MULAN

CAPSULE REVIEW –– When I came upon this film on cable I figured it was probably worth the 90 minutes. I was more than pleasantly surprised. What I found was a stunningly drawn, engrossing tale of a young woman's adventurous search for honor and self. I'm sure the Chinese have problems with the Disneyfying of one of their most beloved legends, but I found it to be a true delight. With the comic relief characters kept to a minimum, the film unfolds this miraculous story in an exciting and touching way. Mulan is a wonderful character – courageous, fragile, smart, impulsive and unrelenting. After disgracing her family with the Matchmaker, Mulan decides to save her father's life and join the army in his place, disguised as a young man. She's not the best of soldiers, but she's a quick learner and when the time comes for decisive action, she makes a choice that saves her whole platoon from certain death but uncovers her secret. In the end, she regains her family honor by defeating the Huns once and for all. The songs and score are inspiring, the animation beautiful and exciting and the story thrilling, if still filled with some of the regular Disney traits. More a film for grown-ups than kids, I now understand why it wasn't more popular at the box office. In this case, a good thing.