The Secret of Mulan

The Secret of Mulan

DVD cover. Note Mulan's extra legs indicating that she is a larva.
Directed by Peter Fernandez (voice director)
Produced by Bill Schwartz
Screenplay by Katherine Lawrence
Christy Marx
Story by Bill Schwartz
Starring Elaine Tse
Music by Score:
Nathan Wang
Songs:
Megan Cavallari (music)
David Goldsmith (lyrics)
Edited by Alan Winderbaum
Production
company
Schwartz & Co.
Hong Ying Animation
Distributed by Sterling Entertainment
Running time
 50
Country USA
China
Language English
Spanish
Chinese

The Secret of Mulan is the 1998 entry in the series of Secret films released direct to video by UAV/Sterling Entertainment, which generally was an adaptation of a popular theatrical animated film released in a given year, such as The Secret of Anastasia and The Secret of the Hunchback. This film, written by Katherine Lawrence and Christy Marx, is based on the poem about Hua Mulan, which had been made as a film by Walt Disney Pictures the same year as Mulan, and combined with elements from another popular 1998 animated film, A Bug's Life. The film is notable as an early example of the work of the composer-lyricist team of Megan Cavallari and David Goldsmith (lyricist), and some copies were released with a CD soundtrack attached to the back cover.

Synopsis

The film features an anthropomorphic caterpillar named Mulan who takes her father's place in war against Mala-Khan using the pseudonym "Hua" (originally the character's surname, which here is pronounced "hoohah"). She leaves with her father's servant, Ewue.

The story is slightly closer to the legend where she quickly rises through the ranks with each winning battle. Mala-Khan, starting to panic with each loss, searches for a traitor in the Emperor ranks. He and his adviser, Bow-Tie, eventually finds one and sets a plan.

Eventually she is lured into a trap where the Traitor, the Messager Shong-Jing, goes under a different name and captures her, mistaking her to be a male and brings her to Mala-Khan. This only results to her being mistaken to be lost when she is in her pupa stage, but when she returns as a butterfly, she returns and romances her commanding prince, who, being also a butterfly, understands.

Cast

The voice director of the film was Peter Fernandez. No overall director is credited.

(in credits order)

External links