a more complicated Disney animation

Rating: Null/10 (6 July 2004)

This is a nice Disney movie, but in comparison to other movies of Disney not for the eyes or ears. For instance, Pocahontas 1 was a feast for the eyes as well as ears, but the story is in comparison to Mulan uncomplicated. The music in Mulan is by no means bad, I think partly because the music and songs were in Mulan more driven by the emotions, and I liked that very much. Especially the music in the transformation scene, in which Mulan disguises herself as a boy, I thought, was very well.
I like it also that the story was set in ancient China, I don't know very much movies that are set in China. I saw once the Red Lantern and it really made me sick and depressed. I could have of course put the television off, but that time, I was forced to follow a school course about China, and I wanted not only through books and writing papers to learn more about China. This seems not to have helped me: I managed to get from all the students who were following the course too, to get the lowest grade as possible. Some interesting things I have learned from my course was that due to superstition about number 4 (in Western culture it is 13) many buildings do not have 4th floors. The most interesting thing for me was however: China is eternal, but the lives of the Chinese are often hard and short. This kind of feeling is very evident in Mulan, but at the same times this movie, of course in most animated movies, has humour. A tiny dragon takes care of that.
The movie did leave me 2 times in almost opposite emotions. I was laughing about the song, which was dealing about women, and the next moment the soldiers stepped in a solitary battlefield. Also when Mulan saved the live of her leader Cheng, and the other moment only a matter of a few minutes later I really thought that (although it is Disney) Cheng would kill her.
The ending did not satisfy me. I think it would have been better, if the movie stopped when Mushu hugged Mulan after he has promised that things will be alright, after the army has left Mulan, or when Mulan gets on her horse to ride to home. But then this kind of ending is maybe only suitable for people who value 'joining' more important as 'winning'. But then again, although they were loyal, I did not care about Mulans parents and her great grandmother and especially not the ancestors.