Customer Reviews

Mulan II [VHS]

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(26)
2 star:		(14)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

Being the father of a daughter, it's very important for me to find examples of strong women in real life and in art or anything else that she can see. The original Mulan is not perfect in this respect but is surprisingly amazing in comparison to so many other films without going overboard with it (sometimes, the attempt to create strong female characters ends up causing them to be caricatures who talk about how strong they are rather than just showing it...or making them so one-dimensional that it would be impossible to relate to them). I'm very weary of sequels, especially if they are straight to video years after the original release. It always seems like Disney has run out of ideas and so they make sequels far removed from the original films or rush to retell in a strange fashion a historical figure. It's often the case that it's uninspired and far from entertaining. Mulan II avoided that. It's been mentioned before, but I think it's important to say there are some tonal changes here. It's far more slapsticky than the original and plays to laughs more than drama. I don't think that's necessarily a negative. I was surprised, for example, not to be totally disappointed by the replacement of Eddie Murphy and to find the character of Mushu still very entertaining. On the other hand, I think the film's displacement of certain dramatic aspects makes it a little more one-dimensional than its predecessor. I know this is a kids' film and needs not overcomplicate its concepts of relationships or of duty, but I also think that Disney has in the past (and with the first film) really excelled at making films that are classics and not just genre pieces for children. This sequel certainly does not fail. It's entertaining. The songs were a delight to my daughter. The humor was well-done and well-suited to her. I think, though, that it will suffer over time in comparison to the first film. She's more likely to go back to it than the sequel. Does this make it a bad film? No, not at all. I would actually give it a 3.5 star rating. If not for the first film, it would probably be a 4.

I'm so angry! I LOVE the original Mulan, and I was hoping this would be half as good as the first. It wasn't even that.

First of all, the music is awful and the animation lacks the romance, vision, and flow of the original. The original team worked hard with their concepts, which was obvious. Whoever made made this...did not.

Second, the voice talent was severely lacking this time around. Even the characters who ended up with the same voice actors sounded a bit flat. Like the actors were rushed or as if they just didn't really care.

Third, everyone seemed out of character! Not just their speech patterns, but in some cases their movements, manner, and ENTIRE PERSONALITIES were just...severely diminished or entirely changed. These are not the characters I fell in love with! At all!

Fourth, everything was disgustingly predictable. Gee...Mulan's three male friends are looking for wives and just HAPPEN to help guard the three beautiful princesses? Golly...WHAT WILL HAPPEN? DUH. Can we say formula-written? The whole story was just...disappointing and derivative.

Fifth, I found it insulting to ancient Chinese culture. Just because our modern Western culture does not think highly of or participate in arranged marriage doesn't mean it didn't happen, or that it wasn't accepted THERE. In fact, it is still widely practiced in many countries, and you know what? It often works out! It was a part of peoples culture, still IS a part of peoples culture, and ISN'T evil. I found this movies' villifying of arranged marriage and all who participate in it to be very insulting and typical "our USA way is the BEST way and the ONLY way, and everything else is WRONG". I hope they never showed this movie over in China, or else I'll be very embarassed for the USA.

Sixth...ugh, nevermind. I don't even want to think about this awful movie anymore. They should have left the Mulan series as a single movie - the one that retold the original legend. But, being Disney, they just HAD to add a crappy sequel and capitalize on the wonderful original movie.

The only reason this got 2 stars instead of one? Although the scene at the bridge has been done a million times over and is NOT original at all, it was well-done. Brought a tear to my eye, I admit. But it was a cheaply gained tear, because I've seen the same scene in 92752375 different movies.

DO NOT see this movie if you love the original and don't want your vision of it tainted. This movie is crap.

The story of Mulan II begins with Mulan thinking about marrying General Shang... which upsets one of Mulan's spirit guides (Mushu) so much that he decides to sabotage their relationship. Mushu is worried that he will be demoted if Mulan goes through with her plans to marry General Shang, because tradition calls for the wife's spirit guides to lose their pedestals in the household shrine at the time of marriage, meaning that they would then be subordinated to the husband's ancestors. The story moves back to Mulan and Shang, who are asked by the Emperor to provide safe passage for the Emperor's three daughters across China, so that they can be married to three princes in order to bring peace to China. Mulan and Shang travel with three trusted soldiers, who fall in love with the princesses in their care... as Mushu begins his plans to break Mulan and Shang up. Mulan II is full of jokes, songs, and an important message about following your heart. My favorite part of the film was one of the opening scenes, in which Mulan describes the importance of yin and yang in a beautiful song and dance number. This is a fun family movie, with interesting special features, too.

