Looking back on the Disney classic 25 years after its release
On June 19th, 1998, Disney’s Mulan opened in the United States, earning the studio its best box office debut since 1995’s Toy Story. Critics and audience members alike praised the film for its beautiful imagery, sweeping score, and well-developed characters. Twenty-five years after its release, Mulan is still a fan-favorite, even inspiring a live-action adaptation in 2020.
Mulan herself was a large draw for movie-goers. She is the first and only member of Disney’s “Princess Canon” who is not actual royalty, either by birth or marriage. Though she receives the crest of China’s emperor and the sword of Shan-Yu from the emperor himself (voiced by Karate Kid’s Pat Morita), she does not accept the council seat offered her. Instead, she chooses to return home to her family, and eventually marries General Li Shang in the direct-to-video sequel. Mulan was the first strong, female title character that Disney created, and she has had a positive impact on children’s media ever since. Fellow female Disney characters like Tiana, Anna, and Elsa owe their success to Mulan’s creation.
Production for Mulan began in 1994, fresh off the success of other Disney Renaissance movies like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. Though initially pitched as a romantic comedy, wherein Mulan flees home to escape an arranged marriage with Shang, the story shifted early on in production to better reflect the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan—a woman who, disguised as a man, takes her father’s place in the army. The creative team traveled to China to become better acquainted with its culture and scenery, and even used real-life martial artists as video references for the fight sequences.
Mulan has aged well in the last twenty-five years. Humor and heart lighten a story that centers around family, sacrifice, and the search for identity in a world that still strives to put people in a perfect box. Like so many Disney classics, it doesn’t just resonate with its intended youthful audience; I still find myself moved by the story as an adult. Eddie Murphy’s Mushu is the perfect companion for our heroine, providing countless hilarious quotes (“Dishonor on you, dishonor on your cow…”) and that infamous smile that still finds its way onto Disney merchandise. The soundtrack, too, is memorable, featuring Broadway’s Lea Salonga as the singing voice for Mulan and Donny Osmond as the singing voice for Shang. 98 Degrees and Stevie Wonder’s True to Your Heart, kick-started by Mushu’s “Take it, Cri-kee!” serves as the end-credits song for the film, and inspired many living room dance parties in my house.
Disney released several promotional items in June to commemorate Mulan’s anniversary. Although no special edition DVD of the film is being made, fans can purchase a limited edition seventeen-inch doll of Mulan herself, dressed in a gown yet carrying her father’s sword. Two limited edition pins and a “blind pack” with ten possible designs can be found on Disney’s website. Also available is a resin, sculpted figure of Mulan seated at the base of a stone dragon, her family’s spiritual guardian. This figurine portrays a pivotal moment in the film. It is here, in the shadow of her guardian, that Mulan—rain-drenched and despondent in the face of her father’s war summons—makes her famous choice.
To further celebrate Mulan’s silver anniversary, D23 hosted a special screening of the film on May 28th, 2023 at the Los Angeles State Historic Park. For those of us who couldn’t make it to California, it’s time to dig out that old VHS tape and honor Mulan by singing along at home.
