I watched Mulan II and i will have to say that it was abit disappointing. Mulan is back,and is engaged to be married to her fiancé,General Shang. When all of a sudden,they are given a mission to escort three Chinese princesses abroad. The music is great,but the animation was weak and at times went overboard with the details. The voice cast were'not as good as the first movie with Eddie Murphy out of the picture as Mushu and the other originals as well. But,i loved the music,the exceptional characters and how the story went. It wasn't as dramatic as the first but there was some parts that truly reminded me of the first. Overall,it's not a bad sequel...and i rate it a good ol' 6 out of 10.
96 Reviews
Entertaining, surprising, yet a little off
Lotus-514 February 2006
I didn't think Mulan II was awful and I certainly didn't hate it. I found the material to be pretty sophisticated for a Disney movie, particularly for a sequel. The relationship issues were were complex and thoughtful, and I agree with a previous comment that the movie does a good job of building and expanding on what we saw in the first movie. I enjoyed the addition of the the three daughters as characters as well and the return of Ling, Yao, and Chien Po. Overall I thought the movie was charming, entertaining, and it made me grin. There were also some very dramatic scenes in the movie that I thought were just outstanding and ground-breaking for a Disney animated feature.
Having said that, I also have to say that I was disappointed that the feel of the movie did not match the first. In fact it was completely different, and I found many of the characters to be extremely out of character, particularly Shang and Mulan. They just did not seem like themselves, based on our understanding of who they are from the original film. There are moments in which the way they react to events is completely over the top (for example, Shang's anger when he thinks Mulan is gossiping about him to the princesses). His facial expressions even become exaggerated in cartoon fashion. Basically, the movie did not have the serene, serious, yet beautiful feeling of the first. Instead it was like the movie was completely thrown to a group of writers and directors who were given semblances of who the characters are and then ran off with it. Shang, Mulan, and Ling acted so off sometimes that it seemed like their voice actors changed. I was surprised that B.D. Wong, Ming-Na, and Gedde Watanabe were still doing their parts, despite how familiar I am with their voices.
Mulan II is enjoyable, but it's nothing like the first. I think I could best describe it as watching a Mulan fan fiction come to life.... entertaining but with a few ummms in there.
Having said that, I also have to say that I was disappointed that the feel of the movie did not match the first. In fact it was completely different, and I found many of the characters to be extremely out of character, particularly Shang and Mulan. They just did not seem like themselves, based on our understanding of who they are from the original film. There are moments in which the way they react to events is completely over the top (for example, Shang's anger when he thinks Mulan is gossiping about him to the princesses). His facial expressions even become exaggerated in cartoon fashion. Basically, the movie did not have the serene, serious, yet beautiful feeling of the first. Instead it was like the movie was completely thrown to a group of writers and directors who were given semblances of who the characters are and then ran off with it. Shang, Mulan, and Ling acted so off sometimes that it seemed like their voice actors changed. I was surprised that B.D. Wong, Ming-Na, and Gedde Watanabe were still doing their parts, despite how familiar I am with their voices.
Mulan II is enjoyable, but it's nothing like the first. I think I could best describe it as watching a Mulan fan fiction come to life.... entertaining but with a few ummms in there.
This would be a good TV pilot but it makes a bland sequel
ggk-34-5468078 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
This movie dosen't work much a sequel to "Mulan" (which is one my favorite Disney movies).
While the first had an epic plot, this one is very simple - in fact it's almost a sitcom setup. We only get one bigger action scene in the third act and the rest of the movie is character developing their relations as they travel from point "A" to point "B". We get more Mulan/Shang relation, we get romance between three warriors and Emperors daughters (new character) and more Mushu/Mulan relations... In fact it's almost like a romantic comedy set in ancient China.
And I will be honest - if this was the pilot for "MULAN THE ANIMATION SERIES" (or "MULAN'S VALENTINE DAY SPECIAL") I would enjoy it.
True the animation is far from movie standards but it's still pretty darn good. All the characters relation stuff are sweet (especialy all the stuff between the warriors and the princesses) and interesting, few scenes made me laugh and I actually like the songs.
So yhe, this movie isn't how a sequel should be made but if you love those characters you may actually find this interesting and enjoyable.
The only thing I didn't like is the fact that they made the ancestor ghosts characters less sympathetic and Mulan doesn't get to shine like she did in the fist movie (the lack of the whole "pretend to be a boy" aspect was what made here fun was the best thing about her in the first movie and we don't get this at all in this one... they just talk abut it)
While the first had an epic plot, this one is very simple - in fact it's almost a sitcom setup. We only get one bigger action scene in the third act and the rest of the movie is character developing their relations as they travel from point "A" to point "B". We get more Mulan/Shang relation, we get romance between three warriors and Emperors daughters (new character) and more Mushu/Mulan relations... In fact it's almost like a romantic comedy set in ancient China.
And I will be honest - if this was the pilot for "MULAN THE ANIMATION SERIES" (or "MULAN'S VALENTINE DAY SPECIAL") I would enjoy it.
True the animation is far from movie standards but it's still pretty darn good. All the characters relation stuff are sweet (especialy all the stuff between the warriors and the princesses) and interesting, few scenes made me laugh and I actually like the songs.
So yhe, this movie isn't how a sequel should be made but if you love those characters you may actually find this interesting and enjoyable.
The only thing I didn't like is the fact that they made the ancestor ghosts characters less sympathetic and Mulan doesn't get to shine like she did in the fist movie (the lack of the whole "pretend to be a boy" aspect was what made here fun was the best thing about her in the first movie and we don't get this at all in this one... they just talk abut it)
One of the Worst Disney Sequels ever made
kiti221 February 2020
This was one of the Worst Disney Sequels of all time
Mushu goes from being a likable comic relief as he is in the first film to a despicable, self-centered jerk for no apparent reason other than to not lose his job. In fact, he's so despicable that he could very well be the film's metaphorical antagonist. In fact, the moment he succeeded in breaking up Mulan and Shang turned him into one of the most hated Disney characters of all-time.
Shang is also ludicrously cowardly in one scene: he runs away from four small animal critters - a squirrel, a skunk, a porcupine, and a mouse. Really? Skunks lives in America, not China
Some laughable lines due to the poor writing, like Mulan's "Duty to my heart" line.
