Laura Jones still, he makes an interesting point conceptually, plus, he yet mentioned that he is a great supporting character (implying that technically he has a purpose to the plot)
7:16 “That she would be brave enough to take these big steps without love being the reason of her choices” actually love was her motive, just not romantic it was love for her father 😉
I agree. If it was merely restoring her family honor, she could have just gone home when she was found out. But she finished her task and saved all of China because she loved her father. And as we see when she returns home, the gifts of honor meant nothing to him. His daughter was the one he loved and he was just glad to have her safely home.
I honestly love how much Mulan cares for her father, I mean she risked being KLLED just so that her father would live to see another day!That is INCREDIBLE.
"Mulan" is definitely one of those films, especially from Disney, that's fun to watch with your friends. Speaking of the Magic of Disney Animation, I remember my mom and I visited that place around the time "Brother Bear" was in production. Heck, we even got to see a screenshot from that film while we took a tour there.
Ethnicity and race doesn't always play a factor in deciding what Disney princess is the most popular in a certain place of the world. Despite Mulan being Asian, Cinderella is actually Asia's favorite princess.
This and Tarzan were the only Disney Renaissance movies I saw during their original run. And this unusual occurrence happened. Near the end, when Mulan mounts onto Kahn and says "Kahn... let's go home", the projector either broke or suddenly stopped. I honestly thought the movie was over; the lights even turned on and the screen started showing the pre-show slideshow. The only other time that happened was with March of the Penguins (even though that happened at the beginning). My family was confused but we left anyway. So when it went to VHS, I was certainly surprised at seeing more after that (Mulan reuniting with her father, Shang returning, the end credits song, etc), although. So THAT was some experience.
You know this film IS part of the Disney Renaissance, right? The Renaissance era began with the Little Mermaid in 1989 and ended a decade later with Tarzan. Mulan is the second to last movie in the Renaissance.
CeltycSparrow I’ll explain this better for you, how I define the “monumental” Renaissance is from Who Framed Roger Rabbit (yes it counts) to The Lion King. Mulan is more part of the “Post Renaissance” era.
CeltycSparrow Post Renaissance era is a mix bag for me. I love Mulan, Hunchback and Tarzan, not the hugest fan of Hercules (outside of the animation and Hades), Fantasia 2000 is love-hate and really don’t like Pocahontas.
@@thecinematicmind I am a film critic. When I came to my boss about doing a series on the Disney Renaissance films, my original plan was to ONLY do the ones up to the Lion King. But then I saw something in films like Mulan and Hunchback that I liked and thought it only fair to do them all. I will admit, the first 5 are my favorites though. I DO like Mulan very much though.
"Mushu is Eddie Murphy being Eddie Murphy" Yeah, without cursing every sentence, having sex or making sex jokes, etc. Fun Fact: This was his only G rated movie(Shrek 1-4 are PG.)
We are down to business, to see a review Did we came to explore it, to see it all so new I loved this film since I was eight And I still enjoy it as of today and through We have come to see a review out of you.
The only Movies from The Disney rennasince That Animat hasn't reviewed just yet are The Little Mermaid 1989 Beauty and The Beast 1991 Aladdin 1992 The Lion King 1994 and Tarzan 1999
I'm a little disappointed he didn't give this movie the AniMat's Seal of Approval, but I'm glad he gave it at least an 8. Also, I'm surprised he didn't give the animation a 10/10 because I think the animation is phenomenal especially the avalanche scene. Also, I like how it is reminiscent to Chinese art. Also, I think he was a bit harsh are the rating with the story because it sends very good messages on family honor, appreciating who you are and going against female gender norms. It is awesome that we have a Disney princess who can kick butt and save the day. It's a change from having a damsel in distress. This is one of my favorite Disney movies. Actually, I find this movie as good as the early Disney Renaissance, but that's just me.
Exactly! Mulan is my favorite Disney princess and she was one of the first female characters I could actually identify with since she actually felt like a human being who had flaws and made mistakes compared to the older Disney princesses who were happily singing and helping cute animals 24-7 and loved doing housework. Like, sure there are more traditional women who dream of a big wedding and like cutesy animals, but no human being actually likes house chores, and if they say they do they are either a liar or an alien in disguise.
The earliest memory I have of Mulan is not actually the movie (which came out when I was three). When I was four years old and went to daycare, I had a Mulan backpack. I didn't like it much as I hadn't seen the movie and at the time, I wanted something pretty and girly like my friends had, but in retrospect, I'm glad I had a backpack with a girl warrior.
Mulan is a better "Feminist Role Model" type character than Merida or Moana could ever be. Also unlike Merida & Moana, Mulan is actually likable & interesting.
I like Moana, but I do agree that Mulan is a much better character than Merida and Moana. Merida is a spoiled brat and Moana seems like a mixture of Ariel and Pocahontas.
I actually like Ariel. I know that there are a quite a few people who don't like her because they believe she is a spoiled brat, I like how curious she was to the human world. Also, she is the first Disney princess to save a prince's life as well as not being a damsel in distress.
@@laurajones1773 in merida defence, who would u feel if someone told you what to do and how to act all the time. Who told you how to dress all the time, and forced you to merry someone based on a game/tourney? she wanted to live her own life, just went to a witch for a wish and didn't word it properly. after the mom turning into a bear, her mom realized she is her own person, vs being a mini her. A lot of parents put too much expectations on their kids, and not realizing their kids are their own ppl.
@@laurajones1773 My big problem with Merida is that they made yet another movie about a princess struggling with an arranged marriage, because it's such an overused trope and it's not a universal human problem, it's something that happened in the middle ages but is virtually nonexistent in the modern western world. It just feels tiresome to see that same story regurgitated again whereas Mulan's and Moana's wishes to be accepted and recognized for their actions and courage is something everyone can relate to at some point in their lives even if they don't live in ancient societies.
