BACKGROUND
After a couple of mediocre Disney animated releases following the incredible success of The Lion King (1994), Disney found their way back to their best with Mulan, released in 1998 towards the end of Disney’s “Renaissance Era”.
Mulan was the first Disney animated feature to have been produced primarily by Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, within the grounds of the Walt Disney World Resort. Though this studio would be short-lived, Mulan was a big success for them, and led to the Florida department also animating Lilo & Stitch (2002) and Brother Bear (2003).
Quite unlike the “princess stories” that came before it, such as The Little Mermaid (1989) and Beauty and the Beast (1991), Disney’s Mulan is not focused on romance, but on finding your true self and choosing your fate, which, in Mulan’s case, means fighting in a bloody and violent war against some of the strongest and most brutal opposition. This is not something that the average Disney Princess would’ve been able to cope with. Mulan was the first Disney animated feature to be set in China, with a historic Chinese legend as its basis. Mulan was the first Asian Disney Princess as well.
Because of its release in the 1990s, arguably the most successful period of Disney Animation, Mulan is still talked about and remembered fondly by many. I’ve watched Mulan numerous times throughout my life, and, although I can’t count it as a “favourite” as there are many other Disney movies I would prefer to watch at any given time, it is still one I go back to for its touching moments, great music, and its powerful battle sequences.
PLOT
Mulan begins with an ink drawing of China and its landscapes, before inking in the Great Wall of China and its surrounding mountains. We then go straight into the animated story. A patrolling soldier on the Great Wall suddenly finds that the landmark is under attack by Hun soldiers. He lights a signal to alert the others on the wall, telling the Hun leader, Shan Yu, that all of China now knows he’s here. The Emperor is informed and asks that conscription forms be sent to all eligible men in China to fight against these intruders.
After that, we see Mulan for the first time. She is eating rice and inking notes on to her arm, something to do with proper values. Mulan soon realises she is running late, rushing to complete her chores on the family farm. Luckily, her dog, Little Brother, can help with some of them. Her father is praying to the ancestors that Mulan has a good meeting with the Matchmaker today, this being the meeting that Mulan is already running late for. She rushes off to her beauty appointments, where her mother has been going crazy waiting for her, with Mulan’s grandmother saying not to worry as they have a lucky cricket. Mulan finally arrives and is forcibly taken to get her hair done, her make-up done, and be dressed appropriately. It’s clear that Mulan is not too happy with all this fuss, and would rather not have to see the Matchmaker today. When she does meet the Matchmaker, the Matchmaker tells Mulan that she is too skinny and is “marked down” for speaking without permission. A list of other disasters happen, starting with the lucky cricket, who Mulan’s grandmother insisted she take with her, ending up in the Matchmaker’s tea, and culminating in the Matchmaker’s skirt catching on fire! Mulan is told that she may look like a bride, but that she will never bring her family honour.
Mulan returns home, saddened and unsure where this leaves her, as finding a good husband is the only real way that a woman of her age can bring honour to her family. Her father tries to comfort her, telling her that the last flower to bloom will be the most beautiful of all. Their conversation is interrupted by the Emperor’s Council, who start giving out army conscription scrolls to all families, stating that an eligible man from each family must attend army training so that they can fight the Huns who have invaded China. As Mulan is an only child, she knows her elderly, and injured, father will have to fight. Mulan pleads with the Emperor’s Council that her father not be forced to fight, thus speaking in a man’s presence, something women are not supposed to do here. Mulan is taken back inside. The atmosphere within the family is frosty at dinner, where Mulan tells her father that if he goes to the army, he will die. Her father responds that it is his honour to go and that at least he knows his place, whereas Mulan does not know hers. She walks away, devastated. After seeing her father fall using his sword for the first time in years, and her parents seemingly argue as she sits in the garden, Mulan knows what she must do. She takes her father’s armour, cuts her hair, takes the conscription papers and rides off. Mulan’s grandmother alerts her parents that Mulan has gone. Her mother says that they must go after her, but her father says that she’ll be killed if they reveal her. They know they must wait and hope she returns home safely.
The ancestors awaken after hearing Mulan’s grandmother’s prayer, that Mulan be watched over. The First Ancestor orders the Great Stone Dragon be awakened, that he will be Mulan’s guardian during this time. Mushu, a dragon who was a guardian but now just rings the gong to awaken the ancestors, is told to wake up the Great Stone Dragon. Mushu reluctantly goes, but the Great Stone Dragon is just a stone statue, and as Mushu hits the dragon with the gong, the statue crumbles to pieces. Mushu then decides that if he can go and make Mulan a war hero, then he’ll likely be made a guardian again. The lucky cricket from earlier, named Cri-Kee, goes with him. Mulan is found just outside the training camp, trying to figure out how to pass herself off as a man. Mushu comes to her, silhouetted as this great, all-powerful being, only to reveal himself to be a tiny red dragon, who Mulan mistakenly thinks is a little lizard. After some disagreements, Mulan agrees to trust Mushu.