While the animation looks pretty great compared to other direct-to-video Disney movies, the way the characters are animated is a huge contrast from the first film. In the original, the main characters move realistically and the comic relief characters move cartoon-ish. In this film, however, all the characters move like comic reliefs which are out of place compared to the first film. Facial expressions can be awkward at times. For example, when Shang says "And next time, don't leave your post!", his eyes shrink as if he just turned into a Moron. the Angry Face what Shang made when he tells mulan to don't leave her post is so over the top and it also made Tommy Wiseau's Yelling from The Room Movie sounded more Dignified.
While the first movie has more songs, this movie had only 3 songs while the new ones are not as good (except for "Lesson Number One").
The plot is nowhere near as exciting as the first movie. Speaking of the story, it completely abandons the main plot towards the end of the movie as it supposedly and accidentally dooms China by three days by the Emperor himself, without even acknowledging it. There are only two action scenes, and only one of them has a fight scene. In fact, what makes this even worse is that certain countries changed the title to Mulan II: The Final War, and we simply have to ask "what final war?", if not, This film should be called "Mulan II: the Death of China".
It is never explained who are the bandits (even its meant supposedly look like Mongolian spies, judging their clothing?) that attack are and are just there for a fight scene. Speaking of Which, the first mulan film had famous action scenes, here, the scene where Mulan and Shang are fighting off the Bandits is the only action scene in the movie
There's really no danger or main physical antagonist to the plot of the movie except for Mushu due to worrying he'll lose his job if Mulan gets married, and those probably Bandits/Mongolian spies(?) in the fighting scene as the only closet thing of antagonists.
Shang's fake-out death is a blatant rip-off of Cliffhanger.
The fact that the Mongols will slaughter millions of people if the arranged marriage doesn't go through is treated more like an afterthought and not a big deal.
Some moments are mean-spirited, like the punch-in-the-face cliché scene.
Anachronism: despite the film taking place a month after the first movie, somehow the Huns in this film become quickly the Mongolian Empire all within those 30-31 days, despite being eight-nine centuries apart in real-life as the first film is loosely take place in the final years of the Han-Xiongnu War.
This movie was an insult to the original Mulan
it's way Worse than Belle's Magical World
I'll just pray that the live-action remake will be so much better than this movie.
Mushu goes from being a likable comic relief as he is in the first film to a despicable, self-centered jerk for no apparent reason other than to not lose his job. In fact, he's so despicable that he could very well be the film's metaphorical antagonist. In fact, the moment he succeeded in breaking up Mulan and Shang turned him into one of the most hated Disney characters of all-time.
Shang is also ludicrously cowardly in one scene: he runs away from four small animal critters - a squirrel, a skunk, a porcupine, and a mouse. Really? Skunks lives in America, not China
Some laughable lines due to the poor writing, like Mulan's "Duty to my heart" line.
While the animation looks pretty great compared to other direct-to-video Disney movies, the way the characters are animated is a huge contrast from the first film. In the original, the main characters move realistically and the comic relief characters move cartoon-ish. In this film, however, all the characters move like comic reliefs which are out of place compared to the first film. Facial expressions can be awkward at times. For example, when Shang says "And next time, don't leave your post!", his eyes shrink as if he just turned into a Moron. the Angry Face what Shang made when he tells mulan to don't leave her post is so over the top and it also made Tommy Wiseau's Yelling from The Room Movie sounded more Dignified.
While the first movie has more songs, this movie had only 3 songs while the new ones are not as good (except for "Lesson Number One").
The plot is nowhere near as exciting as the first movie. Speaking of the story, it completely abandons the main plot towards the end of the movie as it supposedly and accidentally dooms China by three days by the Emperor himself, without even acknowledging it. There are only two action scenes, and only one of them has a fight scene. In fact, what makes this even worse is that certain countries changed the title to Mulan II: The Final War, and we simply have to ask "what final war?", if not, This film should be called "Mulan II: the Death of China".
It is never explained who are the bandits (even its meant supposedly look like Mongolian spies, judging their clothing?) that attack are and are just there for a fight scene. Speaking of Which, the first mulan film had famous action scenes, here, the scene where Mulan and Shang are fighting off the Bandits is the only action scene in the movie
There's really no danger or main physical antagonist to the plot of the movie except for Mushu due to worrying he'll lose his job if Mulan gets married, and those probably Bandits/Mongolian spies(?) in the fighting scene as the only closet thing of antagonists.
Shang's fake-out death is a blatant rip-off of Cliffhanger.
The fact that the Mongols will slaughter millions of people if the arranged marriage doesn't go through is treated more like an afterthought and not a big deal.
Some moments are mean-spirited, like the punch-in-the-face cliché scene.
Anachronism: despite the film taking place a month after the first movie, somehow the Huns in this film become quickly the Mongolian Empire all within those 30-31 days, despite being eight-nine centuries apart in real-life as the first film is loosely take place in the final years of the Han-Xiongnu War.
This movie was an insult to the original Mulan
it's way Worse than Belle's Magical World
I'll just pray that the live-action remake will be so much better than this movie.
My duty is to my heart, and my heart loved this movie
jmbwithcats8 November 2004
Mulan 2 picks up a month after part 1 closes, with Mulan and General Shang receiving special orders to escort 3 princesses to be wed and thus create a joined alliance that protects China.
Mulan, the hero of China, and General Shang's love is threatened when Mushu, Mulan's guardian immaturely tries to break them up to save his Guardianship pedestal. The story entreats us with a theme of following your heart, which the princesses find is to be like ordinary girls, and not lose their lives even if to save the kingdom.
I really enjoyed Mulan 1, the soundtrack is beautiful, and though I was worried Mulan 2 would not be as good a story, with close attention to detail due to a few changes to cast and so forth, I was pleasantly surprised. Mulan 2 treats us to a sequel that is both touching, fun, and endearing. I didn't find the soundtrack themes as good as part 1, but was enjoyable, and sequence music was fine as well. The animation is very good, and the story has good pacing, and care of plot. A movie to be enjoyed by parents and kids alike.
8/10
Mulan, the hero of China, and General Shang's love is threatened when Mushu, Mulan's guardian immaturely tries to break them up to save his Guardianship pedestal. The story entreats us with a theme of following your heart, which the princesses find is to be like ordinary girls, and not lose their lives even if to save the kingdom.