Great review! "Mulan's" undoubtedly one of my Top 10 favorite Disney animated films, with its strong cast of characters and great soundtrack of songs. Seriously, I still can't get "Make a Man Out of You" out of my head. You know, I too remember seeing a Mulan parade back in the day when I was at Disneyland once. It was a really long time ago, but I still remember parts of it. I don't know what movie's next. I wish you the best of luck when looking at it.
This is honestly my second favorite Walt Disney animated movie of all time. And if I'm really honest with myself, I’ll Make A Man Out Of You is my #1 Disney song of all time.
Mulan's name means "wood orchid" or "magnolia." As such, magnolias serve as a running motif in the movie. The first Disney animated film to openly deal with warfare. This film marked Disney's first ever DVD, released in November 1999. Mulan touches her hair a lot because animators noticed that Ming-Na Wen did. The opening titles were put together by simply putting watercolor on rice paper. Jackie Chan (Shang's martial arts model) voices Shang in the Chinese release. Chan, who is a hugely successful singer in Asia, also made a music video of the song "I'll Make a Man out of You." This is the only Disney animated film to use the phrase "cross-dresser." The film was almost rated PG because of the use of the phrase. Mulan is the second Disney Princess to have both parents alive and present during the entire film, the first being Aurora in Sleeping Beauty (1959) and the third being Rapunzel in Tangled (2010), and Merida being the fourth in Brave (2012), with fifth being Moana (2016) Chi Fu's name literally means "to bully," in Chinese. The name "Khan" translates to "prince" but can also mean "king" or "leader" in many Turco-Mongol languages. Mulan is one of only two Disney princesses to wear trousers, with the other being Jasmine from Aladdin (1992). The theme song in the opening credits, as well as the melody for "Honor to Us All," is the same tune Peter Pan plays on his pan flute in the Disney version of the movie The first Disney animated film to feature an Asian heroine. Crickets are considered a symbol of good luck in China, hence the inclusion of one as a character. When Mulan sings "Reflection" in her father's shrine, the writing on the temple stones is the names of the Disney animators who worked on the film, written in ancient Chinese.
8:36 So; they have a character named and pronounced Chi Fu: He's voiced by James Hong, who'd later turn out to play a goose in Kung Fu Panda that also has a character named Shifu, but this time is a red panda played by the legendary Dustin Hoffman.
Like you mentioned, Mulan has some pretty drastic tonal shifts, going from dark and dramatic to light and comedic and back, but somehow it works, which I find really impressive. I think it is because the comedy is not just there to have something that the kids can laugh at but it also serves as character development. Because Mulan, and by extension the audience , gets to know the soldiers in the comedic scenes we can empathize with them when things get dire. Like, when the movie shifts from "A Girl Worth Fighting For" to the burned village you are just as shocked as the characters are and you are all the more invested in their perilous situation because they have been so funny and likeable up until that point. A less fortunate example of such tonal shifts would be the gargoyles in Hunchback who have almost nothing to do with the more serious parts of that movie and thus make you feel almost as if you are watching two entirely different films. I'm not knocking Hunchback, I actually really love that movie, but it has issues. Tonal shifts, strong ones at that, can be done well in the right hands and Mulan is a shining example of this.
I couldn't agree more, and I think that that song shifting to the sight of a burning village is a gut punch even as an adult, and I'd even say that Mulan handles the depiction of war better than even many live-action war movies due to how well it captures how shocking it is for soldiers to enter war for the first time, and the comedy is deliberately used for a sharp contrast between the cheerful innocence of the soldiers going out to war and the shocking reality. Meanwhile, in the Hunchback the gargoyles feel like a tacked on afterthought and they completely wasted an opportunity to explore Quasimodos thoughts and feelings through his imaginary friends in favor of random slapstick and pointless pop-cultural gags.
One problem I do have is that the fiasco with the lady was not Mulan's fault. That kind of takes away any meaning from the song 'reflections' since it didn't say anything about her. Other than perhaps being incredibly unlucky and how taking a cricket with her was a terrible idea. But it was the idea of her grandmother and so Mulan couldn't really say 'no'.
While Shan Yu is a weak villain, the only badass moment I liked from him is when he and his thousand Hun army are charging down a snowy hill in the mountains.
Quest for Camelot, the prince of Egypt and finally Mulan, all 3 fascinating musical animated films circle completed by celebrating their 20 years of existence with animat reviewing ;) don’t you think?
I definitely understand why people who've seen this film don't like the villain. I get that he doesn't have much development and feels quite forgettable in comparison to other Disney villains (especially the ones during the Disney Renaissance), but I always found him kinda cool somehow. Maybe it's the design, the voice, or the fact that he's more of a dark serious villain (like The Horned King from The Black Cauldron). On my list of best Disney villains though, I'd place him quite low, along with Clayton from Tarzan now when I think about it.
Given how little focus he has I don't see it as a problem. Putting more focus on him would mean drawing focus away from Mulan. Malificient is likely one of the most famous Disney villains of all time but all that focus she had was focus removed from the main characters. I do like Chen Zhu a lot though and I appreciate how he is so straightforward. I think him being simple is not a bad thing. Also it's not like he doesn't have an emotional range: he shows glee, anger, shock, vengeance, wisdom, sadism, focus and even trolling.
