Mulan is the first movie where Fa Mulan joins the Chinese Army in place of her father, and disguises herself as a male soldier named Ping.
Plot[]
The Huns, who are led by the ruthless Shan Yu, invade Han China by breaching the Great Wall. The Chinese Emperor orders a general mobilization, with conscription notices requiring one man from each family to join the Chinese Army. When Fa Mulan hears that her elderly father, Fa Zhou, the only man in their family and an Army veteran who plans to go to war, she becomes anxious and apprehensive due to his age and weakening health.
Taking her father's old armor, she disguises herself as a man so she can take her father's place. The family quickly learns of her departure, and Mulan's grandmother prays to the family ancestors for Mulan's safety. The ancestors order their "great stone dragon" to protect Mulan, a big dragon named Mushu, a disgraced former guardian, is sent to awaken the stone dragon, but accidentally destroys it in the process, which Mushu conceals from the ancestors and resolves to protect Mulan himself.
Reporting to the training camp, Mulan is able to pass as a man, although her military skills are initially lacking. Mushu provides clumsy guidance to Mulan on how to behave like a man. Under the command of Captain Li Shang, she and her fellow recruits Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po gradually become trained warriors. Desiring to see Mulan succeed, Mushu creates a fake order from Shang's father, General Li, ordering Shang to follow the main Imperial Army into the mountains. The reinforcements set out, but arrive at a burnt-out encampment and discover that General Li and his troops have been massacred by the Huns.
As the reinforcements solemnly leave the mountains, they are ambushed by the Huns, but Mulan cleverly uses a cannon to cause an avalanche, which buries most of the invaders. An enraged Shan Yu slashes her in the chest, and her secret is revealed after her wound is bandaged. Mulan explains to Shang that she was only trying to save her father's life. Instead of executing Mulan as the law requires, Shang spares her life by throwing down his sword, and expelling her from the Chinese Army.
Mulan is left to follow alone as the recruits depart for the imperial city to report the news of the Huns' destruction. However, it is discovered that several Hun warriors, including Shan Yu, have survived the avalanche, and Mulan catches sight of them as they make their way to the city, intent on capturing the emperor.
At the imperial city, Mulan is unable to convince Shang about Shan Yu's survival. The Huns capture the emperor and seize the palace. With Mulan's help, Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po pose as concubines, and are able to enter the palace. With the help of Shang, they defeat Shan Yu's men; as Shang prevents Shan Yu from assassinating the Emperor, Mulan lures the Hun leader onto the roof, where she engages him in single combat. Meanwhile, acting on Mulan's instructions and signal, Mushu fires a large skyrocket at Shan Yu. The rocket strikes and propels him into a fireworks launching tower, where he dies in the resulting explosion.
Mulan is praised by the Emperor and the assembled inhabitants of the city, who bow to her in an unprecedented honor. While she accepts the crest of the Emperor and the sword of Shan Yu as gifts, she declines his offer to be his advisor, and asks to return to her family. Mulan returns home and presents these gifts to her father, who is overjoyed to have Mulan back safely. Shang develops a crush on Mulan, and he soon arrives at her home under the pretext of returning her helmet, and he accepts the family's invitation to stay for dinner. Mushu is reinstated as a Fa family guardian by the ancestors amid a returning celebration.
Voice cast[]
- Ming-Na Wen as Mulan (singing voice provided by Lea Salonga)
- Eddie Murphy as Mushu
- BD Wong as Captain Li Shang (singing voice provided by Donny Osmond)
- Miguel Ferrer as Shan Yu
- June Foray as Grandmother Fa (singing voice provided by Marni Nixon)
- Harvey Fierstein as Yao
- Gedde Watanabe as Ling (singing voice provided by Matthew Wilder)
- Jerry Tondo as Chien-Po
- James Hong as Chi-Fu
- Soon-Tek Oh as Fa Zhou
- Pat Morita as The Emperor Of China
- George Takei as First Ancestor
- Miriam Margolyes as The Matchmaker
- Freda Foh Shen as Fa Li
- James Shigeta as General Li
- Frank Welker as Cri-Kee and Khan (Mulan's horse)
- Chris Sanders as Little Brother (Mulan's dog)
- Mary Kay Bergman as various ancestors
Songs[]
- Main article: Mulan (soundtrack)
All songs are composed by Matthew Wilder with lyrics by David Zippel. All scores are composed by Jerry Goldsmith.