Yes, My [Future] Children Will Watch Mulan

For my sixth birthday, my parents and grandparents took me to Disney World for the first time ever and most of that trip still sticks out sharply in my mind over twenty years later. One of the things I remember was going into a building in the then named MGM Studios Park (now Hollywood Studios) and seeing an exhibit they had set up to promote their newest movie that would be coming out the following summer. If you haven't yet figured out where this story is going, that movie was Mulan, and I was stoked about it the minute we walked out of there and couldn't wait for it to come out so I could see it. I got the soundtrack the day before we went and saw it so I could learn the songs in advance, and the movie was everything six-year-old me wanted it to be. Today at twenty-nine, I can safely say that Mulan is still just as exciting for me to watch as it was that very first time.

Mulan was released into movie theaters on June 19th, 1998, almost exactly three years after her royal predecessor Pocahontas and sixty-one years after Snow White. The film is based on The Ballad of Mulan, a Chinese folktale by Song Dynasty poet Guo Maoqian about a young girl who poses as a man to join the Chinese army in order to save her father from conscription (a fancy word for the draft). Similar to Pocahontas, the movie did very well in the box office but had some pretty intense reviews from the press and from the public. On more positive notes, it was praised for its animation, characters, themes of bravery/honor/family/friendship/trust/loyalty/etc, and its beautiful music score composed by legendary composer Jerry Goldsmith. On more negative notes, it left plenty of people disappointed in the treatment and portrayal of feminism, gender royals, and eastern Asian society, as well as people from China who weren't happy with how far Disney ended up straying from the original folk tale in order to make the film family-friendly. With a budget of $90 million, it saw a box office of $304.3 million, Goldsmith was nominated for the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Music Score, and Reflection was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best Original Song. To date, Mulan is the only Disney Princess of Asian descent (our second Asian princess will be coming later in 2021, but Mulan will remain the only East Asian princess) and she was the third woman of color to be a Disney Princess after Jasmine and Pocahontas. The film also saw a direct to video sequel, Mulan II in 2004. The sequel brought back Ming-Na Wen as Mulan and BD Wong as Shang, but replaced Eddie Murphy with Mark Moseley as Mushu which was extraordinary disappointing. While the movie is generally regarded as one of the worst Disney sequels I don't hate it and think it has a couple of musical bops in it but it cannot even begin to hold a candle to the original. Mulan also received the live-action remake treatment in 2020, starring Yifei Liu as Mulan, Jet Li as The Emperor, Tzi Ma as Hua Zhou, a cameo by Ming-Na Wen as an esteemed guest who introduces Mulan to The Emperor, but no one as Shang and no one as Mushu, dammit.

Again, like with Pocahontas, I keep in mind while watching this movie that it's not true to the original source in a lot of ways. We don't know Mulan's exact age in the folktale, only that she's a young woman, so Disney's claim that Mulan is about 16 years old in the movie isn't too far off. Her parents were aware that she left to take her father's place in the Chinese army, unlike in the film where she left in the middle of the night, telling no one of her intentions. Mulan was not discovered to be a woman until she returned home in triumph in the story, unlike in the movie where she was found out after being injured and spared execution in repayment of Shang's life debt to her. There is no reference in the story of a dragon guardian named Mushu, a lucky cricket named Cri-Kee, or a commanding officer named Li Shang who she ended up happily ever after with. And while we don't exactly know how long she was gone in the movie with her company, we know it was several months and possibly up to a year - not the twelve years that she was gone in the story.

Over the years, people have had differing opinions on how Mulan treats feminism and gender roles throughout the film. As I've gotten older, some of the things are a little more obvious to me that could've been handled better: one of the ancestors calling Mulan a crossdresser, Mushu's instructions to Mulan on how to act like a man being 1000% over the top ridiculous, basically every single thing about Chi-Fu ("She's a woman! She's not even worth protecting!" Pull your finger out of your ass). However, when I watch this movie, I focus on the positive messages that shine through. First, I LOVE the family in this movie. Mulan is one of five princess that has both of her parents alive throughout the movie, as well as the incredible Grandmother Fa who is, in every since, a total mood. Mulan's relationship with her dad is so incredibly sweet. Fa Zhou is not ashamed of her when she gets thrown out of the Matchmaker's house, but instead tells her that she just hasn't grown into who she's supposed to be yet. Even though he gets mad at her for embarrassing her in front of Chi-Fu, he's devastated about her running off to join the army instead of being mad that she stole his armor. And when she comes home with her gifts from The Emperor, he literally throws Shan-Yu's sword and The Emperor's crest straight on the ground and hugs her, telling her that being her dad is the greatest honor in the world and that he missed her. I also love the friendships in this movie. Ling, Yao, and Chin-Po are excellent comic relief, but after they bond with Ping/Mulan they become her fiercest defenders, running forward to attempt to stop Shang from executing her when it's discovered that she's a woman and immediately dropping what they're doing to help Mulan get into the palace to save The Emperor. In terms of sidekicks, Mushu is THE greatest Disney sidekick ever and no one can change my mind. Every line he says is completely iconic, and I tell someone "Dishonor on your cow" probably at least once every two weeks. As for romance, I love that Mulan and Shang's relationship is built on respect and trust. They don't start out with Mulan pining for Shang or anything - while she acknowledges that he's good looking because duh, he's a huge dick to her until she gets the arrow off of the pole, but she doesn't let that stop her from training to become a better soldier. She calls Shang on his bs when they get to the city and he gives her the cold shoulder, reminding her that she and Ping are the same person so he should still trust her, and he lets go of his pride and joins her rescue attempt for The Emperor. And Shang is just so delightfully awkward throughout the last ten-ish minutes of the movie as he realizes he has feelings for her ("You...you fight good.")

