Mulan II (2004)

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I love the original Mulan movie and I'm glad the second still retains the fantastic artwork and voice crew. However, I'm disappointed with the plot, the message and character development. Compared to the predecessor, Mulan 2 is way too cliché and the message "follow your heart" despite all the duties and everything is just another way to define irresponsibility and arrogance. Last but not least, after the events from the first movie, I expected Mulan and Mushu characteristics would be something much more than...well.... boring, annoying and childish like in the sequel. Overall, this movie is so so if you want to watch something to kill time, and the kids probably wouldn't notice much such details but for adults, it is not memorable.

Most of the time during this movie I face-palmed. The songs are stupid, the returning characters are either stupid or completely mean- spirited. I almost shouted at the screen when I saw what an asshole Mushu turned into! That one hit really hard! Along with a message that is just lame. Especially under these circumstances they are presented this is just garbage. In the original this "follow your heart" was equally balanced with a logical side which said "my father is not able to make it through this" and "I will take his place and save China from the Huns". THEY STUCK TO SAVING CHINA, GODDAMMIT! Here this "follow your heart" is completely illogical and almost unforgivable. This arranged marriage is to save china from war! But that is not important to Mulan, oooh, it is not right, oooh, my duty is to my heart, BLAH!

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.

I'm too lazy to explain too much on this:Pro:1. It's more of your favorite characters. Seriously, if you watch this, it means that you like Mulan so much you want more of her content. You have it.Cons:1. The animation is way cheaper. I don't know how, but you can tell. 2. The songs are even worst, from the already bad amount of songs in the original. 3. It's rarely funny, and that's why I really liked the first one - they're funny. 4. Making a likable character a douchebag is a really ballsy move, and it failed here. Shouldn't have made Mushu the bad guy, should've been the under-developed Mongols instead. 5. The themes are far worse. The last one teaches them to believe in themselves and make sacrifices. This one teaches to break your words and be rebellious. There's a fine line between believing in yourself and being rebellious, and this one perfectly crossed it. 6. Voice acting isn't as good. Mulan is drier, Mushu is less comical and excited. 7. The ending, too easy.Never the less, I got what I asked for, that is more of my lovely Mulan, and I have it. I'm quite happy now. Also for the fact that there's no more sequels.