Why cute mascots? Marketing!

Rating: Null/10 (2 April 1999)

Mulan was pretty good for a movie from the Evil Empire (although as long as Microsoft is still solvent, Disney is only a distant second as Evil Empires go ;) There were few songs, which I heartily approved of (I hate the songs) and the story was kinda nice. I did have two major problem with it:
1) Why oh why does the main character of the story desperately require a 'Wacky' sidekick? I will admit, the scarecrow riding a panda scene made me laugh, but other than that, Mu-Shu did nothing but make me groan. Robin William as the Genie was funny, after that, and he was the only sidekick actually called for by the movie. Every Disney movie thereafter has had to have one, and it is starting to grate on my nerves.
2) It was too dang short. Nobody said animated movies have to be short! Put another scene in there! Show Mulan and Gen. Shang getting married! It wouldn't have ruined the story! There is no rule against liberated women liking hunky guys! And he was smart and enlightened too! The movie was just too darned short for my tastes..I prefer the Studio Ghibli type of Animated movie, very long and very good..and NO SONGS! (well..usually no songs..)
-Miki