Farah Z

Remove the Disney musical and the political storm and you have a must watch movie. The characters are complex. Mulan especially has to fight on so many fronts - the crushing of her spirit from a young age...her own feeling that she is deceiving...and then to be rejected by the people she saved...and yet stay strong enough to do the right thing despite being tempted by the witch to become bitter and vengeful. The true force of her character is felt when she returns to warn the general of the plot to kill the emperor and offers her life in doing so. I also especially love the witch's character...that was a clever way to show how bad society was in judging or vilifying a strong woman. And some of the witch's lines are very poignant - powerful. The exchange and scenes between Mulan and the witch are really powerful. The intensity with which Mulan was played is remarkable. Shows all the lonliness and determination it takes to fulfill one's destiny as a leader. As to the visuals and action scenes - absolutely beautiful. This movie is not a simple women's empowerment story - its a complex story about being different to the norm, being mocked and misunderstood due to it but still staying true to one's principles.