I love the original Mulan movie and I'm glad the second still retains the fantastic artwork and voice crew. However, I'm disappointed with the plot, the message and character development. Compared to the predecessor, Mulan 2 is way too cliché and the message "follow your heart" despite all the duties and everything is just another way to define irresponsibility and arrogance. Last but not least, after the events from the first movie, I expected Mulan and Mushu characteristics would be something much more than...well.... boring, annoying and childish like in the sequel. Overall, this movie is so so if you want to watch something to kill time, and the kids probably wouldn't notice much such details but for adults, it is not memorable.

For the longest time, Disney had produce some of the worst direct to video sequels to their classic hand-drawn films, I have ever. Thank God that it is starting to die-down, due to the company new direction of remaking the classic animation movies into live-action films, instead. Because of that, we might one day, relive the adventures of Fa Mulan in the big screen, in an action packed war movie remake, rather than watching this crappy, 2005 direct-to video sequel to the 1998's film of the same name. Don't get me wrong, I really wanted to like this film directed by Darnell Rooney and Lynne Southerland. I really did. The original film is a near-masterpiece- great songs, beautiful animation, and epic action, with a heroine that young women can look up to. So, I was hoping this movie could been, just as good. However, it wasn't. I will tell you, why. For starters, I really didn't like how the film delivered on, the story of Mulan (Voiced once again by Ming-Na Wen), being sent on a special mission: escorting the Emperor's three daughters, Princess Mei (Voiced by Lucy Liu), Princess Ting-Ting (Voiced by Sandra Oh) & Princess Su (Voiced by Lauren Tom) across the country to a neighboring kingdom for an arranged marriage there in order to cement an alliance against the Mongols with the help from her fiancé, General Li Shang (Voiced once again by BD Wong) and his crew of misfits: Yao, Ling and Chien-Po (Voiced once again by Harvey Fierstein, Gedde Watanabe, and Jerry Tondo). I get that the sequel is trying to attempt to retain some of the woman empowerment feeling that made the first movie, so likable, but, the film went for it, the wrong way. For starters, I found Mulan's choice of believing the princesses should marry whom they wish, no matter how much danger it means for the entire nation of China, very odd. I get that, being forced to marry somebody else is wrong, but she doesn't know, that the marriage between the princesses and the princes would be loveless. Maybe, they will fall in love, with each other. Really, what right, does she has to play matchmaker. If anything, the princesses should be the ones to make the decision, marry or not to marry. In short, she risk the lives of her people on a hunch that the princesses would be unhappy. Doesn't Mulan see that royal intermarriage do serve to initiate, reinforce or guarantee peace between nations, during a time of a serious threat to their well-beings. I don't mind, that she question it, but sabotage the mission, before understanding, what's in stalk, felt a bit misguided, self-centered and acting on emotions. The morals of her story are directly at odds against the message of the original. At least, she tries to make it up, toward the end, by sacrificing her love-life for the duty of her nation, even if it doesn't make any sense, seeing that she isn't from any royal bloodline. Without spoiling the movie's ending, too much, I have to say, it's really bad. It turns into yet, another cheesy romantic clichés wedding interruption, with a guy coming up to confess his love to a woman, who is marrying somebody else. It's follow up by something really, really dumb with the main characters playing against the dumb-minded town folks with their spiritualism beliefs. It's really awful! Another problem with the film is the fact that the film never addressed what happen to the alliance after the fact that the wedding was ruin. For all, I know is that there was no treaty and China was invade by the Mongols. To make it, any worse, the writers turn the lovable, comedic, guardian dragon, Mushu (Voiced by now, Mark Moseley, replacing previous actor, Eddie Murphy) into a unforgivably evil jerk, who nearly kills Fa Mulan, throughout the film, because the fact that if Mulan and Li Shang get married. He will be, out of a job. I don't think, these Disney writers, even research Chinese culture, when, making this movie, because they would know, that the Tianlong AKA 'heavenly dragons" and Nāgas AKA 'heavenly dragons gods' still guard the afterlife and the life, regardless if marriage happens. Plus, dragons are used a symbol to represent good luck and harmony, not bad omens and foolish selfish actions. Not only that, but its sloppy research; seeing how dragons also represent imperial power, hints unity. So, why is Mushu trying to break up the alliance between the nations, just as much as Mulan!? Oddly, the discomfort doesn't end there. The voice acting from Moseley is just as bad. There are so many cringe-inducing "black" catchphrases and slang, by Moseley, a white actor that I wanted to turn it off. Even, the original, Mushu's voice, sound out of place. I never truly, understood, why a black man was voicing an Asian character in the first place. Regardless, it's offensive. Despite that, everybody else was alright in the voice acting. The singing was not that, bad. However, none of the new songs were that memorable. The animation, while smooth and colorful, also kind of looks out of place, because how cartoony, the range of emotion were. The expression of Li Shang is a great example. This film animation by the DisneyToon Studios felt a little too goofy, so I couldn't take, anything in the movie, really serious. Overall: I really don't like this film, at all! There were plans for a Mulan III, but thank God, they were cancelled by John Lasseter, when this movie fail to make bank. In the end, take my advice and watch the original movie, any day over this crap. It will save you, the headache and the pain. Plus, the embarrassment of owning, such garbage.

I'm too lazy to explain too much on this:Pro:1. It's more of your favorite characters. Seriously, if you watch this, it means that you like Mulan so much you want more of her content. You have it.Cons:1. The animation is way cheaper. I don't know how, but you can tell. 2. The songs are even worst, from the already bad amount of songs in the original. 3. It's rarely funny, and that's why I really liked the first one - they're funny. 4. Making a likable character a douchebag is a really ballsy move, and it failed here. Shouldn't have made Mushu the bad guy, should've been the under-developed Mongols instead. 5. The themes are far worse. The last one teaches them to believe in themselves and make sacrifices. This one teaches to break your words and be rebellious. There's a fine line between believing in yourself and being rebellious, and this one perfectly crossed it. 6. Voice acting isn't as good. Mulan is drier, Mushu is less comical and excited. 7. The ending, too easy.Never the less, I got what I asked for, that is more of my lovely Mulan, and I have it. I'm quite happy now. Also for the fact that there's no more sequels.

The story is pointless and takes a cheap way out of every remotely deep question. The main problem of the Hun invasion is also never solved. The main message of being selfish with disregard to the well being of others is also troubling.The songs are not forgettable- they are flat out bad. The animation pales in comparison to the original.This is another example of Disney ruining a good film with an unnecessary ugly sequel.A pointless voice cameo by Michelle Kwan on a nonsensically skating ginger saleswoman puts the hilariously bad cherry on top of this pile of garbage. Don't let your children or anyone see this for risk of tainting the memory of the original (and very good) film.