"Mulan" Disney (FF) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Disney (WS) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Disney (German SE) - Region 2- PAL vs. Disney (SE) - Region 1

(aka "The Legand of Mulan" )

directed by Tony Bancroft & Barry Cook
USA 1998

The visual style breaks slightly with the look of modern Disney animation to draw from Chinese and Japanese classical cartoon art; in the depiction of nature, there's an echo of the master artist Hiroshige. In a scene where the Hun troops sweep down the side of a snowy mountain, I was reminded of the great battle sequence in Sergei Eisenstein's ``Alexander Nevsky.'' There are scenes here where the Disney artists seem aware of the important new work being done in Japanese anime; if American animation is ever going to win an audience beyond the family market, it will have to move in this direction, becoming more experimental both in stories and visual style.

Roger Ebert

Posters

Theatrical Release: June 5, 1988

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DVD Comparison:

Disney (FF) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Disney (WS) - Region 1 - NTSC vs. Disney (German SE) - Region 2- PAL vs. Disney (SE) - Region 1 - NTSC

Big thanks to Enrique B Chamorro for all the NTSC Screen Caps and Enrico for the PAL!

(Disney (FF) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Disney (WS) - Region 1 - NTSC - 2nd vs. Disney (German SE) - Region 2 - PAL 3rd vs. Disney (SE) - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

DVD Box Covers
Distribution	Disney Region 1 - NTSC	Disney Region 1 - NTSC	Disney (Deutche) Region 2 - PAL	Disney Region 1 - NTSC
Runtime	1:27:39	1:27:39	1:24:09 (4% PAL speedup)	1:27:43
Video	1.33:1 Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.77 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.85:1 Original Aspect Ratio Average Bitrate: 5.66 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s	1.78:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 8.28 mb/s PAL 720x576 25.00 f/s	1.66:1 Original Aspect Ratio 16X9 enhanced Average Bitrate: 6.57 mb/s NTSC 720x480 29.97 f/s
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate: Disney (FF)
Bitrate: Disney (WS)
Bitrate: Disney (German SE)
Bitrate: Disney (SE)
Audio	English 5.1, Spanish, French 2.0	English 5.1, Spanish, French 2.0	English Dolby Digital 5.1, German Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1, Swedish Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Norwegian Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Danish Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Finnish Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Portuguese Dolby Digital 2.0, Surround	English, Spanish, French, Mandarin 5.1
Subtitles	English, none	English, none	English, Portuguese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, English for the hard of hearing	English, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Disney Aspect Ratio: Fullscreen - 1.33:1 Edition Details: • VOB file dates:08/13/99 • Static Menus • Original theatrical trailer • Music video Reflection performed by Christina Aguilera • Music video True to your heart performed by Stevie Wonder & 98° • 2 Text screens recommending 6 other Disney films • Single page chapter list insert DVD Release Date: 11/09/99 Plastic Keepcase Chapters 31	Release Information: Studio: Disney Aspect Ratio: Widescreen letterboxed - 1.85:1 Edition Details: • VOB file dates:08/13/99 • Static Menus • Original theatrical trailer • Music video Reflection performed by Christina Aguilera • Music video True to your heart performed by Stevie Wonder & 98° • 2 Text screens recommending 6 other Disney films • Single page chapter list insert DVD Release Date: 11/09/99 Plastic Keepcase Chapters 31	Release Information: Studio: Disney Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.78:1 Edition Details: • recommendations (only cover shots) DVD Release Date: November 11th, 2004 Keepcase Chapters 30	Release Information: Studio: Disney Aspect Ratio: Widescreen anamorphic - 1.66:1 Edition Details: • VOB file dates:07/22/04 • Animated Menus • On disc 1; 7 Deleted Scenes • Comm. by Co-Producer Pam Coats, Co-Directors Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook • 4 music videos (same 2 as the OOP disc + 2 other videos) • Disney game - Mulan's World • Backstage Disney - Mulan's Fun Facts featurette • On disc 2; 9 short Making-of Featurettes • Spanish version of the Reflection music video • International Mulan - example of Mulan in other languages • 2 early presentation reels • Storyboard / Film comparison • 3 galleries of artwork • Note: Trailer for the OOP disc is NOT on the SE • Booklet DVD Release Date: October 26th, 2004 Thin Double Plastic Keepcase Chapters 30

Comments

The new NTSC Region 1 SE is miles ahead of the others here. As a curiosity we posted the 1.33 version to show 'full-screen' viewers that what they are missing. But with the vibrant colors of the new SE that you are really missing out on here with the old version! The Region 1 Mulan SE DVD is presented in its original 1.66:1 widescreen (the aspect ratio of this and other animated films created with Disney's CAPS system) and is 16X9 friendly. The old NTSC editions were 1.85 and the new German edition is 1.78. For its vast improvement and glory the new SE does have some deficiencies - it has color banding in spots as well as noticeable edge enhancements. The yellow subtitles are grotesque and the German SE's are far superior. The Region 1 is strong but not at the standard of Aladdin.

Now the German SE. It fails in image quality - paler, hazy and cropped. It does offer a multitude of DUBS and subtitle options if they are important to you. But possibly because of this, there is no space on the DVD for any extras (as in 'none').

Bottom line is the new NTSC SE is the definitive edition to own.

- Gary W. Tooze

DVD Menus

NOTE: The widescreen and Pan and Scan versions have the same menu!

(Disney (FF +WS) - Region 1 - NTSC - LEFT vs. Disney (German SE) - Region 2 - PAL - MIDDLE vs. Disney (SE) - Region 1 - NTSC - RIGHT)

Subtitle Sample