It took a while for me to come to turns with Mulan being a Disney princess because there was not a clear indication that she did anything to become royalty - she wasn't the daughter of The Emperor, she didn't marry a prince, etc. Once I got to high school or college, I learned that when The Emperor asks her to become a member of his council that it would have elevated her to a status just below The Emperor himself and afforded her a lot of luxuries that would've been shared with royalty, so I got more okay with it. Mulan's main struggle throughout the film is feeling like she's just not good enough as she is - not a good enough woman to be a bride, not a good enough daughter to hold her tongue around her father, not a good enough soldier to fight for China, and not a good enough human being just because she's a woman. Feelings of inadequacy are issues that almost everyone deals with at some point in their life, and watching Mulan overcome each and everyone of her struggles by working hard enough to where no one can contest how good she is is really excellent to watch. Being voiced by the incomparable Ming-Na Wen really helped bring her character to life, and some of Mulan's most iconic lines wouldn't be the same without her voice work ("I NEVER want to see a naked man again."). Watching Mulan come into herself and learn to love herself the way she is is a beautiful journey, and it's one I never get tired of watching.

Mulan has one of my favorite Disney soundtracks. Even though it's mainly score (only six tracks on the soundtrack are "songs"), every bit of it is beautiful, fun, and awesome. The songs were composed by vocalist/instrumentalist/producer Matthew Wilder and theater lyricist/director/producer David Zippel and are in perfect Disney Renaissance style - just theatrical enough, easy to follow along with, enhancing towards the overall story, and catchy as hell. Seeing as I've known every part to every song since I was six, I went back and forth a lot with a couple of songs on this Top 3, but here is where I've landed.

Honor to Us All by Lea Salonga, Beth Fowler, Marjorie Nixon, & Chorus (written by D. Zippel, M. Wilder)

The opening number to Mulan shows our hero enduring a myriad of fashion treatments to ready her to meet the town's Matchmaker. There are a lot of female stereotypes strewn throughout the lyrics, I believe to highlight how society at that time viewed the traditional roles of men and women, and I'm very glad that like three scenes later we are shown that Mulan's father isn't heartbroken or angry that she made a bad impression. This is a really fun song to sing along with, the harmonies are beautiful, and I think it sets the tone nicely and does a great job foreshadowing the fact that Mulan will, in fact, bring honor to the entire nation of China.

This is what you give me to work with? Well honey, I’ve seen worse/We’re going to turn this sow’s ear into a silk purse/We’ll have you washed and dried, primped and polished ’til you glow with pride/Trust my recipe for instant bride, you’ll bring honor to us all/Wait and see, when we’re through, boys will gladly go to war for you/With good fortune and a great hairdo, you’ll bring honor to us all/A girl can bring her family great honor in one way/By striking a good match, and this could be the day/Men want girls with good taste, calm, obedient, who work fast-paced/With good breeding and a tiny waist, you’ll bring honor to us all

Reflection by Lea Salonga (written by D. Zippel, M. Wilder)

I know I went on about Lea Salonga in the Aladdin post, but damn I just love her so much and she's basically Disney royalty herself after getting to sing for two iconic princesses: Jasmine and Mulan. The emotion she packs into this song is part of what makes it such a legend as far as Disney music goes. Christina Aguilera (ugh) may have gotten played all over the radio for the credit role version, but Salonga's version is the true masterpiece and has been a song I've loved singing for the majority of my life.

Look at me, I will never pass for a perfect bride or a perfect daughter/Can it be I’m not meant to play this part/Now I see that if I were truly to be myself/I would break my family’s heart/Who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me/Why is my reflection someone I don’t know/Somehow, I cannot hide who I am, though I’ve tried/When will my reflection show who I am inside/When will my reflection show who I am inside

I'll Make a Man Out of You by Donny Osmond & Chorus (written by D. Zippel, M. Wilder)

Equally as iconic as Reflection is one of the most hype Disney songs out there. Perfect for any workout playlist and full to the brim with as many male stereotypes as there are female in Honor to Us All, my mom's fake celebrity boyfriend Donny Osmond does an incredible job stepping in as Shang's singing voice and giving us an unforgettable mantra in the form of the song's chorus.

Let’s get down to business to defeat the Huns/Did they send me daughters when I asked for sons/You’re the saddest bunch I’ve ever met, but you can bet before we’re through/Mister, I’ll make a man out of you/Tranquil as a forest, but on fire within/Once you find your center, you are sure to win/You’re a spineless, pale, pathetic lot, and you haven’t got a clue/Somehow, I’ll make a man out of you/I’m never gonna catch my breath, say goodbye to those who knew me/Boy, was I a fool in school for cutting gym/This guy’s got ‘em scared to death, hope he doesn’t see right through me/Now I really wish that I knew how to swim/Be a man, we must be swift as a coursing river/Be a man, with all the force of a great typhoon/Be a man, with all the strength of a raging fire/Mysterious as the dark side of the moon

As has become the custom, I want to encourage you to go back and watch Mulan if you haven't in a while because it really is a treat. Happy listening, and I'll see ya'll next week!