25 years ago this week, Mulan hit theaters, and the 1998 Disney animated feature is just as exciting of a watch today as it was when it was first released. It follows Fa Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen and Lea Salonga), the ambitious daughter of an aging warrior whose family believes she’ll bring honor to their name. A series of mishaps lead Mulan to be labeled a disgrace, and when her father is conscripted into the military once again, she does the unthinkable; Mulan cuts her hair and disguises herself as a man to take her father’s place in the army. Mulan has a great story, loveable characters, but most of all, the music is where the movie really shines. While it only has four musical numbers, all of which appear in the first half of the movie, each one is memorable — “Honor To Us All” sets up the story, while “Reflection” is a closer look at Mulan herself, and “I’ll Make A Man Out of You” and “A Girl Worth Fighting For” both give viewers a deeper understanding of Li Shang and his army, with the latter ending on one of the movie’s more affecting and somber turns. Those catchy songs, some fun sidekicks, and an 87-minute runtime are just a few reasons why I’ve loved Mulan for as long as I can remember.
Photo: ©Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett Collection