I do not agree that the first 15 minutes are weak. It is a brief, but effective exploration of her culture, family dynamics and personality. We learn that her society values women who conform to rigid standards of beauty, refinement and wife potential. She cares about what others think, especially her family, but is not able to live up to those conventional standards. The disaster at the matchmaker's house ties into her personal struggle of figuring out who she is, and then accepting it without apology. She went to war to save her father, but she also hints that it was also to prove she was worth something to herself. She left as the village oddball with no prospects and came home a hero (with a man). I think it is equally important to mention that she was recognized by the emperor as Mulan, not Ping. Her creativity in feeding the dog is later applied to her creative decision to start an avalanche, decimating the hun army, when everyone else is about to charge to their deaths. The opening scenes at her family home and getting ready for the matchmaker is a juxtaposition to her life as a soldier. Finally, we see her relationship with her father. He cares deeply about his family's honor and has a sense of pride from his own army days. However, he loves his daughter, flaws and all. We see how much Mulan is hurt by their fight and her own mother's sadness at his conscription. She failed to talk the army out of taking sending her father to his death, but she will fight for his life with her own. She did not have to say I love you for me to believe it. Those first 15 minutes set up scenes from the later part of the film, gave her strong motivations and was a set up for internal conflict and thematic development. You may not have appreciated those scenes when you watched Mulan, but I ask you to rewatch it and think about how the film would be different without them. I think it would be far less great. I agree that Shan Yu is flat, but he is pretty intimidating. He also has some awesome lines. The how many men does it take to deliver a message scene and the there is a little girl missing her doll scenes are seared into my memory. I think the pacing is pretty spot-on and the scene transitions are great. Them coming across the village and slaughtered army is my favorite. It had some foreshadowing, but it passed pretty quickly. I did not completely anticipate it when it came. The men go from a happy, silly musical number to somber instrumental music and absolute seriousness at seeing the burned-out, empty village. We also got a pretty sad scene when Shang learns his father is dead. That transition (or maybe lack of transition) hit me like a brick wall. But that was probably what the men felt too. Brilliant writing choice.
This is year is Mulan's 20th anniversary and I love this movie as kid and I still love to this day, Mulan is one of the best Disney animated movies of all time.
I'd like to one day see him review Mulan 2. I'm surprised it wasn't on one of his Top 10 worst sequels list taging along with some of the other Disney sequels at number 7 or even with Belle's Magical World and Milo's Return at number 6.
Well, it does have one pretty good one and that's Lesson Number One. They brought back A Girl Worth Fighting For but this version's a little bit hard to stomach and there's Like Other Girls which did start off nice but then it because out of place and a tad racist.
@@laurajones1773 Yes, and there's nothing more overdone and tiresome than seeing movies about rich people being jealous of poor people for having so "simple" lives. As if poor people wouldn't also have problems with controlling family members, difficult responsibilities and boredom, AND having to struggle with poverty on top of that.
I love this movie, so do I love Mulan xD But my deepest memory regarding the movie was, when I was three, I went to Hong Kong Disneyland and was doing a coloring page of Nemo at the hotel. Mulan saw me and knelt beside me and asked me what I was drawing. And, may you pardon my insolence, I turned to her and straight up said "I don't want to talk to you." I probably ruined the lady's night. But, in my defense, I was a dumb little kid and did not even know who Mulan is. I still strongly remember that fiasco really strongly for some reason, and just thought it would be fun to share 😂 Anyways love the video, and I pretty much agree with you on all the points. Have a nice day!
I'd score it; Story 8/10 Animation 8/10 Characters 9/10 Songs 8/10 Overall: 8/10 Its a great movie but I say its mostly for Mulan herself as she does drive the story and the themes. The villain is pretty forgettable but the side characters are great. If there was something I wish was stronger, it probably would be the Chinese culture cause I think it is a TAD underplayed.
I remember that parade. I remember one time while my folks and I were watching it, this guy tossing out paper fans accidentally hit me with one and immediately ran up to me asking, "Are you alright?" And yes, I was alright. 😄
gojira fan05 The only problem with the show is as it had so many episodes and sadly many haven’t been released on VHS or DVD. That would be a difficult task to review.
Critiquing the critic... "The movie did try a little bit of fling (...) between Shang and Mulan (...) but it's mostly forgettable." Dude my mom watches this film for that fling!
@@kostajovanovic3711 Mushu seem more selfish then Donkey, he was basically helping Mulan for himself and later had a change of heart while Donkey helped Shrek because he saw him as a friend
True story: I actually was in the Park back then and did the walk through the studio. The production had just wrapped up, but some guy showed to us how to draw Mushu correctly (he basically is built out of a lot of circles). I just love Mulan.(The Parade they showed back then was the Hercules Parade, though).
@A zucchini Yes, sure. You might not be aware, but there was a time where you could walk through the MGM studios and watch animators working. Sadly that isn't the case anymore.
Great movie! I'm glad to see in the comments section that it's being filled with peoples' praises for this, rather than their hatred for the sequel. Yes, I agree that the sequel is a terrible movie (I even thought that before Doug Walker's Disneycember review started the whole hate bandwagon). It was even the last Disney cheapquel I watched before I gave up on watching them altogether as a kid. But PLEASE let's put it to rest. Disneytoon's already taken enough crap for it, to the point where they're entirely closed down now. Yes, I've made my hatred for *some of their sequel-thingy's no secret, but I try to acknowledge that they're not the worst things to happen in the world-not even in the world of film and animation. (Certainly not when compared to Doogal, which is coming up.) And that includes Mulan 2, as there are plenty of other non-Disney DTV sequels that are worse than anything that the House of Mouse has put out, like Ferngully 2, Secret of NIMH 2, Charlotte's Web 2, Hoodwinked Too! (or rathe that was one that had all the quality of DTV crap that somehow got a big screen release)...and need I even bring up Surf's Up 2?
You know, I actually consider "Honor to us All", the catchiest one of the songs in this film, because it really is good at playing with the Chinese aesthetic.
Mulan isn't a Princess. She's a Heroine like Esmerelda. Drives me nuts that a "Princess" title is something Disney slaps on their non-princess characters to sell crap. You don't have to be a "Princess" to be important and heroic.
