Mulan
Rated: G
Genre: Animation, Adventure
Street Date: March 12, 2013
Available On: Blu-ray/DVD Combo

The Film: When a young Chinese maiden learns that her father has been called to fight the invading Huns she disguises herself as a man to take his place.

The Extras: 11 Deleted Scenes, 15 Backstage Featurettes, 6 Music Videos, Audio Commentary

Recommendation: The early ’90s were very good to Disney. They started out the decade revitalized by the critical and box office success of “The Little Mermaid” followed by the minor hit “Oliver and Company” before blowing the doors off the box office with “The Lion King,” “Aladdin” and “Beauty and the Beast.” but by the end of the decade sister studio Pixar was stealing the headlines. Maybe that explains why “Mulan,” one of my favorite Disney films, doesn’t get the accolades that it should.

Based on Chinese folklore “Mulan” is a strikingly beautiful film that mixes traditional animation with the occasional digital flourish. Unlike many Disney films the female lead is the sort that does the rescuing, rather than being rescued. Its Blu-ray debut trumps the almost decade-old Special Edition DVD release in almost every regard. Color and detail looks spectacular and the lossless audio sounds perfect. My only complaint would be that they didn’t include the various picture galleries from the Special Edition DVD. They have included the completely unnecessary “Mulan II,” but I’m not sure if that qualifies as a bonus or a drawback.

-Ryan Michael Painter