Review #1,421: 'Mulan' (1998)

Based on the Chinese folktale of a woman who disguised herself as a man in order to battle against the Hun and help protect her homeland, Disney's Mulan came at a strange time for the juggernaut studio. While still riding the wave of its own 90's renaissance in the wake of smash-hits Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, it was also watching another studio, Pixar, emerge as its greatest competition, and Pixar's use of computer animation was in danger of rendering Disney's traditional hand-drawn pictures obsolete. Of course, Disney would go on to gobble up its rival and take the studio under its sizeable wing, but back in 1998, Mulan, although a box-office hit, didn't leave the same mark as Pixar's effort that year, A Bug's Life. As a result, Mulan was remembered as one of Disney's lesser 90's efforts, but time has aged the film incredibly well. It doesn't feel like one of the last of a dying breed to be pushed out before computer animation took over completely, but a joyous reminder of how timeless and splendid hand-drawn animation can be.

The Huns, led by the fearsome Shan Yu (Miguel Ferrer) have breached the Great Wall and invaded China, causing the Emperor to hand out conscription notices that demand one man from every household. The elderly Fa Zhou (Soon-Tek Oh) has fought his country's wars before, but he nevertheless tosses aside his cane and dusts off his old sword and amour. His daughter, Fa Mulan (Ming-Na Wen), doesn't want to see her withered father march off to his death and so steals the armour and heads off to the join the army in his place. Her country doesn't allow for women to fight, so Mulan ties up her hair, deepens her voice, and puts on her most manly stance for her new commander, the handsome and formidable Li Shang (BD Wong). The spirits of her ancestors summon a tiny dragon named Mushu (Eddie Murphy) who they hope will convince her to return, but the gong-ringer decides instead to help Mulan battle against the Huns. With Li Shang's training and guidance, Mulan and her unit are transformed into warriors, but are they ready to face off against the mighty Shan Yu?

Mulan distinguishes itself from the rest of the Disney back catalogue with its wartime setting and location in a foreign, ancient land. While it may still carry familiar themes of finding your inner strength and being true to yourself, there's no doubting that a darker and more serious tone runs through the story's centre. The violence is kept to a minimum so it's all still family-friendly, but the stakes feel higher, and there's a real sense of dread when Mulan and Li Shang first lay their eyes on the charging Hun. This weightier atmosphere is also helped by Mulan herself, who is less a traditional princess longing to meet her true love than a fully-formed, believable character who is learning to adapt at all costs in a world that will do everything it can to try and stop her. Disney still couldn't resist a tacked-on ending that seems to go against everything that was said and suggested before, which is a shame, as Mulan is evidence that Disney was tackling issues of diversity and gender equality long before it became a social media revolution. This doesn't have the catchy tunes of Beauty and the Beast or the adorable characters of The Lion King, but Mulan has its fair share of moments, packed with elegant animation and compelling action.


Directed by: Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook
Voices: Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, BD Wong, Miguel Ferrer, Harvey Fierstein, Gedde Watanabe
Country: USA

Rating: ****

Tom Gillespie

Review #152: 'Vamp' (1986)

Two college students, Keith (Chris Makepeace) and A.J. (Robert Rusler) are given the daunting task of finding a stripper for a frat party by a demanding fraternity that they are both eager to join. So desperate, that they embark on a road trip with friendless, desperate uber-nerd Duncan (Gedde Watanabe), whose car they are forced to borrow. Upon arriving at a mysterious night club where the customers are strange, and the employees stranger still, they are entranced by the bizzarely enticing dance of Queen Katrina (Grace Jones). When A.J. propositions her for the party, she proceeds to rip his throat out, revealing herself to be a pretty nasty vampire. Before he knows it, Keith must survive the night along with cute waitress/stripper Amaretto (Dedee Pfeiffer) and make it to sunrise.

This very 80's horror (complete with rolled-up sleeves, dodgy pop-rock music, and crap sunglasses) combines the two most popular mainstream genres of the decade - teen comedy and horror. The problem is that it's not entirely successful at either. Yet without exactly pushing the boundaries, it's a nice way to make 90 minutes fly by without having to focus your brain on anything in particular. The horror is just silly and gruesome enough, and the surprising charm of the two leads helps raise a smile or two - though they do seem to be channelling popular 80's icons like Ferris Bueller.

I was actually rather taken by the cinematography, with the rainy, smoky streets illuminated by alluring greens and reds giving the film an almost seedy quality, and it's just over-the-top enough to give it an other-worldly feel. I was captivated, as ever, by the larger-than-life Grace Jones, who while not be the most attractive woman in the world, there is something about her that is just fascinating and I couldn't take my eyes of this strange being. Her introductory striptease (if you can call it that - more like an avant-garde performance piece) is just as weird and unconventional as you would hope. Throw in the adorable Dedee Pfeiffer and you have a breezy film that knows exactly what its potential is, and never strives to be anything more.


Directed by: Richard Wenk
Starring: Chris Makepeace, Sandy Baron, Robert Rusler, Dedee Pfeiffer, Gedde Watanabe, Grace Jones
Country: USA

Rating: ***

Tom Gillespie