Mulan II Rouge
What can you say about adventure? Adventure is, after all, the embodiment of freedom. Perhaps this is why so many young boys and girls crave it so much. To be young is to crave adventure. It’s a primal precursor to striking out on one’s own and experiencing the world first-hand. Though it can be perilous, adventure is the catchall concept that propels children from being very young and naive to being older and wiser.
Full-length cartoons, now called animated features, offer kids a witness adventure from a safe, secure distance. In that way it is exactly like any live-action film for adults. We watch movies to escape, but also to inform us of the possibilities of adventure. How would we react to being shanghaied by pirates? How would we mobilize ourselves to thwart the Mongol Horde?
I am aware that the vocal opponents of animated fair, specifically the kind provided by heavy-hitters like Disney, balk at the films, they can’t deny that there is a level of information sharing taking place between the story and the child. Children learn vicariously — reading helps them understand the parameters of the world before they enter it. Yes, while they may never have to deal with an invading Mongol Horde, they may better understand what virtues are necessary for fending them off.
One of the flicks in the Disney pantheon that struck me as particularly interesting — and useful from a child’s perspective — is Mulan II. Though it received little fanfare when it made its debut on video, it has that something special that makes it appealing to kids. No, the animation is not as spectacular as the first installment, but it was good enough. And yes, as is the case with most direct-to-video releases, the celebrity voices were imitated. But still, there is something very engaging about the story.
I refuse to belabor the point. Instead of rambling on and regurgitating the plot, I would recommend you order a copy and judge for yourself. Better yet, let your children watch and decide for themselves. Feel free to watch along — like all Disney movies, it tries to appeal to everyone from every age group. While it may not rank as one of the greatest films of all time, it is still a nifty little sequel that will not disappoint.
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