They walk into the army camp, but Mushu’s advice makes matters worse, with her starting an all-out brawl with the other recruits. Captain Li Shang, the General’s son and designated trainer of the recruiters, orders the fighting be stopped, with him demanding that Mulan, now using the name Ping, explain what happened. They are all told to clean up the mess they’ve caused, and that tomorrow the real work will begin. The next day, Mulan is late again, but shows up in time to see their first task: to climb up a huge pole and retrieve an arrow, with two huge medallions, representing discipline and strength, in their hands. Nobody succeeds, and it does not get much better for Shang as they learn to shoot cannons, fish, run, dodge obstacles, and fight. Mulan is unfortunately the worst of all the recruits, with Shang not seeing any improvement and ordering her to leave the camp. Mulan knows that this will once more bring shame and dishonour to her family, so spends all night trying to get up the pole to retrieve the arrow. She succeeds just as the sun is coming up, where the other recruits have gathered to watch. She is allowed to stay and her, and the rest of the recruits, all start to do much better in all the tasks. Meanwhile, Shan Yu and the Huns continue to make gains in China on their way to the Imperial City. They plan to go through a village in the Tung Shao Pass, the quickest route to the city, and also where the Imperial Army is waiting for them. Shan Yu wants to attack them directly.
Mushu and Mulan, after an incident at the pond where Mulan is almost discovered to be a woman by recruits Yao, Chien-Po and Ling as she washes, overhear Chi-Fu, the Emperor’s Advisor, saying that Shang’s recruits will never see battle as they are not fit for war. Mushu takes matters into his own hands, and him and Cri-Kee forge a letter from the General, stating that Shang and the new recruits meet them at the Pass to help fight. They immediately head off to war, where they keep their spirits up by doing, what else, but discussing the women they hope will be waiting for them on their heroic return home. The camaraderie is cut short by the discovery of a burnt-out village, where hundreds of soldiers have been killed. This is where the “General” asked Shang to meet them; it turns out the Huns got there first. It is confirmed that the General, Shang’s father, is dead. Mulan seems disturbed by the horrors of war. Shang orders the army to move out again.
Whilst in the mountains, Mushu accidentally sets off one of their cannons, giving away the troops position. The Huns swiftly attack, firing flaming arrows in all directions. They are ordered by Shang to save the cannons and retreat to a safe place. They begin to fire cannons at the Huns, when all goes quiet. The Huns assemble themselves on top of the snowy mountain and charge at Shang’s troops. There is one cannon remaining. Yao is told to fire it at Shan Yu. Mulan sees the reflection of a snow-capped mountain in her sword and has an idea. She grabs the cannon and heads towards the incoming Huns. She struggles to light the cannon, but does so just as Shan Yu approaches her. The cannon hits the mountain and begins an avalanche, which engulfs the Huns. Shan Yu has just enough time to hit out at Mulan before he is overcome by snow. Mulan runs to safety, but sees Shang unconscious and about to head over the edge of the mountain. She goes to save him with her horse, Khan. The troops shoot an arrow over to them with a rope attached, managing to pull them to safety. Shang thanks Mulan for saving his life, when she sees she is bleeding and faints.
Mulan is seen by a doctor, where, naturally, he discovers she is a woman. Chi-Fu reveals her to all the other troops and orders Shang to kill her, as per the law. Shang doesn’t; a life for a life, his debt is repaid. Mulan is left alone in the mountains, with just Khan, Mushu and Cri-Kee for company. Mulan is unsure how she’ll be received back home, but they get ready to leave. Suddenly, Mulan sees the Hun Army alive, pulling themselves out of the snow. They are heading for the city, where Shang and the recruits have gone to proclaim victory in front of the Emperor. Mulan rushes over to warn them, but nobody will listen. Sure enough, Shan Yu and the Huns are already there, and forcefully take the Emperor, barricading themselves in the palace. Shang’s army plan to break down the doors to the palace, but Mulan has another idea. Yao, Chien-Po and Ling go with her, with Shang joining shortly after. Mulan has dressed the three men up as concubines, to distract the guards. Once distracted, Shang runs up to the balcony to fight Shan Yu and save the Emperor. Shan Yu and Shang fight, with Shang quickly overpowered. Chien-Po, Yao, and Ling, along with the Emperor, slide down one of the garlands of lanterns to safety, but Shang is unconscious. Mulan cuts down the garland and shows Shan Yu that she was actually the soldier from the mountains who “took away his victory”. He pursues her.
Mulan gets Shan Yu to follow her onto the roof. Mushu obtains a huge firework and straps it to himself. Mulan tricks Shan Yu and pushes him to the ground, where she uses his sword to pin him to the roof. Mushu lights the firework, which sets off, heading right for Shan Yu, where he is blasted into the fireworks station and presumably blows up. Mulan and Mushu jump onto a lantern and slide down a garland, falling onto Shang, and the stairs below to avoid the blast. Chi-Fu tells Mulan she’s a disgrace after the chaos she’s caused. The Emperor takes over, telling Mulan that, despite the mess, she has saved them all and that China is indebted to her. The huge crowd, who surround the Emperor’s Palace, bow to her. She is offered a position in the Emperor’s Council, but decides to head home instead.
Back home, Mulan presents her father with Shan Yu’s sword and the Crest of the Emperor as gifts to honour the Fa family. Her father doesn’t even care, pushing them to the floor and hugging her tightly, just pleased to have her home. Soon after, Shang arrives to return Mulan’s army helmet and is asked to stay for dinner. Mushu gets to be a guardian again, and all is right with everyone.
CHARACTERS & CAST
Mulan goes on a real journey of self-discovery throughout the movie. She begins by trying hard to be the “perfect bride”, so that she can bring her family honour by being matched to a worthy husband, despite not finding it easy to be elegant or graceful – or silent, almost subservient. Mulan is not at all like that. She is clumsy at times, outspoken, makes rash decisions, and is generally the opposite of how she’s supposed to be. When she chooses to protect her father by going to war, Mulan finds that not only did she make a brave decision by doing this, but that actually, being in the army seems to be exactly where she belongs and she feels this is the right path for her, even though it is not “right” for her to be there, and goes against Chinese law, apparently. Mulan is quite unlike any other Disney Princess; despite not actually being linked to royalty, she is part of the official list. Though some of the other Disney Princesses show moments of bravery, Mulan was the first to be a proper fighter and warrior, so the bravest of them all, in my opinion. It wouldn’t be until Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) that another official Disney Princess would be at all like her. I guess you could say Merida from Pixar’s Brave (2012) is similar to Mulan, but I like to treat Pixar and Disney as two separate entities. Mulan was the first modern feminist characters in any Disney film, but she is also likeable and funny, so has universal appeal.