Have you noticed that sequels, for the most part (Toy Story 2 is an exception) just don't feel the same as the original? The music is different, the animation is different, something. You just can't quite put your finger on it; the movie bothers you somehow.

This movie does that. The story and characters were OK, but the plot could have been carried out so much better! Mushu was being selfish, although I admit the scenes when he tried to get Mulan and Shang apart made me laugh. And while the whole "duty to your heart" thing gets most people mad about this movie, I think it just wasn't done right. What I'm saying is, the movie has a decent plot but it was carried out weakly. Yeah, that's the word that describes this movie: weak.

The beginning song is just bad. I agree with the person who said they felt the scene with Mulan teaching the girls to fight was uncomfortable. It was poorly done. As with most aspects of this film, it coul've been better. The song "lesson nuber one" or whatever is terrible; I was almost to the point of cringing. The "other" "Girl We're Fighting For" was OK. Not as good as the one in the original, but really, what can you expect? Not much. I don't think many people ahve high expectations foor sequels anymore. At least, I don't.

The scenes between the princesses and warriors are funny, but too cute and quick. It could've been better. Wait, didn't I just say that?

At the end how Mushu retends to be the golden dragon or whatever is funny, but it bothers me. I mean, that's how the problem was resolved? It would be okay if they had it once in the movie and the resolution was different, but Mulan, Shang, Mushu and the princesses got what they wanted by tricking a whole country. If the country were to find out the truth, all the protagonists would be in some serious trouble and that's an understatement. (If you're confused, you probably haven't seen the movie).

I also agree with the person who said mixing modern stuff into the story was bad. It is OK for kids, but it's just too cheesy for adults.

Like I said, the movie could have been better. It does NOT "capture the majic of the original" (as the back says); the tone is completely different.

However, I must say that the scene when Shang falls into the river is done really well. It will either send chills down your spine or make you shed a few tears. I was not expecting that to be done well. The princesses' song was the best song in the whole movie. Oh, and the princesses themselves were all right characters. I like Ting-Ting the best; she seems serious but inside she's a joker. Her and Ling go great together. The other two couples go great together, too. And while Mushu's plans were practically evil, I have to admit they were funny.

And speaking of Mushu, I personally didn't find Mushu that bad, just a little naughty. He was really selfish at first about his precious pedestal, but he eventually found out that if Mulan wasn't happy, then neither was he. However, I think that he shoudn't have gotten his pedestal back. I think it sends the wrong message; that you will eventually get what you want even if you do really evil things or something. Or maybe he shouldn't have gotten it back the way he did in the movie.Anyway, just like almost evryting else, it could've been done much better.

To sum it up, the movie was poorly done. I don't even think Disney even tried to make it good. It could have been done better. I know I've said that a thousand times, but it's true.

Kids will like this movie because I can grudgingly admit it's funny, but adults will probably find it poorly done. Some aspects send the wrong message to kids, like what I already said about Mushu and his epdestal. The "duty to your heart" is a great theme, but I think it was represented falsely.

I own the movie. I suggest you rent it if you really want to see it. The back cover is wrong. It is not a "movie you want to see again and again".

(Just FYI, before we begin: I only gave this movie 1 star because there isn't a 0 stars choice. And please, read this review with as much scathing sarcasm as possible.)
Ahem. This movie was SO bad. I can't even tell you how bad it is. These Disney-oids made a movie that isn't even DRAWN the same as Mulan (I)! It's just absolutely SICKENING!! Not to mention their morals!!! Sorry, I'm getting ahead of myself...

First, the animation. It was good, overall, but the designs have been warped over the years. Not so as you'd notice it, mind you, but I happen to be an animation/Mulan lover, so I paid very close attention to the visuals on this movie. They tried to squash and stretch too much, so the whole thing ends up looking really rubbery; not solid at all. Not to mention the princesses' two-frame giggle they do after their song. After the first movie's great line weight and superb animation, this one was almost painful to watch.

Second, the songs. They were--pretty good. They weren't annoying, even! Thie first one had some really neat little harmonies and countermelodies. The second was a sped-up ripoff of "A Girl Worth Fighting For", but that was a good song to start off with. the third song, "I Wanna be Like Other Girls" ("Wanna", no wonder we have horrid English) was really selfish, but it was a nice way to show other sides of the princesses' personalities--and they only sing the pop version at the END! YAAAAYYYY!!! NO ANNOYING POP SONGS!!!!

Third, the voices. THANKFULLY, they managed to get the majority fo the cast back. UN-thankfully, no Eddie Murphy. They are such cheap-skates!! In the first movie, Mushu was a funny likeable character--probably the funniest Disney has EVER done. One might even go so far as to say that he tied the whole movie together. Yet in this movie, the voice not only changed, his entire character changed. Hasn't Mushu already learned his lesson about manipulating people and events to further his own career? Was it too much trouble for the filmmakers to come up with a (gasp) NEW problem for Mushu to deal with!?

