Definitely a Disney classic!

Rating: 9/10 (26 February 2009)

I love this movie, and so does my sister. I loved the fact, they based it in China, and they got the cultural aspects of Chinese life right. Bravo, Disney! The animation, especially during the avalanche scene, was spotless(loved that epic shot of the bird flying over the huns), and the music, especially in the attack of the huns/avalanche scene and the part where everyone bows down to Mulan towards the end(a real tear-jerker as was the "greatest honour is having you for a daughter" part) by Jerry Goldsmith was lovely too, Shan-Yu's theme was also haunting. The songs are better than they're given credit for, the best being "Reflection", "I'll Make a Man out of You" and the one in the end credits. I strongly recommend Vanessa Mae's rendition of "Reflection", which is extraordinary. The singing voices, from the likes of Lea Salonga and Donny Osmond, did match the voice actors, unlike Quest for Camelot. The characters are also very memorable; Ming Na's feisty Mulan(one of Disney's greatest female characters), George Takei's brooding ancestor, Eddie Murphy's hilarious Mushu- who bags most of the film's best lines-, BD Wong's handsome Shang, Miguel Ferrer's mysterious and often frightening Shan Yu(who actually is an effective and underrated villain despite having an all-too-easy and lame death scene) and of course Pat Morita's wise Emperor. Some aspects of the well-told story might fly over children's heads, but this is enthralling entertainment, that deserves a much higher rating. 9/10 Bethany Cox