Familial relationships are incredibly important to Mulan. Mulan has a particularly close relationship with her father, Fa Zhou, despite being constantly scared to let him down. Fa Zhou loves Mulan regardless of what she does or doesn’t do, as is clear at the end of the movie when he throws the gifts from the Emperor on the ground and hugs her instead. Mulan’s grandmother, Grandmother Fa, is quite feisty, like her, so they get on well, with Grandmother Fa not seeming to care that Mulan isn’t a quiet, gentle woman. She is also very funny, especially at the end when she says that Mulan should’ve brought home a man; when Shang arrives, she shouts: “Sign me up for the next war!”.
Mulan had to be portrayed with great honour and dignity, given her story. Mark Henn was the Supervising Animator for Mulan. Henn had a history of designing other Disney female protagonists, such as Jasmine in Aladdin (1992) and Belle in Beauty and the Beast (1991). Mulan is voiced by Ming-Na Wen, who used her natural voice for Mulan, and for Ping obviously had to lower the register so she’d come across as a man! Ming-Na Wen was very happy to portray the character of Mulan on screen as she had grown up with the story of Mulan and wanted to be just like her as a child. Recently, Wen has starred as Fennec Shand in some of the Star Wars Disney+ series (2019-2022) and as Melinda May in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D (2013-2020). She has also reprised the role of Mulan numerous times.
For Mulan’s comic sidekick, Mushu, he thinks he knows best a lot of the time, but ends up getting Mulan into trouble more often than not. His suggestion of Mulan punching and slapping Yao to show that she wants to be friends, as well as her ridiculous walk into camp, are just two examples of his misguided advice. He begins by being quite selfish, as he only wants to help Mulan so that he can be a guardian again, but once she is discovered to be a woman, Mushu admits that he was only risking her life to help himself and that his intentions were not good, feeling somewhat repentant. From that point on, he does start to be more helpful, proving himself invaluable in her plan to defeat Shan Yu. Because of the need for comedic relief in and amongst all the serious moments in the movie, Disney knew they needed someone funny to record the voice. In the end, Disney approached Eddie Murphy, who decided to take the role, with Supervising Animator Tom Bancroft getting lots of inspiration for the character from sketching Murphy’s facial expressions and gestures in his recording sessions[1]. I think Mushu is the funniest of all Disney “sidekicks”; he has the some of the best one-liners, and you’d still be entertained by this movie even if it was cut so that only Mushu’s lines remained. Eddie Murphy began his career as a stand-up comedian, before moving into a cast member position on Saturday Night Live in the early 1980s. Murphy went on to star in numerous movies, predominantly comedies, including the Beverly Hills Cops series (1984-present) and Dreamgirls (2007). Murphy went on to provide the voice for Donkey in the Shrek franchise (2001-2010) for DreamWorks after voicing Mushu.
Mushu was originally going to be a very different character as can be seen from the deleted song “Keep ‘Em Guessing”. It was a song that introduced Mushu to Mulan in the form of quite a jazzy, Broadway-esque number. It almost reminded me of Billy Flynn’s song “Razzle Dazzle” in the musical Chicago. With Eddie Murphy’s humour, it was decided that this was no longer necessary and that Murphy could sell the character in just a few words instead. That may have been disappointing for Murphy as he can sing well.
Another character that was designed quite differently at the start of production was the evil villain Shan Yu. It was planned that Shan Yu would’ve had a spiritual connection, whereby Shan Yu could be connected to his falcon’s sight, seeing whatever the bird saw even if he was not around. It was decided that this storyline moved the focus away from Mulan, so it was cut. I think it was the right choice because Shan Yu is still just a menacing without this idea. Shan Yu is incredibly terrifying. He is huge, has a scary, deep voice, and is so sure of his abilities that he wins every battle he faces. Well, until the end. And that end battle with Mulan is one of the best battle scenes in any Disney movie. Shan Yu is voiced by Miguel Ferrer, who appeared in multiple television shows and movies, including voice-over roles throughout his career. He starred as Owen Granger in NCIS: Los Angeles from 2012 to 2017, and his breakthrough role was as Bob Morton in RoboCop (1987). Ferrer sadly died in 2017 at the age of 61. Ferrer was brilliant as Shan Yu in this movie; his voice completely makes the character.
Captain Li Shang is Mulan’s commanding officer in the army. He has a strong army legacy to protect as we learn early on that his father is the General of the Imperial Army, and because of this, Shang seems quite cold and serious at the start of their training camp. Once the new recruits start to prove themselves more, Shang becomes kinder and warmer to them all. When Mulan rescues Shang, we see that Shang has a lot of respect for Mulan, or Ping as he knows her. After Ping is revealed to be Mulan, you can see how conflicted Shang is by the fact that he is now supposed to kill her because he saw Ping as a respected comrade. Once Mulan defeats Shan Yu, Shang is clearly in awe of her, but can’t describe how he feels. It looks like all is lost for the two of them, who are interested in each other, as Mulan heads home and Shang acts awkwardly. Luckily, he shows up at her home, though, and is invited to dinner, beginning their romance. I like it when Shang is awkward with Mulan at the end; it makes him seem much more human when he starts babbling and the only thing he can think to say to her is: “you fight good”!
