Mulan (1998)
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A young woman disguises herself as a man to take her father's place in the Imperial Army to defend China against an invasion.
The story
In a land under threat from a Hun invasion, the Emperor orders a general mobilization requiring one man from each family to join the Imperial Army. Fa Mulan, an adventurous young woman, finds her elderly father, a renowned military veteran, among those conscripted. To save him from certain danger, Mulan cuts her hair and takes her father's sword and armor, disguising herself as a man to enlist in his stead. Accompanied by a small dragon named Mushu, she joins a group of recruits under the command of Captain Li Shang, where she must maintain her deception while training to become a soldier.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
When the Huns breach the Great Wall, the Emperor orders a mandatory conscription of one man from every family. Mulan, seeking to protect her elderly father, Fa Zhou, disguises herself as a man named 'Fa Ping' and joins the Imperial Army. She is accompanied by Mushu, a small dragon, and a cricket named Cri-Kee. During training under Captain Li Shang, Mulan's identity is hidden from her comrades. After a successful mission where Mulan uses a cannon to trigger an avalanche, she is injured, and her true identity is revealed to Shang. He spares her life but expels her from the army. However, Mulan later discovers that the Hun leader, Shan Yu, survived. She rushes to the Imperial City to warn Shang as the Huns seize the palace. In a final battle, Mulan defeats Shan Yu and his men. The Emperor rewards her with his crest and Shan Yu's sword. Mulan returns home to her father, who is overjoyed to see her, while Mushu is reinstated as a family guardian and Shang accepts an invitation to dinner.
- First release year
- 1998
- Runtime (minutes)
- 88
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Barry Cook; Tony Bancroft
- Writers
- Rita Hsiao · screenplay; Chris Sanders · screenplay; Philip LaZebnik · screenplay; Raymond Singer · screenplay; Eugenia Bostwick-Singer · screenplay; Robert D. San Souci · story
- Cast and characters
- Ming-Na Wen · Mulan; Eddie Murphy · Mushu; BD Wong · Captain Li Shang; Miguel Ferrer · Shan Yu; James Hong · Chi-Fu; Pat Morita · The Emperor of China
- Genres
- animated; musical; coming-of-age; action-adventure
- Themes
- strength; feminism; gender roles
- Tone and mood
- heroic; adventurous
- Premise and plot tags
- mythology; war; identity
- Source material / true-story basis
- Chinese legend of Hua Mulan
- Franchise connections
- Mulan
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews from critics and the public, who praised the animation, plot, characters, and musical score. It was a commercial success, grossing $304 million worldwide.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 72 · scale: 100 · review count: 24
- Awards and nominations
- Golden Globe · music · won; Academy Award · music · nomination; Annie Award · Best Animated Feature · won
- Production trivia
- The film's production team traveled to various parts of China for inspiration.; The character Mushu was suggested by Roy E. Disney.; The film's music was originally intended to be written by Stephen Schwartz.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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