The REALLY sickening thing about this movie, though, is the plot. This movie in NO WAY stays true to the first Mulan. Mulan was about a girl who did what was right, no matter what anyone thought of her for it--something that even the filmmakers don't realize. THEY think that it was about how Mulan "changed the way society looked at women". The WHOLE POINT of Mulan was that SHE DIDN'T CARE what society thought! Ugh! This time, the three princesses of China must be married to the three sons of the king of Qui-Gong in order to avert the Mongol invasion. And Mulan is totally against this! Oh, and it isn't because the guys THEMSELVES aren't nice, or that in Qui-Gong the husbands are cruel and beat their wives, or that there's an assassin there who only targets newly-wedded brides--OH NO, it couldn't be anything INTERESTING or remotely IMPORTANT!! It's because it's an ARRANGED MARRIAGE!! (sarcastically) Which people were NEVER doing in Ancient China. This marriage is, if you remember, going to save China! And the princesses don't want to go through with it because they met some guys they sort of liked the look of!! So, as long as they're happy, the rest of China can burn at the hands of the Mongols?!?! ("My duty is to my heart"--SHEESH!) And I haven't even gotten to the worst part of this yet (is that scary or what--that there's a worse part). The WORST thing is that MULAN ENDORSES THIS!!!!! WHAT?!?!?!? The whole point of the first movie was that she would do her duty no matter what the cost. She'd go off to war, where, in all likelyhood, she'd die. But that didn't matter to her. She was going to save her father (duty to family) AND still supply the army with a Fa (duty to country). THAT'S what made the first one so good! Yet they completely discarded this in the second movie.

Hey, and did you know that they ripped off the "Lord of the Rings"? Well, they did. (At least they're ripping off something with quality these days.) There's a scene where Shang is drifting off down the river and his horse a) finds him, b) pulls him on shore, c) snuffles in his face, and d) he says "Good horse," and pets his muzzle. Is that cheap ripoff of the Aragorn scene, or what? Not to mention him riding up later and everyone shouting, "He's alive!! General Shang is alive!"

You know, one of the deleted scenes ("The Battle Sequence") was SO good, it was Mulan 1 quality! AND it was coreogrphed by someone who KNEW martial arts!! It was great; it introduced a villain, showed the personalities of the characters, showed the old Mulan that we know and love, had moves reminiscent of Jackie Chan (only almost cooler), AND got Shang and Mulan engaged--all in one sequence!! It would have been so great; yet, for some unfathomable reason, they CUT IT!!! It just makes you hate them EVEN MORE (if that's humanly possible)!

Anyway, Overall:

Only watch this movie if you are the hard-core-est of feminists, of if you like LotR ripoffs. In fact, even then don't watch it--that would give the filmmakers money that they don't deserve.

If I could sum up my opinion of Mulan II in a few words, it would be, "Not quite Mulan." Examples: Mushu is a mere caricature of his former self. Yes, I know it's a cartoon, but he was a fully-realized character (complete with character flaws) in the original, and in the sequel he's a one-dimensional, selfish source of comic relief. Shang seems less competent. Mulan herself is not quite as clever or sensitive as originally. As a matter of fact, she seemed more a side story than the focus, which was usually either on Mushu's attempts to break up the happy couple, or the budding romance between the princesses and the soldiers. I could go on -- but I won't.

On the positive side, the voices were well done. The songs (which are mediocre) are pretty much all at the beginning, so they're out of the way fairly quickly. I actually liked the princesses, especially the cute giggly one. And Mushu's redemption recalls the -- oh, I'd hate to spoil you now; let's just say it recalls a mishap from the original. I gave it three stars because I was entertained by it. I think people who really enjoyed the first film would enjoy this one, but it's more for the kiddies as there are no humorously adult scenes (Yao, King of the Rock). I strongly, strongly recommend renting this one before making a decision.