Shang is voiced by BD Wong, who played Howard Weinstein in the Father of the Bride movies (1991-1993), and Dr. Henry Wu in the Jurassic Park franchise (1993-2022). More recently, Wong has been performing in television series such as in Mr. Robot as Whiterose (2015-19) and as Wally in Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens (2020-present).
Mushu may be the designated comic relief in Mulan but I can think of a trio that do just as much for that in the film: Yao, Chien-Po and Ling. They are three recruits that Mulan meets at army training. Their friendship gets off to a difficult start as a fight between Mulan and Yao ripples throughout the camp, but once they see that Mulan is a worthy soldier, they start to warm to her, and the three become a group of four, which is nice to see. They are also the only three recruits who stand by and trust Mulan to defeat Shan Yu at the end. Yao is perhaps the leader of the three; he certainly speaks his mind more and has the fists to back up his words! Yao is small, but fierce, and can take, as well as give out, the punches. Chien-Po is the calm, gentle one of the group, despite being huge; he is the stereotypical “gentle giant”. He doesn’t get violent at all, and likes to meditate to calm down others, like Yao, when they get angry. Chien-Po also likes to talk about food a lot. Ling is the lanky, skinny one, who likes to laugh and tell jokes; he’s always been my favourite of the three.
Yao is voiced by Harvey Fierstein, known for his distinctive gravelly voice. He is not only an actor, both on screen and stage, but also a playwright. He wrote and starred in the play Torch Song Trilogy which was also adapted into a film in 1988. Fierstein played Edna Turnblad in the musical Hairspray on stage in 2002-04 and again 2008-09, and Teyve in the musical Fiddler on the Roof in 2004-06 and again 2009-10. My favourite role of his, though, is as Robin Williams’ brother in Mrs. Doubtfire (1993). Fierstein may not be in the film for long but he definitely makes an impression! Gedde Watanabe voices Ling. Watanabe has had roles in both film and television, including voice roles. He played the role of Nurse Yosh Takata in ER from 1997 to 2003. Chien-Po is voiced by Jerry Tondo, with Mulan being his most well-known screen role.
The Emperor is an authoritative, but kind figure. He certainly has leadership qualities, but does not abuse his power. He doesn’t even flinch when he finds that his kingdom has been saved by a woman, and instead thanks her for her service to all, leading everyone in bowing to her. He is a gentle, caring person. The Emperor is voiced by Pat Morita, Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid series of films (1984-1994). Morita died in 2005, but worked right up until then. Mr. Miyagi is frequently referenced in the Netflix series Cobra Kai (2018-present). The Emperor’s self-important assistant, Chi-Fu, is voiced by James Hong, who went on to voice Mr. Ping, Po’s adoptive father, in the Kung Fu Panda series of films (2008-present). Most recently, Hong played Gong Gong in Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022), which won the Oscar for Best Film in 2023.
Some other voice artists that appear in Mulan are Miriam Margolyes and George Takei, who voice the Matchmaker and the First Ancestor respectively. Margolyes has had a prolific career, on screen and stage, including numerous voice performances. She played Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter film series. Margolyes has also begun to make various travel-related documentary series. As well as watching her incredible acting, you can also see Margolyes generally being funny, and rude at times, on various television chat shows! Takei voices the stressed and constantly harassed First Ancestor. Takei played Commander Sulu in the Star Trek franchise (1966-present), and has recently performed on stage in the musical Allegiance, which is inspired by his own personal experiences.
The dubbing for Mulan was an important part of the process for Disney, especially for this movie, as it is set in the very real country of China, so wanted to represent the languages with the best actors for the job. Actor and martial artist Jackie Chan was chosen to dub the voice of Shang for all three Chinese dubs; Chan had voiced the role of Beast in the Mandarin dub of Beauty and the Beast (1991). Singer and actress Coco Lee was chosen to dub the voice of Mulan in the Mandarin version. The part of Mushu was particularly difficult to find as they needed a comic figure to voice the role in the foreign versions of Mulan, so naturally, they looked to comedians to fill the position. Taiwanese television host and actor Jacky Wu was chosen to dub Mushu in the Mandarin version of Mulan[2]. Coco Lee and Jackie Chan also recorded music videos singing their characters’ respective songs: “Reflection” and “I’ll Make a Man Out of You”.
PRODUCTION
The original story for Mulan is based on the story, The Ballad of Hua Mulan, which became well-known during the Tang dynasty, in 618-906 AD. The tale tells of Mulan finding that her father has been drafted into the army, but knows that he will not survive the war. She joins instead, leaving her family home before anyone can notice she’s left. Mulan journeys everywhere with the army for twelve years. On her return, she is summoned to see the Emperor, where she receives the highest honour, being promoted to the top rank of the army. Except Mulan only wishes to go home, where she goes back to being “a normal woman” again, but does reveal to her army comrades that the man they fought beside was actually her. This story was then adapted into a play in the 16th Century by playwright Xu Wei, titled “The Heroine Mulan Goes to War in Her Father’s Place”. A book was later published by Chu Renhuo in the 17th Century, titled “Romance of Sui and Tang”. It was a new interpretation of the story, with Mulan being captured on the battlefield, and returning home to find her father had died and her mother had remarried. Mulan is ordered to become a concubine but instead takes her own life[3]… I have no idea why Disney wouldn’t choose that story to base their movie on, instead of choosing the original legend!
