Walt Disney Animation had an exceptional lineup of films during the 1990s that captivated audiences with timeless classics like The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan, and so many more. Additionally, Disney’s partnership with Pixar resulted in the creation of Toy Story 1 & 2 and A Bug’s Life.
However, there was one movie that stood out during that decade, which is now 25 years old and still considered the best action film produced by Disney Animation. Mulan was first released on June 19, 1998, and is still regarded as one of Disney’s most influential and best-animated masterpieces.
After 25 Years, This Beloved Disney Movie Is Still The Animation Giant’s Best Action Film
Mulan follows the story of the legendary folklore hero Hua Mulan, where the titular heroine takes her elderly father’s position in the Chinese army to protect the country from the invading Huns. To avoid bringing dishonor to her family and China’s conscription laws, Mulan disguises herself as a man, becoming the only female soldier in the Chinese army. Even after 25 years, Mulan continues to captivate audiences and remains one of Disney’s finest films.
The center point of Mulan’s appeal is its beautifully animated action scenes, inspired by Eastern martial arts like Tai Chi and Kung Fu. The fight choreography expresses the fluidity and agility of these arts by juxtaposing them with the brute strength of the hulking Hun army, giving each fight and battle a sense of intelligence and well-matched conflict as Mulan’s brains are pitted against the Huns’ brawn.
The film’s villain, Shan Yu, the leader of the Hun army, is one of the most brutal antagonists of any Disney film. Shan Yu is presented as a truly terrifying warrior from the start. Alongside his colossal stature, Shan Yu, and the entire Hun army, are designed using a dark, drab color palette to accentuate their evil morality. The contrast between his muted skin and his vibrant eyes creates a lasting, unsettling presence that still horrifies many young viewers.
Mulan is a story that subverts gendered stereotypes and eliminates the perception that one’s gender should restrict their choices. Mulan’s feminist ideology is presented through the framework of military conscription, which saw countries call upon their male population to fight. The film’s best song, ‘I’ll Make a Man Out of You,’ reinforces the patriarchal perceptions of gender shared by the film’s powerful male characters, like General Li. Mulan’s ability to not only stand shoulder to shoulder with the male conscripts but to excel far beyond them, displays the feminist message at the core of Mulan, that of female independence and strength that is not limited to the strength of male characters.
Mulan changed Disney’s animation game by opening the door for more action-based animated films at the company. While films like Treasure Planet failed at the box office, later efforts like Big Hero 6 and Raya and the Last Dragon proved more successful. Mulan is still relevant today, and it continues to push boundaries. In an era where conservative politicians are attacking the LGBTQA+ community as being dangerous for kids, with particular attacks on drag culture, Mulan features an entire sequence where the male heroes need to dress up in women’s clothing and help win the day. Mulan is a timeless masterpiece that remains an iconic Disney film and stands proudly among the various legendary titles.
Walt Disney Animation had an incredible slate of films during the 1990s. The decade gave audiences timeless classics like The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Tarzan, and so many more, not to mention Disney’s partnership with Pixar, a collaboration that birthed Toy Story 1 & 2and A Bug’s Life. However, there was one movie released during that decade that scarily turns 25 years old today that still stands up as Disney Animation’s best action film of all time.
First released on June 19, 1998, Mulan is still considered to be one of Disney’s best and most influential animated films. Inspired by the legendary folklore hero Hua Mulan – Disney’s Mulan follows the titular heroine as she takes her elderly father’s place in the Chinese army to protect the country from the invading Huns. To avoid China’s conscription laws and not bring dishonor to her family, Mulan dresses as a man, becoming the only woman in the Chinese army against the Huns. Here is why even 25 years later, Mulan still holds up as one of Disney’s best movies and their best action movie.
Mulan Features Kick Ass Action Throughout
The center point of Mulan‘s appeal is its beautifully animated action scenes, inspired by Eastern martial arts like Tai Chi and Kung Fu. These beautiful arts are showcased both in Mulan’s training montage and its numerous fight scenes. The fight choreography expresses the fluidity and agility of these arts by juxtaposing them with the brute strength of the hulking Hun army, giving each fight and battle a sense of intelligence and well-matched conflict as Mulan‘s brains are pitted against the Huns’ brawn.
