Disney is back with Mulan, a marginally engaging animated feature that lacks the magic that has made some of their past films soar.
Mulan tells the story of a high-spirited young woman from Imperial China who, in an attempt to save her father's life, poses as a young man to take his place in war. For Mulan, keeping this a secret becomes a difficult task.

Mulan fares much better than Pocohontas and Hercules, but doesn't match the scope of Beauty and the Beast and Lion King, the originality or pace of Toy Story and Aladdin, or sing along charm of The Little Mermaid. It also fails to match the dramatic depth of Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Mulan does offer a terrific role model for a hero and great comic relief in the form of Mushu, a dragon voiced by the energetic Eddie Murphy. The animation is solid, notably a breathtaking sequence involving a battle in snow covered mountains.

In the end, Mulan just didn't hold my attention the way I hoped it would. The plot felt recycled to me. Still, it was worlds better than that movie about that stupid pregnant lizard that terrorizes New York.