tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917634143872972680.post3834742902038715370..comments2024-02-19T08:20:10.456-06:00Comments on Public Transportation Snob: Post Disney Renaissance Marathon: Mulan (1998)Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12351431577484530230noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917634143872972680.post-72457585306236008282012-12-24T08:39:51.294-06:002012-12-24T08:39:51.294-06:00Sarah, you make a lot of good points. The main sto...Sarah, you make a lot of good points. The main story of Mulan is very well-done, and she's such a great character. The issues don't hurt the movie too much, but they feel awkward because they're trying to drag the movie into a more standard formula. The Li Shang love story is definitely part of that trend.<br /><br />We haven't had Elise watch Lilo and Stitch yet, but I think it would probably be a good one for her. I saw it years ago, and it seems like she'd be the right age for it. I agree that Mulan is going to be more interesting for older kids. Elise really likes Beauty and the Beast and Tangled, and has been less interested in some of the other classics. She's also obsessed with The Muppets. It's hard to predict what will really get her hooked. I wasn't sure what to expect with these, but it was fun to see how she responded. Thanks!Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12351431577484530230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917634143872972680.post-4253895633369372382012-12-23T12:41:26.082-06:002012-12-23T12:41:26.082-06:00I watched this movie when it first came out and it...I watched this movie when it first came out and it's definitely one of my favourite Disney movies as an adult, although in retrospect it makes a few attempts to conform to a 'standard' Disney story when it would have been better to do its own thing. <br /><br />I agree with you Mushu's one of them. I seem to recall that when Mulan came out, Eddie Murphy's Mushu was supposed to be following in the footsteps of Robin William's genie. He's funny enough, but you're right in that the mystical element doesn't fit in. Perhaps an attempt to give it a more fairy tale feel? As I understand it, certainly back in the 90s, for each movie they would try to figure out who the cute little sidekicks would be, and that's why we've got Mushu here, but I think they'd have done better restricting themselves to the cricket (the three comic soldiers possibly qualify too).<br /><br />The other element that got shoehorned in (made more obvious by Brave) is the love interest. While Li Shang's character is necessary to the plot, it doesn't really make a whole lot of sense for him and Mulan to fall in love--and they don't technically speaking, but he starts courting her at the end, and it just seems a little weird. (Hello? He left you to die! He wouldn't even dress up in drag for you!)<br /><br />I will agree with Joel above that the I'll Make a Man Out of You song is fantastic, even if the lyrics are rather silly. Actually, the only song I don't like is A Girl Worth Fighting For, but I think the main problem is that the songs don't support the film the way previous Disney attempts have. Maybe because the composer for the score is not the composer for the songs? Certainly having no songs in the second half doesn't help. The lack of balance makes me wonder if they'd have been better getting rid of the songs too.<br /><br />Thinking about it, there's a lot I would cut from this Movie, and that's because the main core of it is so solid. Mulan is definitely one of my favourite Disney heroines, even if she does become a bit too kickass by the end (her rescue of Li Shang seems to require far more strength than she could have). I'm waiting for my own kids to be a little older before they see it, six - eight maybe, because the main story is pitched older than something like Aladdin.<br /><br />Randomly, it's occurred to me that between Mulan, Belle and Merida, there's a trend here for the Disney Heroines to ride implausibly big horses. Wish they reflected that in the Princess toy-line instead of these silly Barbie-style horses I've seen on the shelves.<br /><br />By the way, have you tried showing Elise Lilo and Stitch? I haven't shown my children many of the Disney classics, but with both of them (my son's four and my daughter's 22 months), that's become a huge early favourite - mostly for Lilo, who's a great kid character. Sarahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17636810253795766740noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917634143872972680.post-36251519488178602632012-12-18T09:44:45.974-06:002012-12-18T09:44:45.974-06:00Good point, Alan. All three of the movies from thi...Good point, Alan. All three of the movies from this marathon (Hercules, Mulan, and Tarzan) are shifting away from the fairy tales. This one is the most unconventional of the group for sure. Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12351431577484530230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917634143872972680.post-438711456552870002012-12-17T20:54:13.428-06:002012-12-17T20:54:13.428-06:00I'm always impressed when they take something ...I'm always impressed when they take something that you can't find in a Grimm's fairy tales and make it into a successful movie (and this was one of my favorite modern Disney classics).Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05329144687532322489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917634143872972680.post-89651557289107821632012-12-17T12:12:34.032-06:002012-12-17T12:12:34.032-06:00Joel, I was surprised by how little I can remember...Joel, I was surprised by how little I can remember even a week later about the songs from Mulan. I'll have to go back and listen to "Be a Man" again soon. I did enjoy the movie a lot on the whole.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12351431577484530230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6917634143872972680.post-25132481855791455672012-12-17T10:16:51.783-06:002012-12-17T10:16:51.783-06:00Glad you liked this one, though I disagree about t...Glad you liked this one, though I disagree about the songs. The "Be a Man" number is one of the catchiest things in any Disney movie ever.Joelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17756263900553410305noreply@blogger.com