You know, if your first film is about a hero (or heroine) saving an entire country, that’s a tough act to follow. And that is the biggest problem with “Mulan II.”

Disney has their formula set. They dig through their vaults and find movies that haven’t been released recently on DVD. Then they release these “classics” as special edition 2-disc sets. Then they sit back an rake in the dough as we all go out and buy the new DVDs. And after that commercial feeding frenzy is over, they make a direct-to-DVD sequel of the classic and release to yet again rake in the money.

I do not fault Disney for milking a property for a profit. After all, it is a business. But I’d appreciate it if they made quality sequels.

Sometimes the sequels work pretty well, like those that followed “The Lion King.” Unfortunately, too often the sequel is substandard to the original and is obviously there to just make a buck. Like I said, I don’t mind going for the profit angle, but at least give us a decent film.

“Mulan II” continues the story of Fa Mulan, who joined the Chinese army in her father’s place and helped defeat the Huns. Now, she’s struggling with an engagement to hear former sergeant. Hmmm... Saving a country? Or getting married? Which is a more exciting story?

To spice things up, Mulan and Shang are sent by the Emperor to escort his three daughters to a neighboring province to unite the kingdoms in marriage. However, the ever-present Disney message of a girl should marry the one she loves causes the princesses to rebel after they fall in love with three soldiers.

Like the original “Mulan,” this message seemed a bit misplaced against the ancient Chinese backdrop. While it may work for European princess types like Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella, things get complicated in the East. There was this little thing called honor that was culturally more significant than even your own happiness. By choosing love over honor, these princesses manage to be a bit insulting to the historic culture.

There’s also a side story with Mushu the dragon (voiced not by Eddie Murphy as in the original, but instead by a guy who does a smashing Eddie Murphy impression) in which he wants to keep Mulan from getting married. Apparently if she ties the knot, he loses his place of honor with her ancestors. While I understand the need for comic relief and know that when something works, it should be exploited. However, the Mushu storyline is simply out of place and distracting from the rest of the film.

The DVD includes a behind-the-scenes featurette about the voice casting as well as a tour of Chinese history hosted by Mushu. There are also some deleted scenes, presented in animated storyboard form. Introduced by the filmmakers, these scenes provide a look into alternate versions of the characters and story.

There’s a nice guessing game with Mushu that is appropriate for the younger age levels. With parental supervision of the remote, kids can have a chance to guess who Mushu is making into a shadow puppet. And, of course, what Disney DVD would be complete without a music video. This one features Atomic Kitten singing the main song “(I Wanna Be) Like Other Girls.”

Unfortunately, “Mulan II” doesn’t hold a candle to “Mulan” and is one of the weaker direct-to-DVD Disney animated sequels since “The Little Mermaid II.”



Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Widescreen (1.78:1) - Enhanced for 16x9 televisions. French and Spanish language tracks. English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.