Mulan is without a doubt my favorite Walt Disney movie, and I cherish it as one of my favorite movies ever in general. With that said, it's pretty clear I had high hopes set for Mulan II, and even though I was certainly not expecting it to precede Mulan at all, I was hoping for it to have the same charm and enchantment as it did. Mulan II is an impressive achievement that definitely does justice to the first, and did justice to my expectations.What is really great about this film is it's overall sense and essence of fun that the first kind of kept mellow and shied away from. Don't <more> get me wrong, I thought Mulan was indeed perfect, but you can compare the two films and obviously see that Mulan II is meant to have more jubilance, and is meant to be more fun and joyful than the first. The film also has excellent songs that I can't help but get stuck in my head, like the " I Wanna Be Like Other Girls" bit that the thought of it is making me sing now, and the "Lesson Number One" sequence that I walk around chanting at random times now and then, haha. They are amazingly catchy and well done just like the songs in the first were.The best thing about this movie though is it's beauty. I think there were so many captivating scenes that were excellently displayed, though the animation was a bit choppy, and the message is just as pure as in the first one, though the first undeniably executes it better. The colors were effervescent, and managed to overthrow a lot of the second-rate animation faults, and one scene that sticks out in my mind is when Shang proposes, because the tree where Mulan and her dad had the most touching scene of the first Mulan film is colored and exhibited gorgeously.Some things that keep this from being better than it could be is the animation, like I've said, because even though there are beautiful scenes, the animation is quite childlike. Another thing is Shang's lack of personality about halfway through and how Mushu became so incredibly selfish that his character seemed out of place. They were basically like puppets to the creators instead of becoming actual characters themselves, unlike in the first where they had distinct traits and were likable for their definitive individuality, although Mushu does pull through at the end. The voiceovers didn't bother me as much as I thought they would, even though I wish some of the original people would've came back.In any matter, Mulan II is insane fun, incredibly entertaining, undeniably charming and beautifully crafted. The characters and animation are mediocre at times, but it never fails at keeping up with the spark that the first had. It's far, far better than the Aladdin sequels, and as a film itself it's well done and just overall an astonishing delight that I am glad I gave a chance. Don't let the "direct-to-video" fool you, because this should have been released in theatres to give more people a chance to see what an admirable sequel it is; job well done. <less> |