All He Needs is a Mic Drop!

Rating: 8/10 (17 June 2014)

The general consensus about this movie is people really like it, and I like it a lot too. I like the story, the characters, the jokes, and the songs. It's not the best movie, but it's really enjoyable and I have a lot of fun watching it.
ANIMATION: The animation is...good. Unlike some of our earlier movies, it doesn't really have bright and popping colors, nor does it really showcase China. We get some great visuals of Chinese culture (The Great Wall, white space, "Girl Worth Fighting For" number), but we don't really see much else. But the designs of the characters are OK, and the backgrounds are nice. All in all, it's good animation.
SONGS/MUSIC: The songs here are pretty good, too. I like "Please Bring Honor to Us All" and "A Girl Worth Fighting For," and the sound of China in them. If the animation doesn't totally bring us to China, the music in these songs do. I really like "Reflections." It shows us the struggle Mulan is battling in the movie. Of course we all know and love "I'll Make a Man Out of You." It's the movie's Number One song: those lyrics, that music, the rhythm - it's awesome! I also really love the "True to Your Heart" song during the credits. It sums up the movie, it's a fantastic song, it has 98 Degrees, and it features FRICKIN' STEVIE WONDER!!! That man wrote and sang the soundtrack to LIFE!!...But I digress. The songs are good.
ROMANCE: You might be thinking there's nothing to talk about here, there wasn't really a romance here. Actually, this movie has what I think is one of the best Disney romances ever. We get a couple hints that Mulan and Li Shang are developing a romance, but the movie doesn't focus on it. It doesn't try to give us a random, unnecessary romantic moment like "The Lion King" did. They don't get married, they don't commit to a relationship, they don't kiss, they don't even talk about being in love. But we know what's going to happen, it does happen, but the movie doesn't focus on it at all. I think that's great!
CHARACTERS: I always thought Mulan and Pocahontas were one and the same. They both feel as though they don't fit in with their environments, they have free spirits, they do something radical to change their cultures, and they're looked at as strong heroines...And it's for that reason I think Mulan is just OK. Don't get me wrong, I really like her, but from an analytical point of view she's just like Pocahontas and other typical strong female characters. I also really enjoy Mushu. He gets a lot of laughs, and I like Eddie Murphy's portrayal of him. But I think my favorite character is the Emperor. Why? Because he's crudded awesome! Did you hear his dialogue? He says some of the most awesome things ever! "No matter how hard the wind howls, the mountain will not bow to it." "The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all...You don't meet a girl like that every dynasty!" All he needs is a mic drop! If this Emperor had a mic drop in the movie, he'd be the most awesome character in Disney EVER!
STORY: Like Mulan's character, this movie is very reminiscent of the "I want to be something bigger and better - My heart tells me I have a greater destiny than this" story. It's not a bad story, I enjoy it; but it doesn't really add anything new. I enjoy the scenes, characters, songs, and romance, but the story has been done so many times. Disney already released this movie three years earlier, only it was set in early America. Sadly, the story did not phase me at all.
CONCLUSION: While the movie didn't have a new, exciting story, the characters and songs will still keep you totally engaged. You'll want to see what they'll do, what sort of people they'll become, and what they'll learn. You'll be rooting for all our main characters, and you'll love them. They are totally worth watching this movie. Of course I wasn't able to write about all the characters, but check out the film and see which ones you like the most. They're pretty good and entertaining. It may not give you a lot of culture, at least nothing new; but give this movie credit, it seems to be making up for the possible racist Siamese cats in "Lady and the Tramp." Were those cat racist? I heard that argument, but I don't know for sure...Anyway, watch it and see for yourselves. God bless you. BOOYIKA!