Mushu is a character that is REGULARLY quoted in my family. From "IIII LIIIIIIIIIVE!" when we wake up to "Alright that's it! Dishonour!...", that little dragon is a permanent member of OUR guardian group!
One thing I forgot to mention, How Is Mulan a Disney Princess exactly? Seriously she not related to royalty, nor did she even fall for a prince, even you don't allow the sequel she still married a Sargent General. I not saying she shouldn't be all, she's literally the best female Disney characters of all, is that I don't see how is she a princess at all, Maybe the "Princess of Strenght" but not really royal
I'm all for more female characters who aren't princesses. It's tiresome to see how boy characters can be anything from detectives, knights, superheroes or explorers, but all female protagonists somehow needs to be princesses or retroactively shoehorned into the princess role. I think this is all just so Disney can add her on the merch with the Disney Princess brand on it, rather than what story the movie is trying to tell.
Ah, Mulan...definitely a byootiful and superb Disney film that I love to this day. I’m very apprehensive for the live-action movie that’s coming sometime down the line...but, we’ll just have to wait and see how that turns out.
He forget to mention Mushu's goal to redeem himself to be a guardian again. Mushu isn't just a comic relief.
Also, he helps Mulan throughout her journey. He is actually very important to the plot.
Laura Jones still, he makes an interesting point conceptually, plus, he yet mentioned that he is a great supporting character (implying that technically he has a purpose to the plot)
@@laurajones1773 exactly
oh
It's a shame in the sequel his character was completely deformed
7:16 “That she would be brave enough to take these big steps without love being the reason of her choices” actually love was her motive, just not romantic it was love for her father 😉
I agree. If it was merely restoring her family honor, she could have just gone home when she was found out. But she finished her task and saved all of China because she loved her father. And as we see when she returns home, the gifts of honor meant nothing to him. His daughter was the one he loved and he was just glad to have her safely home.
True.
I honestly love how much Mulan cares for her father, I mean she risked being KLLED just so that her father would live to see another day!That is INCREDIBLE.
"Mulan" is definitely one of those films, especially from Disney, that's fun to watch with your friends.
Speaking of the Magic of Disney Animation, I remember my mom and I visited that place around the time "Brother Bear" was in production. Heck, we even got to see a screenshot from that film while we took a tour there.
For the longest She was Hawaii's favorite Disney "Princess".
I love this movie
Hawaii? Why? She's Chinese, not Pacific Islander.
Ethnicity and race doesn't always play a factor in deciding what Disney princess is the most popular in a certain place of the world. Despite Mulan being Asian, Cinderella is actually Asia's favorite princess.
*L* Let's
*G* Get Down To
*B* Business To Defeat
*T* The Huns
Dude....No
Not even close.
Lol good one
Actually it's LGDTBTDTH
@@shadownumber2067 What...?
This and Tarzan were the only Disney Renaissance movies I saw during their original run. And this unusual occurrence happened. Near the end, when Mulan mounts onto Kahn and says "Kahn... let's go home", the projector either broke or suddenly stopped. I honestly thought the movie was over; the lights even turned on and the screen started showing the pre-show slideshow. The only other time that happened was with March of the Penguins (even though that happened at the beginning). My family was confused but we left anyway. So when it went to VHS, I was certainly surprised at seeing more after that (Mulan reuniting with her father, Shang returning, the end credits song, etc), although. So THAT was some experience.
i saw tarzan
What?!? No seal of approval?!? Ah nuts I thought he would have given the movie it!!!
So close!
Christopher Leavitt I can imagine animat being visited by a bunch of angry mulan fans with torches and pitchforks.
It was just a hair away from it. If he had given this a 9 it would get the seal of approval.
Domeju I honestly can’t wait for animat to tear doogal apart!!
@@georgerobertson7010 Yes finally doogal sucks so much
Mys scores:
Story: 8/10
Animation: 10/10
Characters: 9/10
Songs: 10/10
Total: 9/10 (Exellent)
One of my favourite Disney films post the monumental Disney Renaissance era to the early 2000’s.
You know this film IS part of the Disney Renaissance, right? The Renaissance era began with the Little Mermaid in 1989 and ended a decade later with Tarzan. Mulan is the second to last movie in the Renaissance.
CeltycSparrow I’ll explain this better for you, how I define the “monumental” Renaissance is from Who Framed Roger Rabbit (yes it counts) to The Lion King. Mulan is more part of the “Post Renaissance” era.
@@thecinematicmind Ah. So you consider everything up to the Lion King to be the greatest of the Disney Renaissance and the rest not as good?
CeltycSparrow Post Renaissance era is a mix bag for me. I love Mulan, Hunchback and Tarzan, not the hugest fan of Hercules (outside of the animation and Hades), Fantasia 2000 is love-hate and really don’t like Pocahontas.
@@thecinematicmind I am a film critic. When I came to my boss about doing a series on the Disney Renaissance films, my original plan was to ONLY do the ones up to the Lion King. But then I saw something in films like Mulan and Hunchback that I liked and thought it only fair to do them all. I will admit, the first 5 are my favorites though. I DO like Mulan very much though.
Happy 20th anniversary Mulan
"Mushu is Eddie Murphy being Eddie Murphy"
Yeah, without cursing every sentence, having sex or making sex jokes, etc.
Fun Fact: This was his only G rated movie(Shrek 1-4 are PG.)
We are down to business, to see a review
Did we came to explore it, to see it all so new
I loved this film since I was eight
And I still enjoy it as of today and through
We have come to see a review out of you.
The first Disney film made completely in Disney world? that's greatly interesting
My personal ratings are:
Story 8/10
Animation 10/10
Characters 9/10
Songs 9/10
Overall 9/10
The only Movies from The Disney rennasince That Animat hasn't reviewed just yet are The Little Mermaid 1989 Beauty and The Beast 1991 Aladdin 1992 The Lion King 1994 and Tarzan 1999
Nicolás Cangele Actually from the second half of the Disney Renaissance alone, Tarzan is the only remaining film he hasn’t reviewed there.
