THE ULTIMATE MULAN 2-MOVIE COLLECTION
(G)
DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5)
STARRING
Ming-Na as MULAN
Eddie Murphy as MUSHU (Mulan)
Mark Moseley as MUSHU (Mulan II)
B.D. Wong as CAPTAIN LI SHANG
Harvey Fierstein as YAO
Gedde Watanabe as LING
Sandra Oh as TING TING (Mulan II)
Lauren Tom as SU (Mulan II)
Studio: Disney
BY KEVIN CARR
While some have criticized Disney for bringing their films in and out of the DVD vault, making them available only for limited times, you can’t say that there’s few opportunities to buy them.
One of the latest releases from the Disney vault is the “Mulan” movies. Both the original animated film and its direct-to-DVD sequel are available in a gift set. The set contains three discs in all, with two belonging to the Special Edition of “Mulan.” The third disc is “Mulan II.”
There is no difference between these DVDs and the original releases from 2004 and 2005. The only catch is they are now boxed together. If you already own either release, it’s not a great deal to get the box set. However, if you – or rather your kids – have never seen the “Mulan” films, here’s a way to get a little more bang for your buck.
From a critical standpoint, “Mulan” is far superior to its sequel. Part of this is because it was an original theatrical release with a full budget while “Mulan II” was a profit grab in the DVD sequel market. As Disney sequels go, it’s not the best. Much of this is due to the fact that in the first film, the young Mulan is off to save the country while the sequel features a main story of her getting married and finding her independence.
Still, if you’ve got a girl in the house who is into the Disney Princesses, the Mulan films offer a nice alternative to the traditional fairy tale characters.
Special features on “Mulan: Special Edition” include deleted scenes, music videos, fun facts that can play on screen while you watch the movie, a DisneyPedia entry on “Mulan’s World” and a “Discovering Mulan” featurette.
Special features on “Mulan II” include deleted scenes, a music video, a spotlight on the voice talent, a look at the world of Mulan and “Mushu’s Guess Who Game.”