An action film is only as good as its villain, and Mulan features one of the most brutal antagonists of any Disney film. Shan Yu, the leader of the Hun army, is presented as a truly terrifying warrior from the start, as he and his army scale the Great Wall of China like it’s a picket fence before viciously attacking the soldier on watch. Alongside his colossal stature, Shan Yu, and the entire Hun army, are designed using a dark, drab color palette to accentuate their evil morality. The only element of Shun Yu’s character design that features any color is his narrow yellow eyes, intended to replicate those of his falcon sidekick. The contrast between his muted skin and his vibrant eyes creates a lasting, unsettling presence that still horrifies many young viewers.
Of course, no pre-00s action film is complete without a training montage, and Mulan‘s is one of the best out there. Set to the incredible tune of “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” (sung by Danny Osmond), Mulan and her comrades train mercilessly under the tutelage of General Li Shang. The montage features a perfect blend of grueling exercises, like carrying buckets of water up a mountain, interspersed with comedic scenes of the soon-to-be soldiers pranking each other throughout the training. Like any good montage, this scene showcases Mulan and the soldiers’ growth, not only as warriors but as comrades and friends.
Mulan Is a Timeless Feminist Story
At its core, Mulan is a story about subverting gendered stereotypes and eliminating the perception that one’s gender should restrict their choices. Mulan conveys this ideology by conveying and juxtaposing the stereotypical roles of men and women during the 4th to 6th Century (although these stereotypes still persist well up to the modern day).
When audiences first meet Mulan, she is running late for a matchmaking ceremony and risks “opposing the family’s honor” by missing the ceremony. Matchmaking ceremonies like this were a core part of Ancient Chinese cultureas the reputations of the bride’s and the groom’s families relied on a successful match. Mulan is established as being feministically counter-cultural through her contrast to her traditional mother.
The film’s opening song, ‘Honor to Us All’ sees her mother preaching about the importance of conforming to traditional, stereotypically feminine ideals and expectations to bring honor to the family and make her husband proud — all while Mulan is drawn to the masculine events that surround her, like two men playing a game of Xiàngqí (a Chinese version of Chess) and two children playing with wooden swords.
Mulan also presents its feminist ideology through the framework of military conscription, which, throughout most of human history, saw countries call upon their male population to fight. The film’s best song, ‘I’ll Make a Man Out of You,’ reinforcers the patriarchal perceptions of gender shared by the film’s powerful male characters, like General Li. Not only does the song emphasize the stereotypical aspects of masculinity, like strength and power, but it also mocks the concept of powerful female characters through sexist humor, most notably in the line “Did they send me daughters, when I asked for sons?”
Mulan’s ability to not only stand shoulder to shoulder with the male conscripts but to excel far beyond them, even saving General Li’s life on numerous occasions, the display’s the feminist message at the core of Mulanthat of female independence and strength that, is not limited to the strength of male characters, and can excel far beyond it. While Disney had been making great efforts to improve their female characters, with Ariel, Belle, and Princess Jasmine being far more active than Snow White and Cinderella, Mulan truly set a modern template for characters like Rapunzel, Elsa, and Raya.
Mulan Changed Disney
When most people talk about influential Disney animated films, most attention is paid to the groundbreaking Snow White and the Seven Dwarves or The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. Yet Mulan is just as influential. Mulan opened the door for more action-based animated films at the company. While films like Treasure Planet bombed at the box office, later efforts like Big Hero 6 and Raya and the Last Dragon proved more successful.
Mulan also feels groundbreaking today. In an era where conservative politicians are attacking the LGBTQA+ community as being dangerous for kids, with particular attacks on drag culture, Mulan features an entire sequence where the male heroes need to dress up in women’s clothing and help win the day. Today the media would have a field day and make it into an attack on Disney, but in 1998 nobody cared, showing that the hysteria surrounding these issues now is done in bad faith.
Mulan is just as beloved now as it was when it was released in 1998. It has endured as an iconic Disney film and stands proudly among the various legendary titles. Mulan pushed boundaries then, and it continues today.