Time to check off Aladdin and TLK
Thanks for reviewing Mulan. I'm glad you enjoyed reviewing it Animat , since this it's one of my fav Disney films.
Me too. I was hoping he would review this one day.
He should review Oliver and company and the land before time for their thirtieth anniversary
I don't know if he will have a good time with oliver and company.
@@ישיבושירה I personally enjoyed that movie.
Oliver and company is a review I did on my channel. I gave it a 9/10 because the animation like the designs is decent at best
At first I didn’t know what the next review was going to be, but as soon as I heard “The Magic Roundabout” in the song I thought “OH NO”
I love this movie
Me too. It's my third favorite film from Walt Disney Animation Studios.
I'm a little disappointed he didn't give this movie the AniMat's Seal of Approval, but I'm glad he gave it at least an 8. Also, I'm surprised he didn't give the animation a 10/10 because I think the animation is phenomenal especially the avalanche scene. Also, I like how it is reminiscent to Chinese art. Also, I think he was a bit harsh are the rating with the story because it sends very good messages on family honor, appreciating who you are and going against female gender norms. It is awesome that we have a Disney princess who can kick butt and save the day. It's a change from having a damsel in distress. This is one of my favorite Disney movies. Actually, I find this movie as good as the early Disney Renaissance, but that's just me.
Exactly! Mulan is my favorite Disney princess and she was one of the first female characters I could actually identify with since she actually felt like a human being who had flaws and made mistakes compared to the older Disney princesses who were happily singing and helping cute animals 24-7 and loved doing housework. Like, sure there are more traditional women who dream of a big wedding and like cutesy animals, but no human being actually likes house chores, and if they say they do they are either a liar or an alien in disguise.
Well that gender thing is kind of the problem. What went wrong was entirely outside of Mulan's control so the fiasco doesn't say anything about her.
For all the girls likes this movie so much becuase it has a feminist massage, tone your self down a little.
Yep, I just got that song stuck in my head now. lol! This is one of my favorite Disney movies of my childhood. Happy 20th Anniversary, Mulan!
The earliest memory I have of Mulan is not actually the movie (which came out when I was three). When I was four years old and went to daycare, I had a Mulan backpack. I didn't like it much as I hadn't seen the movie and at the time, I wanted something pretty and girly like my friends had, but in retrospect, I'm glad I had a backpack with a girl warrior.
No AniMat Seal of Approval?
DISHONOR!!
DISHONOR ON YOU!!
DISHONOR ON YOUR COW!!
DISHONOR ON YOUR WHOLE FAMILY!!!
Hahaha. Nice reference. I do agree that it should get the Seal considering that it is one of my personal favorites.
I am surprised he didn’t give this his Seal of Approval.
Me too.
powerpup97 I thought he would since it’s pretty big as a movie.
I wouldn't say it's a major hit. It was more of a modest hit like Lilo and Stitch and The Princess and the Frog.
I was not. It has more problems than your avrage Disney classic.
This is quite easily one of my favorite Disney films from my childhood.
Only one movie from the 2nd half of the Renaissance is left, and that is Tarzan.
Mulan is a better "Feminist Role Model" type character than Merida or Moana could ever be. Also unlike Merida & Moana, Mulan is actually likable & interesting.
I like Moana, but I do agree that Mulan is a much better character than Merida and Moana. Merida is a spoiled brat and Moana seems like a mixture of Ariel and Pocahontas.
I actually like Ariel. I know that there are a quite a few people who don't like her because they believe she is a spoiled brat, I like how curious she was to the human world. Also, she is the first Disney princess to save a prince's life as well as not being a damsel in distress.
merida is pixar before pixar/disney
@@laurajones1773
in merida defence, who would u feel if someone told you what to do and how to act all the time. Who told you how to dress all the time, and forced you to merry someone based on a game/tourney?
she wanted to live her own life, just went to a witch for a wish and didn't word it properly. after the mom turning into a bear, her mom realized she is her own person, vs being a mini her. A lot of parents put too much expectations on their kids, and not realizing their kids are their own ppl.
@@laurajones1773 My big problem with Merida is that they made yet another movie about a princess struggling with an arranged marriage, because it's such an overused trope and it's not a universal human problem, it's something that happened in the middle ages but is virtually nonexistent in the modern western world. It just feels tiresome to see that same story regurgitated again whereas Mulan's and Moana's wishes to be accepted and recognized for their actions and courage is something everyone can relate to at some point in their lives even if they don't live in ancient societies.
Great review! "Mulan's" undoubtedly one of my Top 10 favorite Disney animated films, with its strong cast of characters and great soundtrack of songs. Seriously, I still can't get "Make a Man Out of You" out of my head.
You know, I too remember seeing a Mulan parade back in the day when I was at Disneyland once. It was a really long time ago, but I still remember parts of it.
I don't know what movie's next. I wish you the best of luck when looking at it.
KGrove94 Doogal is unfortunately next.
The next classic review is Doogal
MegaSoulHero oh no. Poor animat once again he’s going from reviewing a masterpiece to a load of garbage!!!
Oh boy, this one should easily be a Seal of Garbage
Whoo boy, he will NOT like that animation.
Sam Feldstein I wonder if when animat presents the scores if he’ll either play the sonic game over music or the king of pride rock music.
Hugo Segal do you think doogal is the movie equivalent of those 4kids dubs of certain anime shows?
0:01 Mulan Rouge
Uh oh... Doogal is next. Shall the world tremble in fear
Picacho & Picchu I can’t believe I used to like doogal as a kid!!!
4Kids, huh?