I really enjoyed Mulan 1, the soundtrack is beautiful, and though I was worried Mulan 2 would not be as good a story, with close attention to detail due to a few changes to cast and so forth, I was pleasantly surprised. Mulan 2 treats us to a sequel that is both touching, fun, and endearing. I didn't find the soundtrack themes as good as part 1, but was enjoyable, and sequence music was fine as well. The animation is very good, and the story has good pacing, and care of plot. A movie to be enjoyed by parents and kids alike.
8/10
Mulan II - cheapens Mulan (the original)
coelho-ramona29 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
I really enjoyed Mulan (the first movie). I went to buy a copy for my little girl recently and found that it was cheaper to buy it WITH Mulan II rather than on its own...so I purchased both together. Mulan II was extremely disappointing. The storyline itself is extremely dark. In Mulan (the original), she runs off to protect her family and father from having to go to war. So, she broke the cultural norms of her day for a virtuous reason. She sacrificed herself and was willing to face the consequences. In Mulan II, the emperor's daughters have sworn (freely) to marry the neighborings kingdom's princes in order to avoid war. Mulan finds this very difficult to accept because she can not understand how this can be a free choice. In the end, the princesses run off with their guards (for true love..they like the same food, they like each other's eyes...really deep stuff). The plot seems to teach kids that following your own wants over the needs of others is fine and lying and manipulating to get there are okay too. Needless to say, I cut up my copy (could not even give it to Salvation Army) Selling Mulan and Mulan II for less than Mulan alone makes perfect sense. Mulan II cheapens the original Mulan. Shame on Disney.
Good for kids; also Good for a Disney Direct to DVD Sequel
Caesarboy522 July 2013
Let's get something out of the way... Mulan II is nothing compared to the original. But then again, what Disney direct to DVD sequel is? If you look at this movie for what it really is, you'll notice that it's actually pretty good. Keep in mind it's nothing extraordinary and you can skip this film with a clear conscience, but if you happen to get to watching it for whatever reason you'll probably find the film entertaining and definitely watchable.
The big difference between the first film and this one lies in the direction the development team went for: the original was an ambitious epic about a complex moral dilemma, while the sequel touches on simple black and white issues. Keep in mind that simplicity isn't necessarily a bad thing when done right.
But does simplicity hurt the film? Well, the dialogue is far from witty, the plot is super generic, the character development is a checklist, etc... Yet, does a child care about any of this? After all, direct to DVD sequels are aimed solely at children because a parent doesn't need to be present. No. The simplicity only makes the film more accessible to a younger audience. After all, bite sized lessons and issues are a lot more easy to swallow for a five year old.
To the film's credit, it also gets the essentials right. The plot makes sense, characters are developed, the songs are decent, the pacing works, and most importantly most of the voice cast returns so everything feels right.
Now of course, the film isn't without it's flaws. The biggest issue is this film features way less action than it's predecessor and way less Mulan (she practically disappears in the middle of the film). Mulan's bickering with Shang is also very badly written. Yet, minor complaints.
Overall a decent film. 7/10. It's not a must see and can be left to the children, but if you happen to end up watching the film for whatever reason AND you lower your expectations, you might enjoy it. Well, as long as you're not expecting it to compare to the first one.
The big difference between the first film and this one lies in the direction the development team went for: the original was an ambitious epic about a complex moral dilemma, while the sequel touches on simple black and white issues. Keep in mind that simplicity isn't necessarily a bad thing when done right.
But does simplicity hurt the film? Well, the dialogue is far from witty, the plot is super generic, the character development is a checklist, etc... Yet, does a child care about any of this? After all, direct to DVD sequels are aimed solely at children because a parent doesn't need to be present. No. The simplicity only makes the film more accessible to a younger audience. After all, bite sized lessons and issues are a lot more easy to swallow for a five year old.
To the film's credit, it also gets the essentials right. The plot makes sense, characters are developed, the songs are decent, the pacing works, and most importantly most of the voice cast returns so everything feels right.
Now of course, the film isn't without it's flaws. The biggest issue is this film features way less action than it's predecessor and way less Mulan (she practically disappears in the middle of the film). Mulan's bickering with Shang is also very badly written. Yet, minor complaints.
Overall a decent film. 7/10. It's not a must see and can be left to the children, but if you happen to end up watching the film for whatever reason AND you lower your expectations, you might enjoy it. Well, as long as you're not expecting it to compare to the first one.
The best scene in the whole film was actually cut out.
cerri_white_sama6 September 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Alright, I saw this ages ago, and the only parts I can stomach at all are the first song (not the best I've heard from Disney, but for me, the best in a sequel they produced direct to DVD that wasn't from Aladdin) and an opening scene that was completely cut. These two things and the fact that Ming Na actually came back for the role of voicing Mulan are completely overcast by the many issues held in this film.
First, I have to say that, aside from the Aladdin sequels (which need to be watched with the TV series as well as the main film to really be appreciated), none of the direct to home entertainment sequels produced by Disney have satisfied truly. So, frankly said, it's not as bad as it could have been, if we were to compare it to other non-theatrical sequels from Disney, if you enjoy them. It's not much to go by, though, in my opinion.
Second, I have to state that a lot of these opinions are formed based on my being a feminist and an Asian-American. The first Mulan was refreshing, since it had clear feminist themes and a vastly understated romantic connect without having to re-imagine the characters from the original material, as Disney has done prior in the '90s. On top of that, the original feature film was actually a fair treatment of Chinese culture, or at least as you'd get from Disney. Yes, the exaggeration of the importance of honor was very much a western viewing of Asian culture that has tired itself out, but all things considered, it was a nice enough representation of Chinese culture to not out right offend. The serious action in the film and the comedic but helpful sidekick of Mushu was also a nice icing to the cake.
In Mulan II, Disney completely disregards all of the things that made Mulan appealing.
To start, a lot of the film feels more like it's about Mushu (who is utterly selfish and unlikable here), Mulan's three war buddies--Ling, Yao and Chien Po--and the three princesses they fall in love with. I honestly couldn't be bothered to care for Mulan and Shang past the first ten minutes and forgot that she's the central character until towards the end. The only good thing in this is that the two trios are endearing, if show-stealers, but not by much.
