Mulan II

Mulan ended up getting a sequel in 2004, titled Mulan II, which brought back most of the major actors, except for Eddie Murphy, who was replaced by Mark Moseley. The film was directed by Darrell Rooney and Lynne Southerland.

A month after the events of the first film, Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) and Shang (BD Wong) are engaged to be married. But before the marriage, the Emperor (Pat Morita) commands them to escort his three daughters (Lucy Liu, Sandra Oh, and Lauren Tom) across the country to meet their arranged fiancés. However, Mushu (Moseley) finds out that he will no longer be a guardian if Mulan and Shang get married and schemes to make them fall out of love.

Mulan II really doesn’t have any of the elements that made the first film so successful. Where the entire plot of the first film revolved around honor and proving yourself, this one is more of a treatise on arranged marriages. However, it doesn’t really derail the characters like some sequels.

It’s kind of odd how Mulan is against the concept of an arranged marriage in this film. While, yes, she is marrying Shang for love, which the novelty of doing so is mentioned many times, it’s established that arranged marriages is how things worked. Also, she herself was going to go through with one for her family at the beginning of the first film, but it (obviously) didn’t pan out.

 But the film is able to keep the characterization from the first film mostly intact. Take Mushu who, in the first film, kept up the charade because he wanted to be a guardian again. He was completely out for himself. Well, he’s still out for himself here because he’s trying to sabotage Mulan and Shang’s marriage just so he can continue being a guardian. The Grandmother is also her usual odd self, even going so far as to take bets on when the proposal would happen.

However, the less said about White Eddie Murphy, the better.

It’s not completely awful, but it’s not good either.

#83 

Mulan

In 1998, Disney decided to try its hand at turning a Chinese poem into a feature length film. The resulting film, Mulan, was well received, but still didn’t make nearly as much money as its Renaissance predecessors. Starring Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, BD Wong, Donny Osmond, Harvey Fierstein, June Foray, Pat Morita, and George Takei, it made $304 million worldwide. It won several Annie Awards and was featured in the Kingdom Hearts franchise. But despite not being royalty by birth or marriage, Mulan part of the Disney Princess line. Jackie Chan also voiced Shang in the Chinese dub.

The Huns invade Imperial China, causing every family to receive a conscription order requiring one male from each household to serve in the army. Mulan (Wen) doesn’t want her aging veteran father to go to war again and disguises herself as a man to take his place.

This film could have been much shorter if you think about it. During “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” there’s a point where Mulan is discharged. Which means she could have gone home, her father saved. But it looks like a dishonorable discharge, and since the Chinese culture is all about honor, she stayed to prove herself. Which is what defines Mulan’s character. She’s not only determined to show that she has what it takes, despite being a woman, but she’s also resourceful and quick thinking. Her character isn’t completely relatable, as not all of us can or would take someone else’s place in basic training or war and many of us would turn back if we were disgraced like she was. Mulan as a character succeeds because of that lack of relatability.

The film also has a lot of great comedic timing, but it’s hampered in part because of Eddie Murphy’s role as Mushu. It doesn’t really fit and stands out way too much. We had a lot of other characters played by Chinese actors, why couldn’t Disney have gotten someone like Jet Li? Donny Osmond providing Shang’s singing voice is fine because he was able to, or made to, sound like BD Wong.

The meeting between the ancestors is also quite interesting, showing how those we perceive to be wise can be complete fools. And having it play out like a meeting at the retirement home gone out of control makes it even better. However, there is a point where the scene goes on for just a little too long. But not enough to completely ruin it. George Takei does very well as the first ancestor.

The music is good too, but what possessed Disney to have the final song be a duet between 98^o and Stevie Wonder?

#8