It’s definitely one of these movies that I liked as a kid, but regret even thinking about it now. 😓
We all know its getting the seal of garbage. Wonder if it’ll get a 2 like Norm of the North.
Here is my prediction
Story- 1/10
Animation- 4/10
Characters- 1/10
Overall- 2/10
This is honestly my second favorite Walt Disney animated movie of all time. And if I'm really honest with myself, I’ll Make A Man Out Of You is my #1 Disney song of all time.
Nice. It is my third favorite movie from Walt Disney Animation Studios.
It's my ninth favorite Disney film overall, including Pixar and the live action films.
My local theater did a stage production of Mulan, and I played the emperor.
This should have gotten the seal of approval...
I agree. It was so close too.
No.
agree
"Just because I'm a girl, doesn't mean I can't China."
8:00
I wouldn't call him a weak character, just a simple one.
Oh my gosh I remember the Mulan parade! 😊❤ I was four years old when I saw it Disneyland and I loved it! So beautiful! 🌺
Mulan's name means "wood orchid" or "magnolia." As such, magnolias serve as a running motif in the movie.
The first Disney animated film to openly deal with warfare.
This film marked Disney's first ever DVD, released in November 1999.
Mulan touches her hair a lot because animators noticed that Ming-Na Wen did.
The opening titles were put together by simply putting watercolor on rice paper.
Jackie Chan (Shang's martial arts model) voices Shang in the Chinese release. Chan, who is a hugely successful singer in Asia, also made a music video of the song "I'll Make a Man out of You."
This is the only Disney animated film to use the phrase "cross-dresser." The film was almost rated PG because of the use of the phrase.
Mulan is the second Disney Princess to have both parents alive and present during the entire film, the first being Aurora in Sleeping Beauty (1959) and the third being Rapunzel in Tangled (2010), and Merida being the fourth in Brave (2012), with fifth being Moana (2016)
Chi Fu's name literally means "to bully," in Chinese.
The name "Khan" translates to "prince" but can also mean "king" or "leader" in many Turco-Mongol languages.
Mulan is one of only two Disney princesses to wear trousers, with the other being Jasmine from Aladdin (1992).
The theme song in the opening credits, as well as the melody for "Honor to Us All," is the same tune Peter Pan plays on his pan flute in the Disney version of the movie
The first Disney animated film to feature an Asian heroine.
Crickets are considered a symbol of good luck in China, hence the inclusion of one as a character.
When Mulan sings "Reflection" in her father's shrine, the writing on the temple stones is the names of the Disney animators who worked on the film, written in ancient Chinese.
8:36 So; they have a character named and pronounced Chi Fu: He's voiced by James Hong, who'd later turn out to play a goose in Kung Fu Panda that also has a character named Shifu, but this time is a red panda played by the legendary Dustin Hoffman.
Like you mentioned, Mulan has some pretty drastic tonal shifts, going from dark and dramatic to light and comedic and back, but somehow it works, which I find really impressive. I think it is because the comedy is not just there to have something that the kids can laugh at but it also serves as character development. Because Mulan, and by extension the audience , gets to know the soldiers in the comedic scenes we can empathize with them when things get dire. Like, when the movie shifts from "A Girl Worth Fighting For" to the burned village you are just as shocked as the characters are and you are all the more invested in their perilous situation because they have been so funny and likeable up until that point. A less fortunate example of such tonal shifts would be the gargoyles in Hunchback who have almost nothing to do with the more serious parts of that movie and thus make you feel almost as if you are watching two entirely different films. I'm not knocking Hunchback, I actually really love that movie, but it has issues.
Tonal shifts, strong ones at that, can be done well in the right hands and Mulan is a shining example of this.
I couldn't agree more, and I think that that song shifting to the sight of a burning village is a gut punch even as an adult, and I'd even say that Mulan handles the depiction of war better than even many live-action war movies due to how well it captures how shocking it is for soldiers to enter war for the first time, and the comedy is deliberately used for a sharp contrast between the cheerful innocence of the soldiers going out to war and the shocking reality. Meanwhile, in the Hunchback the gargoyles feel like a tacked on afterthought and they completely wasted an opportunity to explore Quasimodos thoughts and feelings through his imaginary friends in favor of random slapstick and pointless pop-cultural gags.
One problem I do have is that the fiasco with the lady was not Mulan's fault. That kind of takes away any meaning from the song 'reflections' since it didn't say anything about her. Other than perhaps being incredibly unlucky and how taking a cricket with her was a terrible idea. But it was the idea of her grandmother and so Mulan couldn't really say 'no'.
Shan-Yu: The Ronan of the Disney villians
NERDY NORMan ....Marvel, is also owned by Disney. Well, okay I’ll give you that they didn’t own marvel at the time of making Milan, but still.
Lailani Tyler They owned Marvel Studios by the time Guardians of the Galaxy was released
While Shan Yu is a weak villain, the only badass moment I liked from him is when he and his thousand Hun army are charging down a snowy hill in the mountains.
I Use to watch this a lot on my VHS tape .
Quest for Camelot, the prince of Egypt and finally Mulan, all 3 fascinating musical animated films circle completed by celebrating their 20 years of existence with animat reviewing ;) don’t you think?
I'm glad we have this review without once mentioning the sauce situation.
Szechuan Sauce joke in 1,2,3....
Shan Yu is so strong I wish he had more story but Miguel Ferrer played him Rest In Peace. Also you forgot Frollo
Great review! Mulan used to be one of my favorite Disney movies and still is today. And I'll Make a Man Out of You was definitely the best song! :)
I definitely understand why people who've seen this film don't like the villain. I get that he doesn't have much development and feels quite forgettable in comparison to other Disney villains (especially the ones during the Disney Renaissance), but I always found him kinda cool somehow. Maybe it's the design, the voice, or the fact that he's more of a dark serious villain (like The Horned King from The Black Cauldron). On my list of best Disney villains though, I'd place him quite low, along with Clayton from Tarzan now when I think about it.