The next point is that, where the first film simply exaggerates certain Chinese values, the sequel completely disregards them in favor of modern western ideals. The main theme in the first is duty to one's family and nation and the need to find your place in society while also being yourself. The sequel disregards duty in favor of personal desire. This is where Disney throws Chinese values out the window for their ideals of true (but shallow and unrealistic) love. The duty that was key is ignored for love matches, disregarding that the arranged marriage will secure national safety. Forget Asian values; I can't even imagine a soldier that has risked life and reputation for her country would disregard that on a basis of "my duty is to my heart". Nor would three princesses that agreed with their father's request, having likely be reared with the understanding that their position is because of their responsibility to their country. Anyhow, the short version of this point that got away from me is that the sequel disregards a valuable and universal idea of duty in favor of an unnecessary ideal of romance that's overly stressed on girls as is, thus taking away from a good thing and offering less.
The final thing that makes this irksome is the offensive stereotyping this movie contains. Mulan I was actually researched to an extent and the worst of it was the exaggeration of honor and the treatment of women (which was more a dramatic device). While not deeply accurate, there is the illustration that much of the spiritual veneration in medieval China was ancestral, with totem-like guardians being much more secondary and more a device to bring in Mushu. Then, in the sequel, we get the "Great Golden Dragon of Unity". The first mention of this Dragon of Unity had me honestly asking, "What the hell is this, Disney?" aloud while watching Mulan II. It's such a blatantly stereotypical fabrication on Disney's part that I wouldn't be surprised to see it in Vegas as a tourist trap in some Chinese-themed casino and drive-thru chapel. The fabrication of the nation "Qui Gong" (again, a verbal comment was made at this mention, along the lines of, "The country of Energy Flow? Said incorrectly?") is also eye-roll worthy, as well as several other Chinese-stereotyping features throughout the film.
These are the kind of stereotypes that are actually limiting what Asian entertainers can get jobs portraying in major western entertainment, and I can only picture the cast cringing internally at they things they had to say and see after getting to do the first film. I feel especially bad for Gedde Watanabe, since he's basically back to being in a film with the same stereotypes he had to do in Sixteen Candles twenty-one years before.
At least he's not named for a duck's donger in this one...
Honestly, my only advice is to borrow it from your local library if you seriously want to subject your kids or yourself to this, and if you had as bad a taste in your mouth as I did after credits roll, watch the deleted opening scene. Five minutes of cut footage gave me all of what I enjoyed in Mulan; scenery, action, and nice dialog between Mulan and Shang that only is outright romantic at the end. It only made it to pencils and storyboards with voice overs, but it's the best the movie has to offer.
First, I have to say that, aside from the Aladdin sequels (which need to be watched with the TV series as well as the main film to really be appreciated), none of the direct to home entertainment sequels produced by Disney have satisfied truly. So, frankly said, it's not as bad as it could have been, if we were to compare it to other non-theatrical sequels from Disney, if you enjoy them. It's not much to go by, though, in my opinion.
Second, I have to state that a lot of these opinions are formed based on my being a feminist and an Asian-American. The first Mulan was refreshing, since it had clear feminist themes and a vastly understated romantic connect without having to re-imagine the characters from the original material, as Disney has done prior in the '90s. On top of that, the original feature film was actually a fair treatment of Chinese culture, or at least as you'd get from Disney. Yes, the exaggeration of the importance of honor was very much a western viewing of Asian culture that has tired itself out, but all things considered, it was a nice enough representation of Chinese culture to not out right offend. The serious action in the film and the comedic but helpful sidekick of Mushu was also a nice icing to the cake.
In Mulan II, Disney completely disregards all of the things that made Mulan appealing.
To start, a lot of the film feels more like it's about Mushu (who is utterly selfish and unlikable here), Mulan's three war buddies--Ling, Yao and Chien Po--and the three princesses they fall in love with. I honestly couldn't be bothered to care for Mulan and Shang past the first ten minutes and forgot that she's the central character until towards the end. The only good thing in this is that the two trios are endearing, if show-stealers, but not by much.
The next point is that, where the first film simply exaggerates certain Chinese values, the sequel completely disregards them in favor of modern western ideals. The main theme in the first is duty to one's family and nation and the need to find your place in society while also being yourself. The sequel disregards duty in favor of personal desire. This is where Disney throws Chinese values out the window for their ideals of true (but shallow and unrealistic) love. The duty that was key is ignored for love matches, disregarding that the arranged marriage will secure national safety. Forget Asian values; I can't even imagine a soldier that has risked life and reputation for her country would disregard that on a basis of "my duty is to my heart". Nor would three princesses that agreed with their father's request, having likely be reared with the understanding that their position is because of their responsibility to their country. Anyhow, the short version of this point that got away from me is that the sequel disregards a valuable and universal idea of duty in favor of an unnecessary ideal of romance that's overly stressed on girls as is, thus taking away from a good thing and offering less.
The final thing that makes this irksome is the offensive stereotyping this movie contains. Mulan I was actually researched to an extent and the worst of it was the exaggeration of honor and the treatment of women (which was more a dramatic device). While not deeply accurate, there is the illustration that much of the spiritual veneration in medieval China was ancestral, with totem-like guardians being much more secondary and more a device to bring in Mushu. Then, in the sequel, we get the "Great Golden Dragon of Unity". The first mention of this Dragon of Unity had me honestly asking, "What the hell is this, Disney?" aloud while watching Mulan II. It's such a blatantly stereotypical fabrication on Disney's part that I wouldn't be surprised to see it in Vegas as a tourist trap in some Chinese-themed casino and drive-thru chapel. The fabrication of the nation "Qui Gong" (again, a verbal comment was made at this mention, along the lines of, "The country of Energy Flow? Said incorrectly?") is also eye-roll worthy, as well as several other Chinese-stereotyping features throughout the film.
These are the kind of stereotypes that are actually limiting what Asian entertainers can get jobs portraying in major western entertainment, and I can only picture the cast cringing internally at they things they had to say and see after getting to do the first film. I feel especially bad for Gedde Watanabe, since he's basically back to being in a film with the same stereotypes he had to do in Sixteen Candles twenty-one years before.
At least he's not named for a duck's donger in this one...
Honestly, my only advice is to borrow it from your local library if you seriously want to subject your kids or yourself to this, and if you had as bad a taste in your mouth as I did after credits roll, watch the deleted opening scene. Five minutes of cut footage gave me all of what I enjoyed in Mulan; scenery, action, and nice dialog between Mulan and Shang that only is outright romantic at the end. It only made it to pencils and storyboards with voice overs, but it's the best the movie has to offer.