Though it is debated whether Mulan was in fact a real person, as it cannot be verified, it is also certain that, though Shan Yu is not a real historical figure, that the Huns did invade China during the specific time and place that the movie, and story, is set. It was also correct of Disney to state that crickets are a symbol of luck in Chinese culture, though the cage that Cri-Kee is placed in would not have been around during the time period of Disney’s Mulan. Tea-drinking is something else not from the correct dynasty. Also, Chinese dragons do not breathe fire as Mushu does, but if Mushu had not been able to breathe fire, it would’ve been difficult for Mulan to have gotten out of some situations she finds herself in in the movie! There is also evidence that women warriors did actually exist during this period of Chinese history, meaning that if Mulan had been a real person, she would not have needed to disguise herself. However, the original story states that she did, so Disney have stuck true to the legend with this plot point[4]. Some artistic and dramatic licence will always be taken in any movie or television series that is based on a story, real or otherwise.
But initially, Disney were not planning to stick to the well-known, celebrated Chinese legend. The first idea was for Mulan to be a romantic comedy of sorts, with Mulan being betrothed to Li Shang. In one of the deleted scenes, titled “The Betrothal”, Mulan would’ve been preparing to meet her future in-laws, and whilst the fathers were organising the “terms” of the betrothal, i.e., how many farm animals she is worth, Mulan was getting a sneaky peek at her husband-to-be, Shang – only for him to say to Mulan that she is worth at least five pigs, in a jokey way, which annoys her and she storms off. So, the awkwardness of Shang was always going to be a character quirk, apparently! Mulan would also have been presented with Ying and Yang necklaces for her and Shang; this idea later reappeared in the sequel to Mulan. Later, Mulan would’ve run away from home to take control of her own life. When Story Supervisor, Chris Sanders, who went on to direct Lilo & Stitch (2002), came on to the project, he wanted to scrap this idea and go back to the original story, though some of the romantic tension still remained between Mulan and Shang. It was felt that Mulan deciding to go to war for her father, instead of herself, was a more important plot point[5].
Another sticking point for the story team on Mulan was how the opening should be. The first thought was for traditional shadow puppets to be used, in order to ease the audience into this time and place, with shadow puppets being a historical method of story-telling. It would’ve told the story of why the Great Wall of China was built, to give some backstory to the history of war within China. It was cut as it did not move the story forward and was not entertaining enough. So, a new idea was conceived: to have Mulan daydreaming about her perfect life. Mulan would’ve been dreaming of a carefree life, where she could ride horses, be brave, defeat Shan Yu when he tries to break through the Great Wall, bringing peace to the Middle Kingdom; men would love her for her unique personality. After Mulan narrated her perfect life, where she didn’t have to fit into the societal role of women in China, she would’ve been interrupted by her mother asking her to get tea for her father, bringing us in to how women actually fit in society. Finally, the Emperor receiving a spiritual vision of Shan Yu taking over China, and being told that only the most loyal and devoted subject could save them, was another opening idea[6]. I’m happy with the opening idea they chose, with the ink painting, as it sets the correct atmosphere of the movie being set in Ancient China, and it gets straight into the action of Shan Yu invading China.
As this was the first Disney animated movie to be based in China, the team at Disney knew the importance of doing good research into the area, its art, geography, architecture, and its culture. Ten of them went to China for a three-week research trip, where they saw icons of China, with a big focus on the Great Wall of China. They found that when they walked the Wall it was so quiet that all they could hear were the sound of flags blowing in the wind, as there were so many around, so the number of flags in the film was inspired by that moment. They were also inspired by the headstones of their ancestors, making the ancestors are key part of the story. The team looked at the architecture of China, with their roof edges that curl upwards, designed to lift the onlooker’s eye up to the Heavens, as well as family homes that have rooms that are unconnected and in completely separate buildings, as we see in Mulan’s family home. They took hundreds of pictures of the landscape, to ensure accuracy in the geographical locations in Mulan, and knew how important this story is to the Chinese people, wanting to do right by them and their culture[7].
For the artistic design of the film, Disney did struggle at first to find the right art style to base the film on, as not only were they making a film about China, but it was to be set in Ancient China. They started out with watercolours for the backgrounds, but found that it was too difficult to train all the artists up to do it the same and to do it well. In the end, they chose to work with Hans Bacher, the Production Designer. He studied Chinese art styles and knew Chinese art to be quite flat, with an intense focus on the beautiful landscapes and less about the characters; the art is supposed to be about where you are, not what is there. It meant choosing a graphic and simple approach, without too many details. Their design choice was summed up neatly into this mantra: poetic simplicity. The artists also were able to use the China pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase at the Walt Disney World Resort for inspiration for some of the Chinese architecture and landscaping; it would’ve been right on the doorstep of Disney Feature Animation in Florida, so a very useful resource for the animators and artists!
As there are multiple scenes of fights and martial arts, they brought in B.H. Barry, who became their martial arts advisor, taking them through the correct movement and positioning of action sequences. This was particularly useful for the training sequences in “I’ll Make a Man Out of You”, as well as the climactic battle scene with Mulan and Shan Yu[8].
