Disney's Mulan/Mulan 2 Double Pack [DVD] [1998]

Description

Product Description MulanBrimming with daring adventure, hilarious characters and inspiring music, Disney’s animated classic Mulan celebrates honour, courage and a young girl’s quest to be true to her own heart. As clever as she is beautiful, young Mulan is determined to prove herself – by courageously taking her father’s place in the Imperial Army. Aided by her outrageously funny guardian dragon Mushu and a lucky cricket named Cri-Kee, Mulan’s quest will lead her to a climactic battle atop the Imperial Palace, where her family’s honour, the fate of the Emperor and the future of all of China hang in the balance! Mulan 2The magnificent legend of Mulan continues in this full-length movie. The beautiful and courageous heroine is back — along with her hilarious guardian dragon Mushu and some great new friends — for more fun in the spectacular sequel to Disney’s original classic. The spirited Mulan gets the thrill of her life when General Shang asks for her hand in marriage, but the surprises are just beginning. Throwing a wrench into their plans is the mischievous Mushu, who tries to keep the happy couple apart as long as possible in order to retain his job as her guardian dragon. Adding to their adventure is the fact that Mulan and Shang must escort three princesses across China to their own arranged marriages. When she discovers that these three women aren’t looking forward to their upcoming weddings, Mulan makes a bold decision that will change the course of history. Experience the laughs and excitement of Mulan 2 — a new classic in the rich tradition of Disney animation — featuring irresistible new music, great comedy, and a heartwarming story of courage and friendship. .co.uk Review Mulan's story is based on a Chinese fable about a young girl who disguises herself as a man to help her family and her country. When the Huns attack China, a call to arms goes out to every village, and Mulan's father, being the only man in the family, accepts the call. Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen, sung by Lea Salonga) has just made a disastrous appearance at the Matchmaker and decides to challenge society's expectations (being a bride). She steals her father's conscription notice, cuts her hair and impersonates a man to join the army. She goes to boot camp, learning to fit in with the other soldiers with some help from her sidekick, Mushu, a wise-cracking dragon (voiced by Eddie Murphy). She trains, and soon faces the Huns eye to eye to protect her Emperor. The film is gorgeous to look at, with a superior blend of classic and computer-generated animation. Directors Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook make the best of it: a battle in the snowy mountains is as thrilling as the best Hollywood action films. The menacing Huns are not cute but simple and bad. The wickedness is subtle, not disturbing. The film is not a fully fledged musical, as it has only five songs (the best, "Be a Man", is sung during boot camp). Eddie Murphy is an inspired choice for the comic-relief dragon, but his lines are not as clever as Robin Williams' in Aladdin. These are minor quibbles, though. The story is strong, and Mulan goes right to the top of Disney animated heroines; she has the right stuff. --Doug Thomas, .comMulan 2: With less drama and more slapstick than its predecessor, Disney's Mulan 2 continues the animated saga of the young Chinese heroine, Fa Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen, sung by Lea Salonga). The story picks up one month after Mulan has saved her country through bravery and determination. Revered by all, she now returns to her village and becomes engaged to General Li Shang. Wedding plans must wait, however, when the Emperor assigns the couple to a secret mission to escort his three princess daughters across China where their arranged marriages to waiting princes will secure an alliance with a rival kingdom and save China from invasion. Meanwhile, Mulan's wise-cracking guardian dragon, Mushu (voiced by Mark Moseley), realizes that if Mulan's marriage takes place, he is out of a job and so he undertakes his "18-phase master plan" of relationship sabotage to breakup the happy couple. Most of the film's jokes come from Moseley's Mushu (as quick-witted as Eddie Murphy's earlier performance), while a trio of prankish soldiers provide additional comic relief. While the film's overall effort is not as sensational as the original, it offers solid family entertainment, healthy female role models, and a handful of catchy songs. --Lynn Gibson