23 lines
2.6 KiB
Plaintext
23 lines
2.6 KiB
Plaintext
to paraphrase a song title from an earlier disney movie , mulan is a whole new world .
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the mouse factory's latest feature is a treasure , featuring magnificent animation , a strong story and finely drawn characters .
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mulan is the story of a fiesty , head-strong young woman who , unlike other disney heroines , isn't seeking her prince charming ,
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mulan's motivations are simple ; to save her father , serve her country and find a place for herself in a world in which females have no say .
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the story of mulan takes place in ancient china at a time when the huns have invaded the nation .
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the emperor has called for a conscription , one man from each family to join the army and defend the nation .
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mulan's crippled father is called , but mulan sneaks off , steals his armor and takes his place .
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mulan is a saga of courage and self-discovery .
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yet , despite the grim backdrop of war , it is a lively tale of self-reliance and brain-over-brawn that even the smallest child can appreciate and enjoy .
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the movie utilizes a strong corps of asian-american talent as the voices for the main characters , including the wonderful ming-na wen ( the joy luck club ) as mulan , b . d .
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wong as shang , mulan's commanding officer and later love interest , pat morita as the emperor and the veteran soon-tek oh as mulan's proud , but loving father .
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also adding to the proceedings is eddie murphy as mushu the dragon , sent by mulan's ancestors to watch over and help the young woman .
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his fast , wise-cracking , hip-talking mushu may seem out of place , but it's a crowd pleasing performance , especially for the youngsters .
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the movie features only a couple of songs , fewer than most previous disney animated flicks , but mulan's are winners .
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the music by matthew wilder and lyrics by david zippel fit nicely into the plot .
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the overall score by jerry goldsmith also is a plus .
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mulan is a treat , more powerful than hercules , with more heart than the hunchback of notre dame .
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at about 85 minutes , mulan moves rapidly , and will hold the attention of youngsters from beginning to the end .
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mulan will set a new standard by which future animated efforts by disney and other studios will have to work hard to attain .
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also , it is hoped that the success of mulan , and there is no doubt that it will prove to be a popular vehicle , will spur an interest for more movies with oriential or asian-american themes so as to provide more substantial roles for the talented performers who gave their voices for this production .
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it would be nice to see them on screen as well as hear them .
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committed to lifelong learning through effective communication
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