During the 1990s, Disney had started to take small steps into the world of computer-animation, but had yet to do anything particularly ground-breaking, unlike studios such as Pixar. However, Mulan includes numerous CG elements, more so than in any other Disney animated movie that came before it. Just a few small details that used computer-animation were the swaying bamboo, the flaming arrows, the almost-7000 lanterns that appear in the scene around the Emperor’s palace, as well as many banners and flags blowing in the wind. Some of the bigger, more obvious uses of computer-animation come from the larger crowd scenes. For the Huns charging down the snowy mountain, the production team were inspired by the wildebeest stampede scene within The Lion King (1994). The CGI team began this scene by creating horses running, before putting Huns on top of them. Each Hun had different options in terms of their weapons, clothing, and even hairstyle. The terrain was then built up based on a sketch of the background, and a simulation of the Huns riding downhill on the horses was run. This sequence was tweaked until the mood was correct, that it looked like absolute chaos, and terrifying to see play out in front of you[9].
MUSIC
The music of any Disney movie is vital to the mood and atmosphere of the movie, as well as the story. But the Disney “Renaissance Era” movies were well-known for having some of the best and most iconic songs. Composer Stephen Schwartz, who had worked on the music for Pocahontas (1995) and The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) alongside longtime Disney collaborator Alan Menken, originally wrote three songs for Mulan but left to work on The Prince of Egypt (1998) for DreamWorks, the studio that former Chairman of Walt Disney Studios Jeffrey Katzenberg had gone to co-found in 1994. This led to Disney threatening to remove Schwartz’ name from the publicity for the two Disney movies he had worked on[10]. Luckily for Schwartz, though, The Prince of Egypt (1998) did very well financially and critically, with Schwartz winning the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1999 with “When You Believe”.
But back to Mulan. Lyricist David Zippel, who had contributed lyrics to the soundtrack of The Swan Princess (1994) as well as Disney’s Hercules (1997), which included the Academy Award-nominated song “Go the Distance”, and singer-songwriter Matthew Wilder were asked to write the songs for the movie. Five of their songs made it into the movie, with the Mushu song, “Keep ‘Em Guessing”, being cut during story development. Zippel and Wilder stated that they were able to collaborate well together, with “Reflection” being the first song written for the movie. “Reflection” describes Mulan’s inner thoughts as she returns from her disastrous meeting with the Matchmaker and fears she will always dishonour her family. It’s a beautiful scene and a lovely song, but for me, I feel I have heard it too many times in my life, so it is not one of my favourite Disney songs, though I know that it is to many others. I do like the movie version, sung by Broadway superstar Lea Salonga, who originated the role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon, and also provided the singing voice for Princess Jasmine in Aladdin (1992). I very much dislike Christina Aguilera’s pop version of “Reflection”, which can be heard as the second song in the End Credits; it was also released as a single and is seen as the song that launched her singing career. Lea Salonga was very enthusiastic about providing the singing voice for another Disney princess, but did learn early on that Mulan is a very different character to Jasmine, with “Reflection” being quite a sad song, and not the love ballad that Jasmine’s “A Whole New World” is.
Another very popular song is “I’ll Make a Man Out of You”, which is sung by Shang during the army training montage. I very much like this song, and the sequence that accompanies it, especially when Mulan starts to become a good recruit and it becomes incredibly powerful and hopeful. Donny Osmond provides the singing voice for Shang. Osmond very much enjoyed singing this song for the movie[11]. “A Girl Worth Fighting For” is not the most beautifully sung song, but it is very funny, and a good comedic song to have, especially as the movie turns quite dark shortly afterwards as the army come across a burnt-out village and hundreds of killed soldiers. The men are all singing about what women they are hoping are waiting for them when they return home as war heroes, with Mulan finding this incredibly awkward to have to listen to, and its made even worse when she’s asked to tell the guys what her ideal woman would be!
The other song that is actually played within the movie is “Honor To Us All”, and this is my favourite of all of them. It is used for the montage of Mulan being dressed up for her Matchmaker appointment, and as I like that scene, I think it’s made me like the song! It details the requirements that “perfect brides” be, with the song being quiet, sweet, and graceful to match the attitudes of the women that are heading to the Matchmaker – well, all except Mulan. “True To Your Heart” is the final song in the movie which is heard right at the end of the film, mostly during the End Credits. It’s ok to listen to, but I’m not going to sit through the whole credits just to hear it, as I have done with other movies’ End Credits song! “True To Your Heart” is performed by Stevie Wonder and pop and R&B group 98°. The message of the song is quite nice though, and matches Mulan’s journey.
For me, the score is where the movie really shines. Composer Jerry Goldsmith composed the score for Mulan. Goldsmith also composed the original score to the Disneyland attraction Soarin’ Over California, an iconic piece of music from the Disney Parks. Goldsmith composed scores for numerous blockbuster-hit movies such as five films in the Star Trek franchise (1979-2002) and three in the Rambo franchise (1982-1988). The score uses a full orchestra, as well as synthesizers in certain songs, such as “Haircut”, when Mulan is disguising herself as a man and leaving home, my personal favourite instrumental in the movie, with my sister and I rewinding our VHS tape so many times just to hear it over and over again! Goldsmith’s score includes a mixture of gentler, more calming music, along with action-packed pieces, where we can feel the tension and fear of the characters in their encounters with Shan Yu. The tracks that play during Mulan’s final battle with Shan Yu, “Boo”, and his eventual defeat, “A Lucky Bug”, are also very good, and makes the battle scene one of the best Disney battles for me. The music that follows when the Emperor is praising Mulan, “Gratitude”, and her reuniting with her father, “The Pendant”, are very moving too. The soundtrack was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Musical or Comedy Score, but lost to Stephen Warbeck’s score for Shakespeare in Love (1998).
