THE AISLE SEAT - "MULAN"

by Mike McGranaghan

At first glance, Mulan may seem very similar to other Disney animated films. It's about a young female who defies convention (and her father) to fight an evil villain while accompanied by a wisecracking sidekick. It's a tried-and-true formula that works again with Mulan because the originality of the artwork and the energy of the story make it seem fresh.

The picture begins with the invasion of China by the Huns, led by the evil Shan-Yu (voice of Miguel Ferrer). The Chinese Emperor orders one male from each family to join the army in an effort to fight the Huns. In young Mulan's family, the only male is her father, who was badly wounded in a previous war. Knowing that fighting would spell certain doom for him, Mulan (voiced by former "ER" co-star Ming-Na Wen) crops her hair, steals a sword, and - masquerading as a man - joins the army. She is assisted by a puny dragon named Mushu (Eddie Murphy) who has (sort of) been sent by her ghostly ancestors as protection.

That's about all the story there is in Mulan, except, of course, for the obligatory attraction Mulan has for her leader Shang (B.D. Wong), who doesn't realize she's a girl. The battle is fought (in some spectacular animated action scenes), Mulan struggles to keep her identity from being discovered, and eventually she is presented with the opportunity to bring honor to her family and her country. Nothing particularly complicated here, despite a rather serious premise.

While the story may be familiar, Mulan nonetheless remains a vastly entertaining movie for people of all ages. The characters are memorable, especially Mushu, who provides most of the laughs. Murphy brings the same quality to this film that Robin Williams brought to Aladdin - a kind of manic, self-aware comic tone where the jokes whiz by at lightning pace. At times, the zingers are a little too modern considering the story is based on a 2,000 year old fable, but that's half the fun. I also liked the character of Mulan, who represents honor and decency; she makes a good role model for kids.

I was really impressed by the animation here, which incorporates classic Chinese artistry along with traditional Disney-style drawing. There is a battle scene in which hundreds upon hundreds of horse-riding Huns storm down a hill that is as amazing as anything ever put in an animated film. What's great about Disney is that every feature is designed to have a visual look appropriate to the story (think of the elegance of Beauty & the Beast, or the playfulness of Aladdin). Mulan presents a drawing style not often used in cartoons, and it gives the movie a whole new feel.

The last couple Disney films (although all good) have not attained the "classic" status of, say, The Lion King or The Little Mermaid. Mulan doesn't quite live up to some of its predecessors, either. The music is pleasant enough, but a far cry from the lush Alan Menken scores of movies past. Also, the story is often jarring in the way it flip-flops back and forth between being a serious study of honor in the Chinese society and being a gag-a-minute comedy. It handles both individual angles extremely well, but should have chosen one approach or the other instead of trying to mix them together.

Regardless, I enjoyed Mulan thoroughly. It's funny and dramatic, and beautifully animated. Every summer, Disney unleashes a new animated feature. I always look forward to them because they represent something we don't get enough of in movies today: a sense of class. Mulan is yet another jewel in the Disney crown.

( 1/2 out of four)

Mulan is rated G. The running time is 88 minutes.