These days, when I listen to any Disney soundtrack, I tend to
get an urge to see the movie that it is part of. I reviewed
The Jungle Book a few months ago, and not long afterwards, I
ended up buying the movie – which should make my friends at Walt
Disney very happy with me.
In the case of
Mulan, the latest release, anyone who listens to the 12
songs on this disc will want to go see the film. Undoubtedly the
prettiest soundtrack for a Disney movie in some time, the songs and
score capture the essence of 10th Century China without losing any
links to modern day.
The story of a young girl who dresses like a man to take the
place of her father in a war with the Huns,
Mulan establishes a musical theme with the story quickly and
effectively. From the preparation of Mulan for an eventual
matchmaking, “Honor To Us All” acts as both a starting point for
the story and a history lesson about the culture of the time. But
Mulan wants to break free from the boundaries of her culture and
society, as evidenced on “Reflection” (with vocals by Lea Salonga,
best known as the singing voice of Jasmine in
Aladdin).
The two songs focusing on Mulan’s time in the army have both the
strongest moments and the weakest on the album. Donny Osmond puts
in an incredible performance on “I’ll Make A Man Out Of You,” a
song that could easily be a hit down the road. “A Girl Worth
Fighting For,” a song that could easily have been applied to any
army longing for female companionship, is brought down a peg or two
with the singing of Harvey Fierstein – if that’s what you can call
it. The gravelly-voiced actor just doesn’t fit in the traditional
mold of a vocalist for a Disney film, and his performances tend to
grate on the ears.
Another cultural lesson is learned on “A Girl Worth Fighting
For,” where Mulan dares to suggest that men look for a woman with
intelligence and opinion, not just a good body who can cook.
Unfortunately, not much has changed since then – hey, wasn’t that
long ago I was single, I know what it was like in the singles
bars.
The biggest disappointment of
Mulan is that there aren’t more numbers with vocals; I could
have easily listened to a whole album filled with songs like
“Reflection”. However, the score of Jerry Goldsmith is a more than
fitting substitute. Goldsmith, a veteran of film scores, works his
magic on
Mulan – and makes a strong argument that such music could
easily be considered classical music.
The film’s closing song, “True To Your Heart,” doesn’t seem to
fit the mood of the rest of the album with its r&b flavor, but
98° and Stevie Wonder do create an entertaining track that is
sure to be a successful single. Likewise, relative newcomer
Christina Aguilera does a solid job on her single version of
“Reflection”.
Prior to listening to this soundtrack, I honestly don’t think I
would have been interested in seeing
Mulan in the theater; it’s been a very long time since I
took myself to see a Disney movie. However, after hearing the
soundtrack, I am very curious to see how the film interacts with
the music, and will most likely be in line soon with my
two-year-old – that is, as long as she’s quiet during the film.
Mulan is easily the best soundtrack Disney’s created since
The Lion King, and is a disc that will entertain the
listener (as well as educate them if they’re careful). If this
album is any indication of how the film is, this could be another
masterpiece.
