Mulan (1998)

The American animated musical action-adventure film, Mulan (1998), was produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation for Walt Disney Pictures. When the ruthless Shan Yu leads the Huns to invade imperial China by breaching the Great Wall, the Emperor orders a general mobilization. Every family is required to send one man to join the Imperial Chinese Army. Fa Mulan, a daring and energetic young woman, aims to bring honor to her family. Despite her efforts to impress a matchmaker, Mulan is rejected and considered a disgrace. As fate would have it, her elderly and disabled father Fa Zhou is conscripted as he is the only man in the family. Despite Mulan’s attempts to discourage him from going, he insists on fulfilling his duty. Fearing for her father’s life, Mulan takes matters into her own hands – she cuts her hair, steals his sword and armor and disguises herself as a man in order to enlist in his place. When her family discovers her plan, Mulan’s grandmother prays to their ancestors for protection.

At the local temple, Mushu, a former guardian, was demoted to awaken spirits after failing to protect a family member. The Great Ancestor decides that the powerful Stone Dragon should guide Mulan and sends Mushu to wake it. Unfortunately, while attempting to awaken the Stone Dragon, Mushu accidentally destroys its statue. Feeling guilty and hoping for redemption, Mushu decides to help Mulan on her mission. Disguising herself as Fa Ping, Mulan joins Captain Li Shang’s training camp with her fellow recruits. Despite some initial setbacks during training, Chi-Fu threatens to stop Shang’s men from fighting for the Emperor. In an attempt to sway his decision, Mushu creates a fake letter from Shang’s father, General Li.