A little exploitation is good business, but not necessary good watching
refresh_daemon3 February 2007
Disney is one of the kings of exploitation. For every successful (and unsuccessful) franchise film, there comes tons of merchandising, original soundtracks and sing-alongs and *shudder* direct-to-video sequels. Yes, these sequels go direct-to-video because we all know that they're going to be pretty bad, but parents are always looking for cheap ways to entertain their children (telling folk tales doesn't work anymore since no one knows them--another topic that's ripe for academic study, if it hasn't already been pursued) and so Disney somehow manages, by keeping their costs low and targeting their niche market, to keep churning out endless sequels of their hit films.
Mulan has a baby. It goes by the clever name Mulan II. This film, which amazingly contains the voice talent of Ming-Na (in terms of returning talent, that's all you get--ER apparently doesn't cover the bills), contains a cheesy uninspiring message of following your heart. (Even over duty! Oh wait, in the wonderful world of Disney, somehow duty gets accomplished incidentally to following your heart. I like the scary Brothers Grimm better, thank you very much.) Fa Mulan and her general friend/lover/dude are getting married. Stuff happens. More stuff happens. Who cares? Oh yeah, the film is a musical too. Do I remember the songs? Nope. Am I glad that I don't remember them? Yep. The animation was unimpressive, the story was unimpressive, the acting was unimpressive, the exploitation of other cultures by Disney in attempt to capture the almighty dollar? Impressive. It appears as though Disney doesn't really care all that much about their source material as a whole. Chinese history and culture is only so important as it helps Disney make Mulan and its direct-to-video heir to sell to the masses.
So what does this film have going for it? It's not as painful as Little Black Book. But it's close. I watched it on the bus and despite the fact that I wasn't sleepy, I had to the urge to fall asleep just so I could avoid it. If it were night, I would have. I think you can manage to distract kids with this mumbo-jumbo, but honestly, there are far better ways of entertaining your children. 4/10.
Mulan has a baby. It goes by the clever name Mulan II. This film, which amazingly contains the voice talent of Ming-Na (in terms of returning talent, that's all you get--ER apparently doesn't cover the bills), contains a cheesy uninspiring message of following your heart. (Even over duty! Oh wait, in the wonderful world of Disney, somehow duty gets accomplished incidentally to following your heart. I like the scary Brothers Grimm better, thank you very much.) Fa Mulan and her general friend/lover/dude are getting married. Stuff happens. More stuff happens. Who cares? Oh yeah, the film is a musical too. Do I remember the songs? Nope. Am I glad that I don't remember them? Yep. The animation was unimpressive, the story was unimpressive, the acting was unimpressive, the exploitation of other cultures by Disney in attempt to capture the almighty dollar? Impressive. It appears as though Disney doesn't really care all that much about their source material as a whole. Chinese history and culture is only so important as it helps Disney make Mulan and its direct-to-video heir to sell to the masses.
So what does this film have going for it? It's not as painful as Little Black Book. But it's close. I watched it on the bus and despite the fact that I wasn't sleepy, I had to the urge to fall asleep just so I could avoid it. If it were night, I would have. I think you can manage to distract kids with this mumbo-jumbo, but honestly, there are far better ways of entertaining your children. 4/10.
Underrated Cheesy flick!
george_bidwell30 March 2013
Mulan was personally one of my all time favourite Disney movies and movies in general and so when the moment i saw this movie around I was puzzled as to why I have not heard of it, then I realized ... It was direct to DVD. I gave this movie a chance though despite my opinion on some of the other Disney straight to video sequels and boy am I glad I did as this movie is a ball to watch. The movie's plot is simple but perfectly functioning it is the story about Shang and Mulan being engaged to marry but before the wedding having to transport three princesses to another country for an arranged marriage that will end the war, all the time Mushu trying to destroy Mulan's wedding and the three princesses falling in love with three warriors from the first film. The movies scenery and animation are ace almost living up to the ridiculously high bar of the first. Now while the characters are flat and generic, with only the characters from the first standing out, they are funny and provide some cool character arcs. The direction lends this picture an amazing sense of pace despite the movie curiously lacking laid out acts. It makes for some funny jokes cute animation and fast paced even with a generic and schmaltzy plot. So overall a fun movie worth checking out in hd!
Mulan 2 is like a bull in a china shop. It create a mess.
ironhorse_iv9 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
For the longest time, Disney had produce some of the worst direct to video sequels to their classic hand-drawn films, I have ever. Thank God that it is starting to die-down, due to the company new direction of remaking the classic animation movies into live-action films, instead. Because of that, we might one day, relive the adventures of Fa Mulan in the big screen, in an action packed war movie remake, rather than watching this crappy, 2005 direct-to video sequel to the 1998's film of the same name. Don't get me wrong, I really wanted to like this film directed by Darnell Rooney and Lynne Southerland. I really did. The original film is a near-masterpiece- great songs, beautiful animation, and epic action, with a heroine that young women can look up to. So, I was hoping this movie could been, just as good. However, it wasn't. I will tell you, why. For starters, I really didn't like how the film delivered on, the story of Mulan (Voiced once again by Ming-Na Wen), being sent on a special mission: escorting the Emperor's three daughters, Princess Mei (Voiced by Lucy Liu), Princess Ting-Ting (Voiced by Sandra Oh) & Princess Su (Voiced by Lauren Tom) across the country to a neighboring kingdom for an arranged marriage there in order to cement an alliance against the Mongols with the help from her fiancé, General Li Shang (Voiced once again by BD Wong) and his crew of misfits: Yao, Ling and Chien-Po (Voiced once again by Harvey Fierstein, Gedde Watanabe, and Jerry Tondo). I get that the sequel is trying to attempt to retain some of the woman empowerment feeling that made the first movie, so likable, but, the film went for it, the wrong way. For starters, I found Mulan's choice of believing the princesses should marry whom they wish, no matter how much danger it means for the entire nation of China, very odd. I get that, being forced to marry somebody else is wrong, but she doesn't know, that the marriage between the princesses and the princes would be loveless. Maybe, they will fall in love, with each other. Really, what right, does she has to play matchmaker. If anything, the princesses should be the ones to make the decision, marry or not to marry. In short, she risk the lives of her people on a hunch that the princesses would be unhappy. Doesn't Mulan see that royal intermarriage do serve to initiate, reinforce or guarantee peace between nations, during a time of a serious threat to their well-beings. I don't mind, that she