Mulan is a Disney Princess, whose brand reaches far and wide. Expect to see princess branding on consumer merchandise, food products, etc. as well as in books, websites, and other media.
Violence & Scariness
some
Mulan joins the Chinese army during wartime. She learns to fight with weapons. The Huns destroy Chinese villages and kill people (not shown). Some of the battle scenes are scary and intense. Tense sword battle at the climax. Explosions.
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Ultimately, the movie's messages are about the importance of working hard and working together, being honest, and trying your hardest. Additional themes include humility, teamwork, and challenging gender stereotypes.
Positive Role Models
some
Mulan is brave and resourceful. While pretending to be a man, she displays crude and stereotypical male traits, but it's bravado and is played for humor. She demonstrates perseverance, integrity, and courage. Some of the male characters have old-fashioned ideas about what females are capable of, but they learn the error of their assumptions in the end. Mulan disobeys her father, but she does it to help and protect him. She also deceives her friends, but also for reasons that she thinks are right at the time.
Educational Value
a little
In addition to positive lessons about teamwork and friendship, kids will learn a bit about Chinese culture (albeit a Disneyfied version).
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that although Mulan is a decidedly Disneyfied take on a Chinese fairy tale, elements of Chinese culture and history ring true. It also offers kids a strong female character who (like Moana and Merida) stands out from the Disney Princess pack and offers a positive gender representation for young viewers (even though gender-related stereotypes are also sometimes played for laughs). Expect some scary/intense battle scenes, weapons use, explosions, sad moments, and a very menacing bad guy. The Huns destroy Chinese villages and kill people (not shown). There's a bit of flirting/romantic tension. While Mulan ultimately becomes a hero and helps her people, she does so by rebelling against authority, which is worth discussing. But in the end, this is a story about perseverance, teamwork, and courage that's bound to choke up dads and daughters everywhere. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Like Every Disney Movie, Mulan (1998) is Made for Everyone
Like most Disney movies, Mulan is layered. By this I mean, it has a storyline children can follow while also having references, jokes, and a deeper message for older audience members. Most children will likely get the basics: Girls can do anything boys can do; practice makes perfect; etc. As they get older though, they'll start to understand the deeper aspects. In middle school, they might start to understand the bath scene better--the strategically placed animation, the "couple of things I [Mushu] know[s] they're [the soldiers] bound to notice!" This is when they'll also start to understand the concept of war. As young adults, they might pick up on smart alack background dialogue from soldiers, and begin to better appreciate the gravity of the plot, and the ruthlessness of the enemy Mulan faces. They may also pick up on symbolism, like late blooming flowers and the Great Stone Dragon. Adults watching this film with their kids should be able to pick up on most, if not all, of what I just listed, making this movie just as engaging and fun for them as the kids.
For families, it's fun for everyone at whatever stage they're at.
For educators, the layers of this movie could make it a great introduction to concepts like main idea, theme, plot, symbolism, and cultural values.
I have never been much of a fan of animating people and when animating people from a non-Western place I typically cringe at the stereotypical disasters that await. Mulan fights a lot of adversity to somehow become a skilled warrior and her shrewdness allows for her and the army to be victorious over the Huns. The Emperor and thousands of people in the Forbidden City bow to her. Whatever happened to all that patriarchy that offered the conditions in which she felt compelled to conscript herself in the army to begin with? I guess we're just gonna ignore all that...the fight scenes are strong, but this does feel a bit 1998.
What's the Story?
Based on the story of China's legendary girl warrior, MULAN, this animated Disney film begins as the Huns invade China and the army calls up its best soldiers. Mulan's father is on the list, but she can see that he's too weak from an old injury to fight. So instead of staying home to find a husband, Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen) dresses like a man and heads off to war, taking her father's place. Her ancestors try to send a powerful dragon to help her, but a scrawny dragon named Mushu (Eddie Murphy) sneaks off with her instead. Mulan struggles at first but becomes a brave and skilled fighter against the Huns -- and finds new friends in unexpected places.
Disney took a gamble on Mulan -- she doesn't fit the princess mold, and most moviegoers had never heard of her -- and the end results are a bit mixed. The songs and supporting characters aren't particularly memorable, but the settings are gorgeous, and Mulan herself is one of a kind in the Disney canon (it's too bad that in the end she still needs to be married off to a "Prince Charming" who saves the day).
Still, many aspects of Chinese culture are incorporated into Mulan -- such as reverence to one's ancestors, the significance of dragons, and the importance of honor. The DVD includes a feature that shows how the filmmakers researched not only the Mulan legend but also Chinese art, architecture, history, and culture. There's also a feature for kids that explains the film's many cultural references, as well as deleted scenes and songs.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Mulan reconciles defying her parents' wishes and the law versus doing what she thinks she must. When should people follow their inner beliefs first and foremost?
Do you consider Mulan a role model? How does she compare to Disney's other heroes?
MPAA explanation:
nothing that would offend parents foe viewing by children
Last updated:
September 3, 2024
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