Being a Mulan fan, I simply had to give my opinion on this sequel. Before I watched it, however, I took in consideration that it was a Disney sequel and therefore did not get my expectations too high. Let's just say, that what I did was the best thing to do. Mulan 2 just simply does not live up to the original at all. While there were some cute scenes and funny elements, the movie lacked depth,plot, and emotion. There were simply too many predictable elements and little situations which I feel I did not really care about. Instead of war, Mulan and Shang are now set on a mission to form an alliance by escorting princesses to marry princes in another kingdom which Mulan does not agree with. With this, the princesses fall in love with three soldiers creating conflict.
This is I assume is supposed to be the main plot, but it does not seem that way. Instead, the main role of this movie switches from Mulan to Mushu who goes behind Mulan's back to break up her and Shang. Not only do we have to worry about this romance vs. Mushu but also, Yao,Ling, and Chien Po and what happens to their sweethearts. If you ask me, I am more concerned with Mulan and Shang's relationship than the Gang of Three. The theme of the movie is " Your duty is to your heart." but somehow it fails in this movie when it relies on one's feelings instead of saving a country from an horrific war. This movie would have much better had the characters proved to be more selfless and the story being more emotional and having action without the small unnessary dramas. If you have a strong need to see this movie, rent it cause I can garantee you if you are over ten years old, this movie will disapoint you. And while watching it, just take it with a grain of salt and know that the original movie is always there to watch and enjoy.

I'm from Australia, hence why I've seen this film early. Mulan is my favorite Disney film and when I heard there was a Disney sequel I was very worried... I've seen a couple of the other sequels like Lion King II: Simba's Pride and Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea and found them very cringe-worthy. I read a couple of bad reviews of Mulan 2 and was planning to stay away from this film completely, but the plot summary intrigued me because it did not involve any regeneration of the villain or most importantly, offspring of the Disney hero or any of this "next generation" stuff that the other Disney sequels have been offering. So I gave into temptation and rented it, and was very surprised! It's quite good! With the exception of Eddie Murphy, all the character voices are back and the songs are not as bad as many have described. The Lea Salonga song has been stuck in my head all day! Although the animation of Mulan's character bugged me at times (particularly her eyes) the animation was generally very good, in fact there are a couple of beautiful scenes that gave me chills, great colour and imagery. The score also really takes you to China. The story was not as cheesy as I was expecting and was actually interesting, though it did at times feel a bit far from the original Mulan film. The new characters of the three princesses are quite memorable (I loved Mei... was she the one in the pink dress?), and Mushu is funny as ever. Overall I really enjoyed this film, and no Disney sequel has acheived this! Of course the original will always be the best, but this sequel did not ruin it and I liked it enough to buy it.

The original Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies. I wasn't sure what to expect with Mulan II, but I didn't expect it to make me angry! But it did. I am not Chinese, but I know and admire much about their culture, particularly the high value they place on honor and duty to others outside of yourself. This movie openly puts down and mocks those values, as well as the ancient tradition of arranged marriages which still exists today in many cultures. To me, this movie was a fine example of typical Western arrogance, thinking 'our' way is the only right way to live.

In the original movie, Mulan takes great personal risk to save her father's life, and then to save her country. In the second movie, her philosophy seems to be just the opposite: fulfill yourself even if it endangers the country and others. The script writers didn't see the contradiction, because both actions require the ability to think independently and 'outside the box' which they hold up as being the 'ultimate virtue.' But it is not a virtue when done for selfish reasons.

Mushu was completely annoying with the miscommunications he caused between Mulan and Shang in his selfish attempt to break up their engagement so he could remain her guardian. These scenes were frustrating, not funny.

The only redeeming features were the cute, catchy songs and some great humor. And the animation was actually quite good; a lot better than most of Disney's straight-to-video 'sequels.' But to me, it's not worth giving the wrong message to your kids. American society already places too much importance on self-fulfillment over all else, and we don't need a kid's movie teaching our kids the message of 'self first' too!

For a strange reason the movie was released in Mexico on November 5, and when I found out that the release date on the USA changed to February 2005, I couldn't resist the temptation and bought the dvd. Generally I only buy Disney DVD on region 1, because in Mexico many of the additional material is cut, but I think that this version is going to be similar than the USA version.

If you are a fan of the first this is not going to dissapoint you, it's not better than the first one, but definitly is one of the better second parts that Disney has made. Tha animation is very good, and the plot is funny and respect some elements of the first movie, but it lack a lot of action. We can see how the bonds between Mulan and Shang gfets stronger. Althought in some point the story become predictable it has a lot of shocking moments, and a lot of funnies too. All the cast is back, but Eddie Murphy, but not be dissapointed with this when I see the movie for the first time I didn't notice that Mushu wasn't Murphy, the actor that dubbed our favoritedragon has the same complexity in the voice and it can fool even to the most exigent audience, really it's a great work.

We all know that many Disney second parts are no good, but I promise you that this is a DVD buyable. The music is good, and my favorite is a new version of "A girl worth fighting for" (Oh yes, our 3 favorite guards come back too). As I told you in my country many of the additional material is ommited, because here nobody pay attention to the extras, but in this DVD includes 4 deleted scenes, a shadow game, and a Mushu section.

If you have some question about this edition, feel free to drop me a note: durgo@yahoo.com