Mulan

Disney Sparkling Princess Mulan
$12.99
Niece was very happy with this gift. Was received in a few days of ordering.

Mulan (Disney Gold Classic Collection)
$29.99
Disney could have done a great job with this adaptation of a Chinese folk tale. But unfortunately, they just had to ruin it with some comedy. Now, I'm not saying that this automatically makes the film a complete failure. The animation is top-notch, with some beautiful scenery and a powerful action sequence. The drama really adds to the tension in some scenes. The music from Jerry Goldsmith is also a treat. But what really makes this a mediocre Disney film is the unnecessary comedy. Disney could have made this one of its more outstanding animated films, if it weren't for all that humor. Instead of it being a serious epic like Princess Mononoke, Mulan is more of an uneven display of drama and slapstick. All of this funny stuff is very out of place for such a powerful folk tale. Couldn't they have taken Mushu more seriously? Plus, the songs are very forgettable. "A Girl Worth Fighting For" and "I'll Make a Man Out of You" aren't in the same level as "Be Our Guest" and "I Just Can't Wait to be King." There are no memorable melodies and no decent lyrics, though "Reflection" is a slightly up there.

So Mulan is basically a mixed bag. The stunning animation and the apparent drama are what's good about it. The unnecessary comedy and underwhelming songs are what's bad about it. It's too bad, really. This project had some big potential, but they just had to turn it into an adequate animated film.

Grade: C

Tarzan (Special Edition)
$29.99
now i have it on DVD ... loved it as a kid ... i still love it now as an adult.

Mulan/Mulan II (3 Disc Collector's Set)
$34.99
Disney could have done a great job with this adaptation of a Chinese folk tale. But unfortunately, they just had to ruin it with some comedy. Now, I'm not saying that this automatically makes the film a complete failure. The animation is top-notch, with some beautiful scenery and a powerful action sequence. The drama really adds to the tension in some scenes. The music from Jerry Goldsmith is also a treat. But what really makes this a mediocre Disney film is the unnecessary comedy. Disney could have made this one of its more outstanding animated films, if it weren't for all that humor. Instead of it being a serious epic like Princess Mononoke, Mulan is more of an uneven display of drama and slapstick. All of this funny stuff is very out of place for such a powerful folk tale. Couldn't they have taken Mushu more seriously? Plus, the songs are very forgettable. "A Girl Worth Fighting For" and "I'll Make a Man Out of You" aren't in the same level as "Be Our Guest" and "I Just Can't Wait to be King." There are no memorable melodies and no decent lyrics, though "Reflection" is a slightly up there.

So Mulan is basically a mixed bag. The stunning animation and the apparent drama are what's good about it. The unnecessary comedy and underwhelming songs are what's bad about it. It's too bad, really. This project had some big potential, but they just had to turn it into an adequate animated film.

Grade: C