question it, but sabotage the mission, before understanding, what's in stalk, felt a bit misguided, self-centered and acting on emotions. The morals of her story are directly at odds against the message of the original. At least, she tries to make it up, toward the end, by sacrificing her love-life for the duty of her nation, even if it doesn't make any sense, seeing that she isn't from any royal bloodline. Without spoiling the movie's ending, too much, I have to say, it's really bad. It turns into yet, another cheesy romantic clichés wedding interruption, with a guy coming up to confess his love to a woman, who is marrying somebody else. It's follow up by something really, really dumb with the main characters playing against the dumb-minded town folks with their spiritualism beliefs. It's really awful! Another problem with the film is the fact that the film never addressed what happen to the alliance after the fact that the wedding was ruin. For all, I know is that there was no treaty and China was invade by the Mongols. To make it, any worse, the writers turn the lovable, comedic, guardian dragon, Mushu (Voiced by now, Mark Moseley, replacing previous actor, Eddie Murphy) into a unforgivably evil jerk, who nearly kills Fa Mulan, throughout the film, because the fact that if Mulan and Li Shang get married. He will be, out of a job. I don't think, these Disney writers, even research Chinese culture, when, making this movie, because they would know, that the Tianlong AKA 'heavenly dragons" and Nāgas AKA 'heavenly dragons gods' still guard the afterlife and the life, regardless if marriage happens. Plus, dragons are used a symbol to represent good luck and harmony, not bad omens and foolish selfish actions. Not only that, but its sloppy research; seeing how dragons also represent imperial power, hints unity. So, why is Mushu trying to break up the alliance between the nations, just as much as Mulan!? Oddly, the discomfort doesn't end there. The voice acting from Moseley is just as bad. There are so many cringe-inducing "black" catchphrases and slang, by Moseley, a white actor that I wanted to turn it off. Even, the original, Mushu's voice, sound out of place. I never truly, understood, why a black man was voicing an Asian character in the first place. Regardless, it's offensive. Despite that, everybody else was alright in the voice acting. The singing was not that, bad. However, none of the new songs were that memorable. The animation, while smooth and colorful, also kind of looks out of place, because how cartoony, the range of emotion were. The expression of Li Shang is a great example. This film animation by the DisneyToon Studios felt a little too goofy, so I couldn't take, anything in the movie, really serious. Overall: I really don't like this film, at all! There were plans for a Mulan III, but thank God, they were cancelled by John Lasseter, when this movie fail to make bank. In the end, take my advice and watch the original movie, any day over this crap. It will save you, the headache and the pain. Plus, the embarrassment of owning, such garbage.
Deeper relationships
Aeris_forever10 August 2005
I've always been a big fan of the first Mulan movie and when I heard about a sequel of course I started waiting for it impatiently. I bought the movie box which included both Mulan movies and when I saw the sequel for the first time I didn't like it that much but it was OK. I would say it's a movie which must be watched two times. I just watched it again and thought it was great this time! I noticed more things which I didn't notice first time. It included everything that was missing in the first movie for example love between Shang and Mulan :) Of course the original is always better but I'm delighted that Disney has made a good sequel. I don't see why they couldn't make some TV series or third movie :)
8/10
8/10
Partly Good.
fastandfuriostmp26 March 2022
When the story doesn't focus on Mushu trying to sabotage the love between Mulan and Shang in order to keep his status, it's good.
The love story between the three princesses, Yao, Ling, Chien Po is the best part of the movie for me and what brings me back to the film every once in a blue moon. The "Like Other Girls" song is such a classic to me, but maybe it's because I grew up with it.
As far as sequels go, no, Mulan 2 isn't up to par with the first movie, but it's a decent sequel among the many terrible ones they've created.
The love story between the three princesses, Yao, Ling, Chien Po is the best part of the movie for me and what brings me back to the film every once in a blue moon. The "Like Other Girls" song is such a classic to me, but maybe it's because I grew up with it.
As far as sequels go, no, Mulan 2 isn't up to par with the first movie, but it's a decent sequel among the many terrible ones they've created.
Beautiful animation and flawless voice work suffered from it's predictable story and uninspired message
gavin-thelordofthefu-48-46029718 February 2012
Mulan was one of Disney's greatest films ever made with beautiful animation, excellent voice acting, intense action, and an entertaining story. So, when some of the Disney sequels came out at the time (Return of Jafar, Cinderella II, and Hunchback of Notre Dame II), I waited so desperately to see a sequel that would capture the magic of the original.
Sadly, my expectations were quite low when after the first 10-15 minutes of this film since it failed to be the same positive levels that made the original such a masterpiece and the characteristic was one of the few main problems of this sequel. I'll show you by contrasting the characteristic of the original and this sequel.
In the original, Mulan was a conflicted woman who was doing what is right for his family by protecting his father from getting himself killed. In this sequel, Mulan's personality is to now be a staunch feminist as she and Shang try to love each other. In the original, Mushu was a well-intentioned but slightly misguided sidekick who gave me some laughs with his comedic moments throughout the film. In this sequel, he's a selfish villain who attempts to break up the relationship between Mulan and Shang. In the original, Mulan's army buddies were hilarious and were quite enjoyable characters. In this sequel, they are now being one-dimensional characters repeating the same characteristic over and over again.
With the characteristic out of the way, there are a few good things about this movie. The voice acting is very terrific and did their best with the material they've been given and the animation, while below the original's standards, is obviously quite good and is the best animation I've seen in a Disney direct-to-video sequel this far.
Sadly, those two positive aspects got suffered by it's predictable story (with some overused clichés from other new direct-to-video sequels) and it's uninspiring message about "Following your heart" which makes it a little less entertaining for children and their adults.
Although, not a horrible sequel (unlike Cinderella 2, which was by far the worst direct-to-video sequel I have ever seen), Mulan II lacks the heart of the original and has a uninspiring message that just doesn't measure up. I'm sure the kids will enjoy it, but in terms of direct-to-video sequels, the adults might have a hard time remembering this.
Rating: 5.6/10
Sadly, my expectations were quite low when after the first 10-15 minutes of this film since it failed to be the same positive levels that made the original such a masterpiece and the characteristic was one of the few main problems of this sequel. I'll show you by contrasting the characteristic of the original and this sequel.