RECEPTION
Mulan was released in June 1998, and grossed $120 million in the US and Canada combined during its initial release. It made $304 million worldwide, making it the second-highest grossing family film of the year, after Pixar’s A Bug’s Life (1998)[12]. Unfortunately, but perhaps not unsurprisingly, Mulan received a lukewarm reception in China, making only $1.3 million at the box-office, a sixth of what Disney had hoped the revenue would be. The Chinese people deemed Disney’s Mulan “too Westernised”, though some did appreciate Disney’s attempts at trying to understand and portray Chinese culture accurately[13].
But overall, the movie did well and received mostly positive reviews, with many enjoying the artistic quality of the film, as well as the feminist icon of Mulan. Mulan received some of the best reviews for a Disney animated film since The Lion King (1994), with some critics even saying that Mulan matched Beauty and the Beast (1991) and The Lion King (1994) in regards to its story-telling. Mulan also dominated at the 26th Annie Awards in 1998, winning ten of the twelve categories it was nominated for, including Outstanding Animated Technical Feature, Outstanding Achievement in Voice Acting for Ming-Na Wen, and Outstanding Achievement in Music.
However, a movie that is based in China but developed by an American company is never going to escape controversy, though there was more discussion over Disney’s portrayal of the story of Mulan when the live-action movie was released in 2020, rather than when the 1998 film was first released. This is because Mulan (2020) goes further in terms of its feminist storytelling, retelling the story in a new way, to match the expectations of today’s society. For example, the romantic subplot between Mulan and Shang, which I don’t think is overly relevant in the 1998 film, was entirely removed, along with the character of Shang. This was also partly to do with the implications of the #MeToo movement, and how a recruit being in a relationship with her Army General would not be appropriate. A new character Commander Tung, based on Shang, was introduced instead, however the removal of Shang, and therefore the LGBTQ implications of his relationship with “Ping”, was disappointing for some. The 2020 live-action remake also cut the character of Mushu, who was deemed to be both culturally inaccurate and offensive. Shan Yu’s character was also replaced with a new character, leader of the Rourans, Böri Khan, who is intent on avenging his father’s death, giving him more of a human quality and less of a typically villainous side. Böri Khan was portrayed by Jason Scott Lee, who voiced David in Lilo & Stitch (2002) and most recently starred as Benny Kameāloha in the Disney+ series, Doogie Kameāloha (2021-23).
In some ways the 2020 live-action movie received more criticisms than the 1998 version. The actress who played Mulan, Yifei Liu, was accused of supporting police brutality in Hong Kong after quotes from her were circulated online. There were then calls for the Mulan film to be boycotted. Yifei Liu did not appear at the D23 promotional event in 2019, where a five-minute clip of the movie was shown to fans. Also, though the film features an all-Asian cast, something that the 1998 film had tried to do and succeeded partially in doing so, like the 1998 film, the 2020 film was criticised for its lack of diversity in the production team which included not hiring an Asian director; New Zealand director Niki Caro was chosen instead. There were also comments when the trailer was released stating that the architecture and costuming did not match the time period or geography of the original story. Mulan (2020) did receive mostly positive reviews though, with many stating that it is one of the better Disney live-action remakes. It was released on Disney+, for a fee, on 4th September 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now free to watch on Disney+[14].
LEGACY
As well as the live-action adaptation, Mulan also received the “direct-to-video sequel” treatment with Mulan II being released in 2004. Mulan II follows on from the events of Mulan, with Shang and Mulan engaged to be married. They must navigate their relationship whilst on a mission to take the Emperor’s three daughters to a neighbouring kingdom, Qui Gong, to be wed to princes there. Mulan is against the idea of arranged marriage, whereas Shang just wants to fulfil his duties. Mushu’s status as guardian is at risk as if Shang and Mulan marry, his ancestors will become hers, so Mushu will lose his job, leading Mushu to try and break the two of them up. Many of the original actors returned to reprise their roles, though voice actress April Winchell, voice of Clarabelle Cow, and daughter of Paul Winchell, original voice of Tigger, voices the Matchmaker instead of Miriam Margolyes, and voice double Mark Moseley voices Mushu instead of Eddie Murphy. Some other interesting names to voice characters in Mulan II are Sandra Oh, of Grey’s Anatomy (2005-14) and Killing Eve (2018-22) fame, as Princess Ting-Ting, and Charlie’s Angels’ (2000-03) Lucy Liu performing the role of Princess Mei. I like this sequel a lot, with the song “Like Other Girls” being a highlight.
At the Disney Parks, Mulan has been featured many times over the years. At Disney’s MGM-Studios at Walt Disney World, now Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris, the Mulan Parade ran from June 1998 as a marketing and promotional tool for the movie. It replaced the Hercules Victory Parade, and was the last of the movie tie-in parades at the Disney Parks. The parade was different across the three parks, with Walt Disney World’s running for around 3 years, the Disneyland one only going for about a year and mostly being seen at night, and Disneyland Paris’ being just one float.
At Disneyland Paris, there was a stage show titled Mulan, La Légende, that took place in the Videopolis Theater. It featured a brief retelling of the movie, alongside acrobatic and juggling displays. It was a roughly 30-minute show that ran about five times a day, opening in April 1999 and closing sometime in 2002. I remember seeing this show on my first visit to Disneyland Paris sometime in December in the early 2000s, though I don’t recall much of it, only that we were eating chips inside the theatre, trying to find somewhere warm to sit as it was so cold outside!
