Mulan II (Video 2004)

Mulan II: Directed by Darrell Rooney, Lynne Southerland. With Ming-Na Wen, BD Wong, Mark Moseley, Lucy Liu. While preparing for their wedding, Shang and Mulan are suddenly sent off on a secret mission. Mushu starts to meddle, and a surprise attack by Mongolians doesn’t help either.

“Letu0026#39;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, youu0026#39;ll notice that itu0026#39;s actually pretty good. Keep in mind itu0026#39;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 youu0026#39;ll probably find the film entertaining and definitely watchable.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe 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 isnu0026#39;t necessarily a bad thing when done right.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eBut 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 doesnu0026#39;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. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eTo the filmu0026#39;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.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNow of course, the film isnu0026#39;t without itu0026#39;s flaws. The biggest issue is this film features way less action than itu0026#39;s predecessor and way less Mulan (she practically disappears in the middle of the film). Mulanu0026#39;s bickering with Shang is also very badly written. Yet, minor complaints.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eOverall a decent film. 7/10. Itu0026#39;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 youu0026#39;re not expecting it to compare to the first one.”