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Mulan (Disney) [VHS] [1998] | ![Mulan (Disney) [VHS] [1998]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T22MR71VL._SL500_.jpg) | Directors: Barry Cook, Tony Bancroft
Actors: Ming-Na, Eddie Murphy, B.D. Wong, Miguel Ferrer, Harvey Fierstein
Studio: Walt Disney Home Video
Category: Video
List Price: £14.99
Buy Used: £0.01
as of 7/9/2010 23:28 CDT details
You Save: £14.98 (100%)
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Seller: AllTimeBooks
Rating:  reviews
Sales Rank: 15
Format: Animated, PAL
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Universal, suitable for all
Media: VHS Tape
Discs: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 84 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
EAN: 5024165847466
ASIN: B00004D02E
Theatrical Release Date: June 19, 1998
Release Date: November 15, 2004
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
1998's Mulan is solid entertainment from a new group of Disney animators. The story source is a Chinese fab\ le about a young girl who disguises herself as a man to help her family and her country. When the Huns attack China, a cal\ l to arms goes out to every village, and Mulan's father, being the only man in the family, accepts the call. Mulan (voiced\ by Ming-Na Wen, sung by Lea Salonga) has just made a disastrous appearance at the Matchmaker and decides to challenge soc\ iety's expectations (that she should be a bride). She steals her father's conscription notice, cuts her hair and impersona\ tes a man to join the army. She goes to boot camp, learning to fit in with the other soldiers with some help from her side\ kick, Mushu, a wise-cracking dragon (voiced by Eddie Murphy). She trains, and soon faces the Huns eye to eye to protect he\ r Emperor.The film is gorgeous to look at, with a superior blend of classic and computer-generated animation. Directors\ Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook make the best of it: a battle in the snowy mountains is as thrilling as the best Hollywood a\ ction films. The menacing Huns are not cute but simple and bad. The wickedness is subtle, not disturbing. The film is not \ a fully fledged musical, as it has only five songs (the best, "Be a Man", is sung during boot camp). Eddie Murphy is an in\ spired choice for the comic-relief dragon, but his lines are not as clever as Robin Williams's in Aladdin (1992). T\ hese are minor quibbles, though. The story is strong, and Mulan goes right to the top of Disney animated heroines; she has\ the right stuff. --Doug Thomas
Amazon.co.uk Review
Solid entertainment from a new group of Disney animators. The story source is a Chinese fable about a young girl who disguises herself as a man to help her family and her country. When the Huns attack China, a call to arms goes out to every village, and Mulan's father, being the only man in the family, accepts the call. Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen, sung by Lea Salonga) has just made a disastrous appearance at the Matchmaker and decides to challenge society's expectations (being a bride). She steals her father's conscription notice, cuts her hair and impersonates a man to join the army. She goes to boot camp, learning to fit in with the other soldiers with some help from her sidekick, Mushu, a wise-cracking dragon (voiced by Eddie Murphy). She trains, and soon faces the Huns eye to eye to protect her Emperor. The film is gorgeous to look at, with a superior blend of classic and computer-generated animation. Directors Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook make the best of it: a battle in the snowy mountains is as thrilling as the best Hollywood action films. The menacing Huns are not cute but simple and bad. The wickedness is subtle, not disturbing. The film is not a fully fledged musical, as it has only five songs (the best, "Be a Man", is sung during boot camp). Eddie Murphy is an inspired choice for the comic-relief dragon, but his lines are not as clever as Robin Williams' in Aladdin. These are minor quibbles, though. The story is strong, and Mulan goes right to the top of Disney animated heroines; she has the right stuff. --Doug Thomas, Amazon.com
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| Customer Reviews:
Love it! July 19, 2010
Di
I had heard a couple of tracks from this film and thought it might be nice to get the movie for my daughter. We both absolutely love it and have watched it over and over. My seven year old son also likes it - so not just for girls!
 Slightly disappointing June 17, 2010
J. Styles (UK)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I guess you've got to give them points for trying. Disney has a bit of a reputation for creating narratives for heroines that are a bit- how shall I put it- traditional. They're all gorgeous, they all get into scrapes that they must be saved from by men, and they all end up getting said man, usually based on nothing more than the fact that they're gorgeous. With Mulan, they were clearly trying to break the mould, but the end effect is half-hearted and unsure of itself.
