Mulan (1998)
85%RT Audience Score: 85%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
17 wins & 21 nominations total
Exploring themes of family duty and honor, Mulan breaks new ground as a Disney film, while still bringing vibrant animation and sprightly characters to the screen
Mulan is a Disney classic that tells the story of a brave young woman who defies gender norms to save her country. Critics have praised the film for its beautiful animation, captivating music, and powerful themes of family, honor, and duty. While some have criticized the film for its portrayal of gender roles and cultural appropriation, Mulan remains a beloved favorite among Disney fans of all ages. So grab some popcorn, sing along to “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” and enjoy this timeless tale of courage and heroism.
Production Company(ies)
Castle Rock Entertainment, Detour Filmproduction Filmhaus Wien Universa Filmproduktion,s
Distributor
Buena Vista Pictures
Release Type
Streaming, Streaming (Disney+)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
G
Year of Release
1998
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Digital SDDS
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1 (original and intended ratio)
-
Runtime:1h 28m
-
Language(s):English, Mandarin
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 19, 1998 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 26, 2004
Genre(s)
Musical
Keyword(s)
Worldwide gross: $304,320,254
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $558,470,577
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 253
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 60,901,917
US/Canada gross: $120,620,254
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $221,355,174
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 306
US/Canada opening weekend: $22,745,143
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $41,740,545
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 291
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $90,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $165,162,691
Production budget ranking: 186
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $88,940,109
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $304,367,778
ROI to date (est.): 120%
ROI ranking: 857
Eddie Murphy – Mushu (Voice)
BD Wong – Shang (Voice)
Miguel Ferrer – Shan-Yu (Voice)
Harvey Fierstein – Yao (Voice)
Beth Fowler – Bather (Voice)
Director(s)
Barry Cook, Tony Bancroft
Writer(s)
Rita Hsiao, Christopher Sanders, Philip LaZebnik, Raymond Singer, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer
Producer(s)
Pam Coats
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
17 wins & 21 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (80) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (68) | Rotten (12)
Only when local cultural traditions die can Disney sell its brand of glossy nostalgia…
June 16, 2022 | Rating: 1/4
Matt Roth
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Mulan is a well-animated tale that can still inspire.
March 30, 2020 | Rating: B+
Chris Stuckmann
ChrisStuckmann.com
TOP CRITIC
October 18, 2008 | Rating: 4/4
Susan Stark
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
Overall, this is a lovely film, ranking with the best of Disney’s animated features while taking on rather serious issues of war, honor, gender roles and family pride.
October 18, 2008
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
What’s terrific about Mulan is its reaching for emotions that other movies run from: family love and duty, personal honor and group commitment, obedience and ingenuity.
September 1, 2008
Richard Corliss
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Goes about halfway toward setting new boundaries for Disney’s, and the industry’s, animated features, but doesn’t go far enough.
September 1, 2008
Todd McCarthy
Variety
TOP CRITIC
What sets Mulan apart is that it is both one of the funniest and one of the darkest Disney films.
January 30, 2021 | Rating: 9/10
Nicole Ackman
Next Best Picture
…the show tunes and sidekicks are largely unnecessary.
March 27, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
Even though Mulan is a brave, strong hero, her motivation for entering the army has nothing to do with her own ambitions and everything to do with serving patriarchy (represented by her father and her emperor).
February 26, 2020
Kathi Maio
New Internationalist
The backdrops are also beautifully drawn with a watercolor flair. There are a lot of little touches like that which help it feel rich and textured.
May 7, 2019 | Rating: A
Rachel Wagner
rachelsreviews.net
Disney animation depends on captivating music, powerful villains, and effective comic relief, and Mulan has all three.
March 29, 2016 | Rating: A-
James Plath
Family Home Theater
What is chiefly impressive is that the appropriation of Chinese iconography in a film that was plainly made by Western animators feels ultimately so natural and successful.
December 3, 2009 | Rating: 7/10
Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy…
Plot
This retelling of the old Chinese folktale is about the story of a young Chinese maiden who learns that her weakened and lame father is to be called up into the army in order to fight the invading Huns. Knowing that he would never survive the rigours of war in his state, she decides to disguise herself and join in his place. Unknown to her, her ancestors are aware of this and to prevent it, they order a tiny disgraced dragon, Mushu to join her in order to force her to abandon her plan. He agrees, but when he meets Mulan, he learns that she cannot be dissuaded and so decides to help her in the perilous times ahead.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Mulan on Fresh Kernels.
Barry-Cook.jpg