In the original, Mulan was a conflicted woman who was doing what is right for his family by protecting his father from getting himself killed. In this sequel, Mulan's personality is to now be a staunch feminist as she and Shang try to love each other. In the original, Mushu was a well-intentioned but slightly misguided sidekick who gave me some laughs with his comedic moments throughout the film. In this sequel, he's a selfish villain who attempts to break up the relationship between Mulan and Shang. In the original, Mulan's army buddies were hilarious and were quite enjoyable characters. In this sequel, they are now being one-dimensional characters repeating the same characteristic over and over again.
With the characteristic out of the way, there are a few good things about this movie. The voice acting is very terrific and did their best with the material they've been given and the animation, while below the original's standards, is obviously quite good and is the best animation I've seen in a Disney direct-to-video sequel this far.
Sadly, those two positive aspects got suffered by it's predictable story (with some overused clichés from other new direct-to-video sequels) and it's uninspiring message about "Following your heart" which makes it a little less entertaining for children and their adults.
Although, not a horrible sequel (unlike Cinderella 2, which was by far the worst direct-to-video sequel I have ever seen), Mulan II lacks the heart of the original and has a uninspiring message that just doesn't measure up. I'm sure the kids will enjoy it, but in terms of direct-to-video sequels, the adults might have a hard time remembering this.
Rating: 5.6/10
No No No this cannot happen
jingtuzi3331 April 2020
Mulan was a movie based on a chinese yuefu poem, a girl joined army instead of her old father, to do what? Protect the country. Now Mulan2 is ruining the country by ruining the arranged marriage between the allies? That cannot happen in ancient country, it is controversy to ancient Chinese loyalty to country.
It is based on ... Disney imagination and American freedom spirit?
great sequel wonderful
stacilx24 November 2004
this was a fab movie a great carry on and if anyone thinks other wise they're mad. the true mushu was revealed and we saw a new side to chien po, ling and yao, plus the princesses ting ting, may and su are a great addition i can't wait to see if a third one is planned. it had me hooked when watching it the beautiful scenery the story of ying and yang combined the whole thing. it is a must buy a fab movie for both adults and children it shows china in a new light plus the costumes just keep getting better and better great emotion and reality it is funnier some great jokes from ling and ting ting you just can't miss this fab movie it's great i love it.
It was... decent
TheLittleSongbird5 October 2009
Mulan 2 was a decent sequel. Of course it isn't as good as the wonderful original, which is one of the better Disney movies of the 90s. As far as this sequel goes it isn't as good as Aladdin and the King of Thieves, Simbas's Pride and Beauty and the Beast:The Enchanted Christmas, but I do think it is an improvement over Cinderella 2 and Jungle Book 2. The animation wasn't so bad, it was nice and colourful, but nothing too fancy. The avalanche scene in the original made my jaw drop by the way. The songs and music are fairly decent and memorable on the most part, my favourite is "I want to be like other girls" but Jerry Goldsmith, who is my favourite film composer, is missed. The music he did for the original is beautiful, and I don't think is appreciated as much as it should be. I liked the three princess characters as well. And the voice acting on the whole was very good; Ming Na is a spirited Mulan and Pat Morita has little to do, but is fine as the emperor. However, I did miss Eddie Murphy, Mark Moseley did his very best, but Mushu isn't as funny as he was in the first movie, in fact he is annoying and unlikeable often. The story was clumsily handled at times as it seemed to focus on Mulan and Shang's petty arguments than upholding the country honour. And the film was devoid of humour, with the exception of Ling's very lame jokes. And I don't know why Shang is such a jerk in this movie, he isn't really the handsome and brave Shang I came to admire. On the whole, decent, but don't expect the original. 6/10 Bethany Cox
inferior product
SnoopyStyle29 April 2018
General Li Shang proposes marriage and Mulan happily accepts. Mushu is overjoyed until the ancestors tell him that he gets the pink slip after the marriage. Fearing losing his elevated status, he works to reverse the proposal. The Emperor calls upon General Shang to escort three princesses in an arranged marriage to the kingdom of Qui Gong as peace offerings. Instead of an army, Shang has Mulan and his Gang of Three. The princesses find themselves falling for the three warriors.
The original is a tale of female empowerment. This one is a tale of love marriage. It's a more difficult idea for a modern children's movie because the idea is well into the past. It's something that is taken for granted and the movie feels falling backwards. On top of that, Mushu's betrayal taints the first movie and Eddie Murphy is not even here. There is a doppleganger voice but the difference is noticeable. This straight to DVD movie is an inferior product and that's not unexpected. This didn't have a chance from its initial concept.
The original is a tale of female empowerment. This one is a tale of love marriage. It's a more difficult idea for a modern children's movie because the idea is well into the past. It's something that is taken for granted and the movie feels falling backwards. On top of that, Mushu's betrayal taints the first movie and Eddie Murphy is not even here. There is a doppleganger voice but the difference is noticeable. This straight to DVD movie is an inferior product and that's not unexpected. This didn't have a chance from its initial concept.
The Message Here Troubled Me
sddavis631 February 2008
For the most part, what I would say about this movie is that what Disney usually does well, Disney does well again with this. The animation is fantastic, the characters are fun (especially Mushu) and the story is interesting enough to keep an adult watching all the way through. There were, however, a few weaknesses here that I wouldn't usually associate with Disney.
The first wasn't really Disney's fault - it was mine. Having not seen the first Mulan this was difficult to get started with because it's clear that the characters have a history that you're not aware of if you haven't seen the first movie. But there are a couple of more problematic things. First was the music. I didn't think the music was Disney-calibre. It was fun while the movie was on, but within an hour I don't think I would have remembered any of the songs or even been able to hum any of the tunes. None of them were particularly memorable. People who come from non-Western cultures where arranged marriages are still quite acceptable may find the movie's very blatant anti-arranged marriage message offensive (it didn't really bother me but I thought of it) and - most problematic to me - was the value system the movie promoted.
At first, the movie seemed to present an ethical dilemma. Duty or heart? Do I do what I have to do for my country or do I just follow my heart? That's an interesting dilemma. The problem was that it was answered by Mulan pretty quickly. She decided that "my duty is my heart" and that becomes the main message of the movie. It seems to me that "my duty is my heart" can be too easily understood as "my duty is to me." So - I have no responsibility to anyone or anything except to pursue what I want? That didn't strike me as a message I want to send to children.
