural arena. But they tried once more with Mulan, sending a research team to China for ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Reel.com
Entertainment Insiders (Stephen Wong)
There's probably not another studio in Hollywood that has taken as much criticism as Disney has for skewing the history books. Pocahontas caused an outcry among Native Americans who knew the real story by heart. Hercules was, well, I think most of us ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Entertainment Insiders (Stephen Wong)
Time Out
A feisty young go-getter rises above the male-dominated world in which she lives to survive the perils of war and, eventually, to bring honour to her family. The Huns have invaded China; hence the Emperor's call to arms demanding one male from every ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Time Out
Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
One of Disney's best "modern" animated efforts, "Mulan" features some great animation, winning songs, and a compelling, if not somewhat sanitized plot. Certain to please both children, their parents, and nearly everyone else, this may be Disney's biggest ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
Salon.com (Jenn Shreve)
The strong and feisty female coming of age in the face of adversity has long been a favorite subject of Disney's animated films. There's the classic "Cinderella," whose heroine, with a little help from her bumbling fairy godmother, overcomes her ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Salon.com (Jenn Shreve)
DVD Verdict (Rob Lineberger)
Mulan is a mixed bag, and the Special Edition echoes it. A broad spatter of extras reveals some of the challenges inherent in the film but doesn't give us a deeper sense of Mulan's identity within the Disney canon. ...read the complete Mulan movie review at DVD Verdict (Rob Lineberger)
Harvey's Movie Review (Harvey O'Brien)
Epic animated film based upon Chinese myths of the female warrior defying social conventions to fight for the honour of the Emperor and her family against foreign invaders. Though often spectacular and nicely balanced by a supporting comic performance by ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Harvey's Movie Review (Harvey O'Brien)
MediaCircus (Anthony Leong)
The story of Hua Mulan, a young woman who disguised herself as a man to serve in the Chinese army, has inspired many paintings, songs, and poems in Chinese folklore. Though the details of this historical figure's life will vary depending on the source ...read the complete Mulan movie review at MediaCircus (Anthony Leong)
Philadelphia City Paper (Howard Altman)
With Mulan, Disney studios proves once again that when it comes to feature-length animation, they have no equal-even though they were beaten (by Warner Brother's Quest for Camelot) to a story about a blossoming teenage girl jonesing to fight for a ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Philadelphia City Paper (Howard Altman)
Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
What children need to round out their education is exposure to other cultures and value systems. Mulan fills the bill on both scores. Inspired by a 2000-year-old Chinese legend, this animated film is directed by Barry Cook and Tony Bancroft. It heralds ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Spirituality & Health (Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat)
Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
Female heroes permeate most of Disney's animated movies, but this is the first time they've given her real strength. To save her ailing father, Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen) disguises herself as a boy and goes off to war. She falls in love with a ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
The Boston Phoenix
Having proved it can do American history (Pocahontas), the 19th-century novel (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), and Greek myth (Hercules) over the past three years, Disney Pictures is spreading its net toward the East -- and, not incidentally, hoping to ...read the complete Mulan movie review at The Boston Phoenix
San Francisco Examiner (Barbara Shulgasser)
"MULAN," Disney's 36th animated full-length feature, is based on a popular Chinese legend about a young woman named Mulan who disguises herself as a man in order to take her aging father's place in the Army. She suits up and answers the emperor's call in ...read the complete Mulan movie review at San Francisco Examiner (Barbara Shulgasser)
Slant Magazine
Throughout the '90s, there wasn't a culture Walt Disney didn't commodify for the masses, beginning with 1992's Aladdin and its cast of sniveling, tiger-loving Arabs (even the film's Tiger Beat leads were bogus) and ending with 1998's Mulan. But even ...read the complete Mulan movie review at Slant Magazine
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