Mulan
Mulan is an animated motion picture produced by Disney and released in 1998. It was directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, with the story by Robert D. San Souci.
It was loosely based on various versions of the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan. It starred the voices of Ming-Na Wen as Mulan (though her singing was by Lea Salonga) and Eddie Murphy as the dragon "Mushu the Demoted One."
Briefly, Mulan is the rough-around-the-edges daughter of a respected vetern somewhat troubled by being the 'sophisticated lady' her society expects of her. When Hun invaders prompt the empire to draft male soldiers from families, Mulan runs off, dressed in drag, to enlist and avoid her somewhat handicapped father from being sent to the front line to his doom. A fair source of humor in the movie is Mulan disguising her gender among her newfound solider friends.
At the same time, Mushu (an unusually small dragon) plans to protect and encrouage Mulan, but mostly to heal his tarnished reputation amongst the late Fa family's departed guardians.
Many fans praised the movie for having a creative depature in Disney's art style (such as in Pocahontas and Lilo & Stitch). Most characters are rendered in an artstyle reminicent of Chinese art; in particular Mulan being a Disney character "who actually looks Chinese". Mulan is also considered one of the first major depature of Disney female leads; neither a princess nor considered particularly beautiful, and a strong and capable warrior. Other fans found the inclusion of typical Disney sidekicks such as the 'lucky' cricket and Mushu unusual, as most of the other animals in the movie are depicted as nominally 'normal'.
