Synopsis

To protect her aging father from conscription, Mulan disguises herself as a man and takes his place in the Imperial Army. Training under Captain Shang, she struggles to conceal her identity while proving herself among the soldiers. With help from the dragon Mushu and the cricket Cri-Kee, Mulan faces an invading Hun army and fights to save China.

Factoids & Trivia

• Released on June 19, 1998, Mulan was based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan and the traditional Ballad of Mulan.

• The film was the first Disney animated feature to center on an Asian heroine.

• Mulan was the first feature-length film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida, the company's satellite studio at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

• Mulan has separate speaking and singing performers. Ming-Na Wen provided the speaking voice, while Lea Salonga performed the songs. The same arrangement was used for Captain Shang, whose singing voice was provided by Donny Osmond.

• The character's design incorporated observed mannerisms from Ming-Na Wen, including Mulan's habit of touching her hair.

• The filmmakers drew on Chinese visual traditions for the backgrounds and compositions, including the look of classical landscape painting and the simplified graphic style of Chinese art.

• Christina Aguilera recorded "Reflection" for the end credits. The song became an important early success in her recording career and helped introduce her to a wider pop audience.

• Disney released Mulan on DVD in November 1999, making it the studio's first DVD release.