When we first meet Mulan, she's a pretty, feisty, and apparently happy young woman preparing to meet her town's matchmaker. This is very important, because the matchmaker, if impressed, will arrange a future marriage that will bring her family "honour." The film shies away from asking why an apparently liberated young woman like Mulan would be eager to enter into such an oppressive arrangement in the first place. I want to believe this is down to cultural sensitivity, but my head says it has more to do with setting up a convenient narrative point. The encounter with the matchmaker is disastrous, but is thrown into the background by the news that the Huns are invading China, and that Mulan's crippled father must sign up to the army. To spare him a certain death, Mulan steals his armour and horse, cuts off her hair, and runs away to take his place in the army. At first her attempts to match the men of the ranks are as disastrous as her encounter with the matchmaker, but through perseverance and hard work, Mulan becomes one of the star cadets, earning respect and friendship from the other men.
So far, so familiar- folklore is liberally sprinkled with tales of women impersonating men in the army. But the film doesn't really push the boundaries of gender expectation. Mulan suffers a crisis of concious when she realises she didn't join the army solely to protect her father, but for herself- you wonder if a male character would have pangs over acting in such a "selfish" way. Without wanting to give away too many spoilers, it's noticeable that Mulan's efforts do not seem to result in any change to the society she lives in- she remains the exception that proves the rule. And, of course, she ultimately gets her man, taking her journey right back to the encounter with the matchmaker. At the end of the film I still felt good about Mulan, but wondered what exactly the point had been. Having put so much into getting Mulan to a certain point, the script doesn't really seem to know what to do with her when she gets there.
Supporting characters are a varied bunch. We've got the usual coterie of animal pals, though I for one could have done without Eddie Murphey- he only gets a few funny lines and for the rest of the time his act is grating. We've got a feisty grandmother, a fallible but affectionate father, the wise old emperor and his slimy (but not really evil) advisor. Mulan's love interest, Captain Li Shang, has all the material to be a great character but somehow never really breaks through.
Most befuddling of all is Shan Yu, leader of the Huns, who is by turns ice-cold and rational, then a possibly suicidal megalomaniac. A good Disney villain is the backbone of a good Disney film, and I suppose that's where this film falls down- Mulan has two bunches of enemies, the men of her society, and the invading forces. But since she's trying to save these men, the film cannot put too much bile into their mouths, and bring on the Huns at a late stage simply to provide her with a target to aim at. This lack of investment shows- why is Shan Yu even there? What does he actually want? The reasons given don't seem enough somehow.
The songs are also mixed- it's noticeable that the three vocal pieces are all in the first two-thirds of the film, which is also the strongest in terms of narrative. Of them, "I'll make a man out of you" is far and away the best. "Reflection" is pleasant but suffers from the lack of a real hook and an emotional focus- like the rest of the film, it seems hesitant and undecided as to whether it's a ballad or a torch song. The animation throughout is beautiful, sparsely drawn and atmospheric by turns.
In summary, I suspect that this film will not be a beloved part of childhood in the same way that Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King are and have been. Disney began with a positive, modern message and then fumbled and compromised, removing much of the power behind it. The remainder is entertaining enough, but I sense adults who can appreciate what Disney were trying to do will like it more than children, who are swayed more by conviction than high morality. If you want to see a Disney film that really invests in an emancipated female lead, wait and buy The Princess and the Frog.
Absolutely brilliant April 28, 2010
Mrs. Philippa Kimballsmith (Liverpool, UK)
I fear that I love this more than my kids.
Brilliant songs, animation, story.
Get it!
MULAN April 26, 2010
Tessa M. (Croatia, Europe)
Mulan is a great movie. I didn't see it as a child, but recently ordered it for my daughters. The lesson in the movie is a good one, and not stereotypical for a girl audience. Girls need not only dream of becoming princesses in beautiful glittery attire. The message of Mulan taking upon a male disguise to go and fight for her family and her country is very well presented in the story. Highly recommended! Good music as well!
The best Disney film? Possibly. April 22, 2010
JennyD (Manchester, Uk)
I have always loved this film, its simply brilliant. It's a kid's film but there's a lot for adults to enjoy too. Based on a Chinese story about a young woman who pretends to be a man so she can join the army this Disney film is simply divine. The songs are of such a high standard they just couldn't be confined to a kids film. `Reflections', most notably, became a big hit. I also love `i'll make a man out of you'.
The script has got to be praised also; the sheer inventiveness of it is quite astonishing with Mulan talking to her long dead ancestors and befriending a tiny dragon. Eddie Muphy plays the dragon and makes this film in the same way that Ellen made `Finding Nemo' its quite simply a case of fantastic casting. Hats off to Ming Na, she has a lovely voice and does a great job of voicing Mulan.
Out of all the Disney films i think this one is probably the most feminist. Finally we have a good role model for girls, Mulan is a strong young woman who doesn't just clean the house and wait for a man, she's no Cinderalla or Sleeping Beauty. If i had a little girl i'd definitely want her to watch this film.
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