Another defunct attraction related Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Mulan is The Magic of Disney Animation pavilion, as the movie was animated in Florida at The Disney Feature Animation Florida Studio, which was first set up in 1989, and was considered an annex to the official Disney studio in Burbank. It was originally based in trailers roughly where Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster is today, with just 40 artists. In 1998, the studio was moved into its own $70 million building, located just behind The Magic of Disney Animation pavilion. The number of artists was expanded to around 400. The Florida Studio was responsible for primarily making Mulan, Lilo & Stitch (2002), and Brother Bear (2003), though the artists did do pieces for many of the other Disney features released during the Florida studio’s lifetime. The Florida studio itself closed in January 2004 but The Magic of Disney Animation, which opened with the park in 1989, outran the lifetime of the Florida Studio, therefore, the chance to actually see artists at work was not as prominent or marketed after 2004, when an opening film was played that heavily featured Mushu telling the history of Disney Animation alongside a Cast Member or Animator, before guests were led into an exhibition-type space with some original artwork available to be seen. The Magic of Disney Animation pavilion closed in July 2015, where it became Star Wars Launch Bay, which still exists today, mostly as an exhibition area and meet-and-greet location for characters like BB-8, Chewbacca and Darth Vader[15].
Nowadays, Mulan continues to be a prominent meet-and-greet character at all the Disney Parks, seeing as she is part of the official Disney Princess line-up. At Walt Disney World, as well as the movie being featured within the Fantasmic! nighttime show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with its own section, you can also meet Mulan at the China pavilion in Epcot’s World Showcase. At Disneyland, Mulan is predominately available for meet-and-greets alongside Mushu during their annual Lunar New Year events, which includes the Lunar New Year Procession. Mulan seems to be available for meet-and-greets occasionally at Disneyland Paris. It is unclear how often Mulan is available for meet-and-greets at Hong Kong Disneyland, Shanghai Disneyland or Tokyo Disneyland, but she seems to have been spotted in Shanghai and Hong Kong Disneyland in the last year or two.
In terms of the other Mulan characters, Mushu, Shang and Shan Yu are much rarer to spot in the Disney Parks, and are more likely to be brought out for Special Events. I remember seeing Shan Yu at the Epcot China Pavilion many years ago and I was too scared to go over to him; my sister ended up taking my autograph book over to him and getting it for me! I also remember meeting Mushu a few times, but never Shang.
At Shanghai Disneyland, as part of their daily parade, Mickey’s Storybook Express Parade, there is a section dedicated to Mulan, with the front of the float showing Mulan sitting atop her horse, Khan, and drummers, stone lions, and a temple featuring at the back. There are also soldiers and flag-bearers walking in front. Finally, also at Shanghai Disneyland, in their equivalent of the Storybook Land Canal Boats, the Voyage of the Crystal Grotto has a scene of Mulan, on the lefthand side about halfway in, just after the Tangled scene; it depicts Mulan standing in a pagoda, with Khan on a bridge just behind her.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Mulan was an important part of the Disney “Renaissance Era” as it was the first time that they had featured an Asian princess and an Asian story in one of their animated movies, meaning that a whole community were now represented, and not just as a beautiful, elegant princess, but as a strong, brave female warrior.
Mulan may not be one of my favourite Disney films, but I do still enjoy it, and feel that it has an important message to be yourself, and not feel trapped or confined to other people’s expectations of what you “should” be. It’s your life, and you should choose how to live it, no matter what anyone else thinks.
Disney did receive some criticism for their portrayal of Mulan both in their animated and live-action films, but this is not uncommon, especially these days when everything seems to be under constant scrutiny. Disney did their best, and the live-action film does appear to have gone some way to correcting misrepresentations in the story and culture.
Despite this, Mulan continues to be an incredibly popular Disney animated movie, and it celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023, with a new range of merchandise being released to mark the occasion. This, and its constant representation in Disney media and its theme parks, show the relevance of Mulan and her story, even by today’s standards.
REFERENCES
[1] Credit: Disney, The Movie Surfers Go Inside Mulan (1998).
[2] Credit: Disney, “International Mulan”, from Mulan (1998) 2-Disc Special Edition DVD (2005).
[3] Credit: Sabrina Barr, ‘Mulan: The real story behind the legendary Chinese warrior’, The Independent (online), 4th September 2020.
[4] Credit: Rebecca O’Neill, ‘Disney’s Mulan: 5 Things In the Movie That Were Historically Accurate (& 5 That Were Not)’, ScreenRant.com, 16th June 2022.
[5] Credit: Izak Bulten, ‘Mulan (1998): 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Disney Classic’, ScreenRant.com, 13th September 2020.
[6] Credit: Disney, “Deleted Scenes”, from Mulan (1998) 2-Disc Special Edition DVD (2005).
[7] Credit: Disney, “The Journey Begins”, from Mulan (1998) 2-Disc Special Edition DVD (2005).
[8] Credit: Disney, The Movie Surfers Go Inside Mulan (1998).
[9] Credit: Disney, “Production”, from Mulan (1998) 2-Disc Special Edition DVD (2005).
[10] Credit: Jim Korkis, ‘Remembering “Mulan”’, CartoonResearch.com, 26th August 2022.
[11] Credit: Disney, “Music”, from Mulan (1998) 2-Disc Special Edition DVD (2005).
[12] Credit: Jim Korkis, ‘Remembering “Mulan”’, CartoonResearch.com, 26th August 2022.
[13] Credit: Constance Grady, ‘The history of Mulan, from a 6th-century ballad to the live-action Disney movie’, Vox.com, 4th September 2020.
[14] Credit: Suyin Haynes, ‘The Controversial Origins of the Story Behind Mulan’, Time (online), 11th September 2020.
[15] Credit: Jim Korkis, ‘Disney Films Done at Disney Feature Animation Florida’, YourFirstVisit.net, date unknown.
The Disney Purist 