Given how little focus he has I don't see it as a problem. Putting more focus on him would mean drawing focus away from Mulan. Malificient is likely one of the most famous Disney villains of all time but all that focus she had was focus removed from the main characters.
I do like Chen Zhu a lot though and I appreciate how he is so straightforward. I think him being simple is not a bad thing. Also it's not like he doesn't have an emotional range: he shows glee, anger, shock, vengeance, wisdom, sadism, focus and even trolling.
Chen Zhu? Who's that?
I do not agree that the first 15 minutes are weak. It is a brief, but effective exploration of her culture, family dynamics and personality. We learn that her society values women who conform to rigid standards of beauty, refinement and wife potential. She cares about what others think, especially her family, but is not able to live up to those conventional standards. The disaster at the matchmaker's house ties into her personal struggle of figuring out who she is, and then accepting it without apology. She went to war to save her father, but she also hints that it was also to prove she was worth something to herself. She left as the village oddball with no prospects and came home a hero (with a man). I think it is equally important to mention that she was recognized by the emperor as Mulan, not Ping. Her creativity in feeding the dog is later applied to her creative decision to start an avalanche, decimating the hun army, when everyone else is about to charge to their deaths. The opening scenes at her family home and getting ready for the matchmaker is a juxtaposition to her life as a soldier. Finally, we see her relationship with her father. He cares deeply about his family's honor and has a sense of pride from his own army days. However, he loves his daughter, flaws and all. We see how much Mulan is hurt by their fight and her own mother's sadness at his conscription. She failed to talk the army out of taking sending her father to his death, but she will fight for his life with her own. She did not have to say I love you for me to believe it. Those first 15 minutes set up scenes from the later part of the film, gave her strong motivations and was a set up for internal conflict and thematic development. You may not have appreciated those scenes when you watched Mulan, but I ask you to rewatch it and think about how the film would be different without them. I think it would be far less great.
I agree that Shan Yu is flat, but he is pretty intimidating. He also has some awesome lines. The how many men does it take to deliver a message scene and the there is a little girl missing her doll scenes are seared into my memory.
I think the pacing is pretty spot-on and the scene transitions are great. Them coming across the village and slaughtered army is my favorite. It had some foreshadowing, but it passed pretty quickly. I did not completely anticipate it when it came. The men go from a happy, silly musical number to somber instrumental music and absolute seriousness at seeing the burned-out, empty village. We also got a pretty sad scene when Shang learns his father is dead. That transition (or maybe lack of transition) hit me like a brick wall. But that was probably what the men felt too. Brilliant writing choice.
This is year is Mulan's 20th anniversary and I love this movie as kid and I still love to this day, Mulan is one of the best Disney animated movies of all time.
I love this movie as a kid too. I was 6 when this movie was released.
My parents were at the time of 1998 in "Walt Disney World" and saw the parade of Mulan
I'd like to one day see him review Mulan 2. I'm surprised it wasn't on one of his Top 10 worst sequels list taging along with some of the other Disney sequels at number 7 or even with Belle's Magical World and Milo's Return at number 6.
God, I hate that film. I think it is even worse than Belle's Magical World.
BRRGames Same, I wonder what are his thoughts. Does it have songs?
Well, it does have one pretty good one and that's Lesson Number One. They brought back A Girl Worth Fighting For but this version's a little bit hard to stomach and there's Like Other Girls which did start off nice but then it because out of place and a tad racist.
"I Want To Be Like Other Girls" song is so stupid and annoying.
@@laurajones1773 Yes, and there's nothing more overdone and tiresome than seeing movies about rich people being jealous of poor people for having so "simple" lives. As if poor people wouldn't also have problems with controlling family members, difficult responsibilities and boredom, AND having to struggle with poverty on top of that.
Almost?
Dishonour! Dishonour on your whole family! Dishonour on you! Dishonour on your cow!
I love this movie, so do I love Mulan xD But my deepest memory regarding the movie was, when I was three, I went to Hong Kong Disneyland and was doing a coloring page of Nemo at the hotel. Mulan saw me and knelt beside me and asked me what I was drawing. And, may you pardon my insolence, I turned to her and straight up said "I don't want to talk to you."
I probably ruined the lady's night. But, in my defense, I was a dumb little kid and did not even know who Mulan is. I still strongly remember that fiasco really strongly for some reason, and just thought it would be fun to share 😂 Anyways love the video, and I pretty much agree with you on all the points. Have a nice day!
Me:
Story 8/10
Animation 8/10
Characters 10/10
Songs 10/10
9/10
I'd score it;
Story 8/10
Animation 8/10
Characters 9/10
Songs 8/10
Overall: 8/10
Its a great movie but I say its mostly for Mulan herself as she does drive the story and the themes. The villain is pretty forgettable but the side characters are great. If there was something I wish was stronger, it probably would be the Chinese culture cause I think it is a TAD underplayed.
The quickest tone shift in the history of film
Next review is Doogal....
Let’s go down to business! To bash this weak.... Movie!
Classic movie.
I remember that parade. I remember one time while my folks and I were watching it, this guy tossing out paper fans accidentally hit me with one and immediately ran up to me asking, "Are you alright?" And yes, I was alright. 😄
The next animat classic review is the magic roundabout also known as dougal
gojira fan05 I recommend him Dougal and The Blue Cat instead.
Yeah or heck i would even recommends him the original stop motion show
gojira fan05 The only problem with the show is as it had so many episodes and sadly many haven’t been released on VHS or DVD. That would be a difficult task to review.
It couldn'tve been Foodfight or Where the Dead go to die because he already reviewed those
True but i think tmrb is the foodfight of british films
Critiquing the critic...
