When I first watched the animation of "Mulan" more than ten years ago, I was shocked. Even now it still ranks in my top 3 favorite animated movies. The shock of more than ten years ago came from the smooth plot, vivid characters, sophisticated production, and perfect soundtrack. I can still take advantage of these advantages to this day. In terms of characters, originally only the protagonist Mulan appeared in "Mulan Ci", parents, sisters, brothers and comrades in arms were all brought together in one stroke, while in the animation Mulan's family members all portrayed their personalities. There are also three comrades-in-arms with very different personalities and a general like Li Xiang. There is even the existence of the "family patron saint" Mushu and a cricket who sells cute and tricks. On the soundtrack, the two classics Reflection and I will make a man out of you will never be forgotten. In terms of production, each set of Mulan's clothes (including makeup), the image design of the Huns, the snow-filled battlefield, and the god-like Chinese dubbing. I'm not a professional, but I really feel the beauty in it. In terms of plot, it is actually a pure Hollywood story. In "Mulan Ci", Mulan returned to her hometown after the war. In the animation, she won the emperor's affirmation with her original identity, won the respect of her comrades in arms, and also gained love. This is really a routine that Hollywood is too used to. But I have to admire the Chinese cultural packaging that Disney has adopted. At the beginning of the plot, the matchmaker told the matchmaker to give Mulan a female moral education. The family hoped that Mulan would marry into a good husband's family and win glory for the family. There is also the ghost of the ancestors of the Hua family, who sent a little dragon like Mushu to protect her. Every element is too Chinese, but the core of the story is real Hollywood. But Disney put it all together so well that I still marvel at it even now. The animation was released in 1998. It was a time when feminism was not as deeply rooted as it is today. It was a time when China was still poor and backward in the eyes of Westerners. In fact, China at that time did not have the strength to export culture, and computers and the Internet were still mysterious to the vast majority of Chinese families. At that time, Disney made such a feminist core work and could not please the audience. At that time, Disney didn't make much money from Chinese people by putting down the figure to really study Chinese culture (at least I can be sure that in 1998 our family was reluctant to spend money to go to the cinema to watch movies). A good work must transcend the times. Disney used to be a light for many. Maybe it still is. It’s hard to say how much of the works produced under the control of capital is out of sincerity and how much is out of profit.
View more about Mulan reviews
