The girl who saved the world

Mulan (1998)

Rated: G

Runtime: 88 minutes

Princess/Heroine: Mulan

Prince/Hero: Ping

Sidekicks: Mushu, Cri-Kee, Li Shang, Chien-Po, Ling, Yao, Zhou

Villain: Shan Yu

Music: “A Girl Worth Fighting For”, “Honor to Us All”, “I’ll Make a Man Out of You”, “Reflection”

Rating—out of 5 Mickey Mouse ears: 5 ears. 1 for Mulan, 1 for Ping, 1 for Mushu/Cri-Kee/Li Shang/Chien-Po/Ling/Yao, 1 for Shan Yu, and 1 for the music.

I am tempted to make a Mulan/Larry Bird comparison, but I am not sure the world is ready ... and I don’t feel like writing 1,000 words today. Mulan is one of the few so far that can balance Princess/Heroine awesomeness. Ping never gives up and isn’t afraid of anyone or anything. Mushu and Cri-Kee are funny; Chien-Po, Ling, and Yao are great warriors; Li Shang looks good with his shirt off. Shan Yu is a terrifying bully. “I’ll Make a Man Out of You”, and “Reflection” are great, and there are just the right amount of songs.

Yeah I know Mulan/Ping are the same person, but they are 2 different characters. Which is what makes Mulan so kick-ass. I don’t think there is another Disney female that could have pulled off double-duty: like Larry Bird had to do when his teammates were having bad games. Mulan just might single-handedly carry this movie to greater heights than anyone would have expected.