"The movie did try a little bit of fling (...) between Shang and Mulan (...) but it's mostly forgettable." Dude my mom watches this film for that fling!
One of my Disney favorites.
**hears what the next review is going to be**
OHHHHH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Who’s funnier donkey from Shrek or Mushu from Mulan? I honestly pick both.
they are basically the same.
Same character, different movie
@@kostajovanovic3711 Mushu seem more selfish then Donkey, he was basically helping Mulan for himself and later had a change of heart while Donkey helped Shrek because he saw him as a friend
Mushu is not selfish, at least in this film. In the sequel though, he was definitely selfish which made him a hateable character in that film.
Fun fact: The donkey and Mushu (in Mulan II) are voiced by the same voice actor in the Greek dubbing.
True story: I actually was in the Park back then and did the walk through the studio. The production had just wrapped up, but some guy showed to us how to draw Mushu correctly (he basically is built out of a lot of circles).
I just love Mulan.(The Parade they showed back then was the Hercules Parade, though).
@A zucchini Yes, sure. You might not be aware, but there was a time where you could walk through the MGM studios and watch animators working. Sadly that isn't the case anymore.
This will be the last Disney Princess film until The Princess and the frog came around.
"Doogal" is the next Classic Review.
Ruh Roh Raggy! Zoinks!
Surprised this one didn't get the seal of approval.
I really do enjoy this movie!
All he needs to review now is Tarzan
Max Mantell Yeah, from the second half.
Disney is gonna make a live action Mulan, without the songs!
I know that this review will say something about THE PRINCE OF EGYPT XD
This and The Princess and the Frog are my favorite Disney princess films, hands down.
1998- 🇨🇳vs 🇪🇬- Mulan vs The prince of Egypt
Gameplay with Stasi Mulan
This is a good movie imo
Doogal is next?
@@shayonroy7585 I believe he is.
I remember seeing the Mulan Parade at Disneyland.
He’s going to review the Doogal “Magic Roundabout” The American version
Great movie! I'm glad to see in the comments section that it's being filled with peoples' praises for this, rather than their hatred for the sequel.
Yes, I agree that the sequel is a terrible movie (I even thought that before Doug Walker's Disneycember review started the whole hate bandwagon). It was even the last Disney cheapquel I watched before I gave up on watching them altogether as a kid. But PLEASE let's put it to rest. Disneytoon's already taken enough crap for it, to the point where they're entirely closed down now. Yes, I've made my hatred for *some of their sequel-thingy's no secret, but I try to acknowledge that they're not the worst things to happen in the world-not even in the world of film and animation. (Certainly not when compared to Doogal, which is coming up.)
And that includes Mulan 2, as there are plenty of other non-Disney DTV sequels that are worse than anything that the House of Mouse has put out, like Ferngully 2, Secret of NIMH 2, Charlotte's Web 2, Hoodwinked Too! (or rathe that was one that had all the quality of DTV crap that somehow got a big screen release)...and need I even bring up Surf's Up 2?
You know, I actually consider "Honor to us All", the catchiest one of the songs in this film, because it really is good at playing with the Chinese aesthetic.
My favorite Disney movie
Now he’s just gotta review Tarzan and we’ll be finished with the second half of the Disney renaissance
Yesss my fav movie thank you so much for this art 🐲🐉
How exactly is Mulan a Disney Princess anyway? She was never married to a prince nor was she born royalty
Better get down to business if you want to defeat the menace known as Doogal.
When the review ends I half expected to hear “Congratulations” because of the Smash Bros music.
Looks like the only movie left to review from the second half of the Disney Renaissance is "Tarzan".
One of those rare cases when the movie gets a half point. Just a hair away from that seal though!
This movie has the same score as Alice in Wonderland.
Laura Jones oh really? I haven’t seen that review in a while so I forgot about that. I remember he gave Winnie the Pooh like a 7.5 though.
Mulan isn't a Princess. She's a Heroine like Esmerelda. Drives me nuts that a "Princess" title is something Disney slaps on their non-princess characters to sell crap.
You don't have to be a "Princess" to be important and heroic.
Mushu is a character that is REGULARLY quoted in my family. From "IIII LIIIIIIIIIVE!" when we wake up to "Alright that's it! Dishonour!...", that little dragon is a permanent member of OUR guardian group!
*Friend*: Okay, gang. Let's get down to business!
*Me*: TO DEFEAT THE HUNS!!!
*And then everyone sings along*
8:16 That line was what South Park parodied in that episode "City Wall".
So close to the Animat seal of approval
3:12 Rather annoyingly, even the soundtrack CD ended the song like that instead of giving it an actual ending.
1:46 I’ve never heard a more true remark than that!!!
George Robertson especially in the case of frozen.
(Immediately starts listening to I'll Make a Man Out of You for about 30 times after watching this review)
One thing I forgot to mention, How Is Mulan a Disney Princess exactly?
Seriously she not related to royalty, nor did she even fall for a prince, even you don't allow the sequel she still married a Sargent General.
I not saying she shouldn't be all, she's literally the best female Disney characters of all, is that I don't see how is she a princess at all, Maybe the "Princess of Strenght" but not really royal
Alan Oliva I guess they counted Mulan 2, but we don’t really count that one for obvious reasons.
I'm all for more female characters who aren't princesses. It's tiresome to see how boy characters can be anything from detectives, knights, superheroes or explorers, but all female protagonists somehow needs to be princesses or retroactively shoehorned into the princess role. I think this is all just so Disney can add her on the merch with the Disney Princess brand on it, rather than what story the movie is trying to tell.
Ah, Mulan...definitely a byootiful and superb Disney film that I love to this day. I’m very apprehensive for the live-action movie that’s coming sometime down the line...but, we’ll just have to wait and see how that turns out.
I have seen This film once at my cousin’s birthday and it is pretty good