Review: Mulan

Having ignored most of Disney's 2D offerings after Aladdin (not that I didn't like Aladdin, I very much did) discovering them now always makes me wary. But luckily Mulan proves to be a late, but great, bloomer.
While it has some of the typical Disney trappings, this ancient Chinese legend is brought to life with a refreshing weight of sincerity; a clumsy and emotionally lost young girl must find herself and restore her family's honour, joining the Chinese military's fight against the Hun invasion. 
Aided by Eddie Murphy as a ancestral dragon spirit. What. 

Mulan's tale fits for a Disney classic, but unlike other princesses that have come and gone, I did feel a lot of sympathy for the character, who is certainly a strong female role-model.
Yes there are songs, but the music pieces are not misplaced or too frequent and only add emotion to the scenes. (like all good musicals should, he says as someone not fond of musicals!) While Murphy is a spirit dragon, I suppose he should stand out from the crowd! 
A mature tale, with tight humour and action around a woman masquerading in the army and enough colour, threat and morality to make it an excellent family movie. I would recommend it to anyone.