So, there's a lot of good stuff with this movie, but my gut reaction to the message makes me give this only a 6/10.
The first wasn't really Disney's fault - it was mine. Having not seen the first Mulan this was difficult to get started with because it's clear that the characters have a history that you're not aware of if you haven't seen the first movie. But there are a couple of more problematic things. First was the music. I didn't think the music was Disney-calibre. It was fun while the movie was on, but within an hour I don't think I would have remembered any of the songs or even been able to hum any of the tunes. None of them were particularly memorable. People who come from non-Western cultures where arranged marriages are still quite acceptable may find the movie's very blatant anti-arranged marriage message offensive (it didn't really bother me but I thought of it) and - most problematic to me - was the value system the movie promoted.
At first, the movie seemed to present an ethical dilemma. Duty or heart? Do I do what I have to do for my country or do I just follow my heart? That's an interesting dilemma. The problem was that it was answered by Mulan pretty quickly. She decided that "my duty is my heart" and that becomes the main message of the movie. It seems to me that "my duty is my heart" can be too easily understood as "my duty is to me." So - I have no responsibility to anyone or anything except to pursue what I want? That didn't strike me as a message I want to send to children.
So, there's a lot of good stuff with this movie, but my gut reaction to the message makes me give this only a 6/10.
Terrible
musicaloddball25 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Mulan II was terrible because of the ending. What happened to saving China? That was half of the plot and it wasn't even addressed at the end!! What if Peter Jackson just decided to do away with Frodo and Sam in the Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King, after they had been in the first two? Even if you don't like that movie, it's obvious that LOTR fans wouldn't be LOTR fans anymore. There wouldn't be LOTR fans. That's exactly what the director of this movie did. Mulan and Shang got married. That's absolutely wonderful. But the director just completely forgot about saving China? That's totally absurd!! It also seems that Mulan, Shang, the princesses, and those three other guys in their mad love also forgot about saving China. That's not exactly what heroes and heroines do. The rest of the movie was amazingly wonderful, but in my opinion a good movie with a horrible ending that leaves you wondering is a bad movie.
Still better than a number of other Disney animated sequels
r96sk2 July 2020
An alright sequel.
It's a more watered down story regarding Ming-Na Wen's character, with more focus put on lovey-dovey stuff as opposed to a fight of some kind. Therefore, things are naturally less enjoyable than in the original film. To me, everything's just a little slow and predictable so I can't rate it higher.
Away from Wen, the supporting cast is weaker with the absence of Eddie Murphy as Mushu. Mark Moseley actually comes in with an OK performance, yet it's not a jot on Murphy's. There are some notable newcomers though, with Lucy Liu (Mei) and Sandra Oh (Ting-Ting) appearing.
The music is average, as is the animation. It's simply a weaker production all in all, as you would probably predict. 'Mulan II' is, at least, still better than a number of other Disney animated sequels; e.g. 'Cinderella II: Dreams Come True' or 'Belle's Magical World', among others.
It's a more watered down story regarding Ming-Na Wen's character, with more focus put on lovey-dovey stuff as opposed to a fight of some kind. Therefore, things are naturally less enjoyable than in the original film. To me, everything's just a little slow and predictable so I can't rate it higher.
Away from Wen, the supporting cast is weaker with the absence of Eddie Murphy as Mushu. Mark Moseley actually comes in with an OK performance, yet it's not a jot on Murphy's. There are some notable newcomers though, with Lucy Liu (Mei) and Sandra Oh (Ting-Ting) appearing.
The music is average, as is the animation. It's simply a weaker production all in all, as you would probably predict. 'Mulan II' is, at least, still better than a number of other Disney animated sequels; e.g. 'Cinderella II: Dreams Come True' or 'Belle's Magical World', among others.
What the hell did I just watch?
jabarker811 March 2018
Mulan was fine where it left off. But, what did Disney do? "Let's make a sequel!" I saw this the first time when I wasn't so brutal on film, and I thought it was, "Eh." But, I watched it again. Oh, it got under my skin! I got completely sucked into a black hole-like state of mind, losing all form of reality I had in the first place. I kind of started yelling at the screen whenever a stupid-ass decision was made by one of the characters. I do hate it, but not as much as The Fox and the Hound 2.
not good as the the first one, but still great!
triplexcutie1911 January 2005
i think this movie was great, but i really like the first one more. i suppose its because the first had more action, humor and better songs. However, the second one was pretty good. it shows us the personality of the characters and it was such a sweet movie. Its says u should follow and trust your heart. Someone had wrote that this is a lame movie and they only quickly made it because they wanted more money- i don't believe this is true. the animators did an excellent job and i was glad they made a second movie. i especially loved the part where Mulan was holding on to Shang and he falls down the mountain. Ming-Na did such an excellent job- it was so so emotional. loved the movie.
Average
mattkratz24 October 2018
This falls short of the original (as sequels often do) but wasn't too bad. Eddie Murphy was sorely lacking as the voice of the dragon. The dragon tries to sabotage Mulan's marriage because it will mean losing his place among the guardians. The story was ok, but stick with the original.
** out of ****
** out of ****
We'd choose 0/10
craighome-9669729 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The plot is incomplete. Silly Disney.
The Emperor decreed that his daughters would marry Princes from a neighboring kingdom to join forces against the invading Huns.
But the movie ended without addressing that original decree. Did Disney forget what they were doing? Did they forget to follow any plot-line? Did they drink too much wine at lunch??
Mulan is an awesome female hero and warrior in the first (good 6/10) Mulan, but in this piece of horrible trash all we hear about is her love life and the contrived love lives of her companions.
Don't bother watching this film. You cannot un-watch it and it will make you hate Mulan, the original film.
The Emperor decreed that his daughters would marry Princes from a neighboring kingdom to join forces against the invading Huns.
But the movie ended without addressing that original decree. Did Disney forget what they were doing? Did they forget to follow any plot-line? Did they drink too much wine at lunch??
Mulan is an awesome female hero and warrior in the first (good 6/10) Mulan, but in this piece of horrible trash all we hear about is her love life and the contrived love lives of her companions.
Don't bother watching this film. You cannot un-watch it and it will make you hate Mulan, the original film.
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