A Young Chinese Maiden Disguises Herself As A Male Warrior In Order To Save Her Father. Mulan

The film opens as the sun rises over a village in China, with a former soldier narrates the story of his daughter, Mulan. Since she was a child, Mulan was always fearless and heading into trouble. She chases a chicken throughout the village, and she accidentally breaks the wing of a phoenix statue. She runs across the rooftops, but one of the tile slips causes her to fall. But Mulan catches her balance and lands safely. Her mother talks to her father about Mulan's behavior. She feels worrying, because Mulan will not bring honor to the family as a wife, and that her sister will be more of a viable wife. Her father talks to her about the legend of the phoenix, who is meant to be the guardian of the emperor. And he acknowledges that Mulan has a strong qi, but thinks that qi is for the men only. He is confident that Mulan will find a way to bring honor to her family in some way. Years later, on the Silk Road, a witch kills and assumes another man's identity near an imperial garrison. A team of Rouran soldiers, led by Bori Khan, soon storm their way into the garrison, killing several men, and terrorizing other citizens. The emperor is informed that the Rourans are making their way toward the imperial palace. And he knows who Bori Khan is, because the emperor killed his father in battle many years ago. He orders that every family in China, send their strongest sons into battle. Meanwhile, Khan sets up camp with the soldiers and the witch. Although she knows she possesses more power than he ever will, she claims is subservient to him. And he wants revenge against the emperor, for his father's death, as well as the downfall of the whole Rouran army, and believes nobody will stand in his way. Mulan and her sister are both called to meet with the matchmaker, so that she may find them proper husbands. After receiving a makeover, the sisters visit the matchmaker. A spider comes down from the ceiling, and Mulan tries to hide it by covering it with a teapot. But the matchmaker insists that the teapot remain in the center of the table. The spider pops out again and freaks her sister out, causing her to flip the table over. Mulan is able to catch the cups and teapot, until her hair comes undone and covers her face, causing her to drop and shatter everything. The matchmaker chastises the family, claiming they failed to raise a proper daughter. As the family starts walking back home, an emissary from the emperor arrives to call upon the men in the village, to take up arms, and fight in the battle against the Rourans. When Mulan's family is called, her father visibly weak and crippled, walks without his cane to accept the scroll, but he falls before the village. Mulan attempts to help, but her mother tells her, she will only humiliate her father further. Later during dinner, Mulan tries to argue why her father should not go into battle, but he is adamant, that it is his duty, as the man, to follow through with the orders and fight. After dinner, Mulan watches her father trying to wield his sword, but is too frail to do so. Knowing she cannot let her father risk his life, Mulan takes her father's sword and armor. Then she rides away on their family horse, to join the Chinese army. In the morning, Mulan's family discovers that she has taken the sword and the armor, and they worry, that if the Rourans do not kill her first, the Chinese army will. When they discover her lie, her father asks the phoenix statue, to watch over her. Mulan and her horse travel a great distance, but she cannot find her way to the army camp. The phoenix appears and guides her all the way, leading her to the other soldiers. While on line to check in, a large soldier taunts a smaller soldier, and she is knocked down in the scuffle. Another soldier tries to help her up mockingly, and she draws her sword on him, who does the same. They are stopped by the commander, who tells them fighting is forbidden. Mulan introduces herself to him as Hua Jun, and he orders her to fall back in line. The soldiers begin their training, including a rigorous challenge, that sees the soldiers carrying buckets of water, with their arms stretched out all the way, up to the top of a large hill. One soldier who is caught cheating, is expelled from the army. Mulan shows off her skills, showing the soldiers what she is capable of. At the same time, Bori Khan gathers his men in his tent, to discuss their battle plan. The soldiers don't care for vast riches, but more for the power and revenge that Khan is after. He promises them that, and reminds them that the witch, who is there under her guise as a hawk, only serves him. After she brings this up to him later, he stands by his word. Since he found her after she was exiled from her village for her powers, they spot another nearby garrison, and make plans to attack. They do so in the morning, and kill more soldiers. The commander calls Mulan into his tent, noting the use of her qi, and saying that his own qi is strong too. He thinks that she is holding back due to her father's legacy, since he found alongside her father before. Mulan later goes back to the lake, to try and practice balancing her qi. After more intense training, Mulan is able to complete the challenge up the hill, before anyone else, to the amazement of all the other soldiers. However, Mulan feels dishonest when repeating the three virtues engraved on her father's sword. Loyal, brave, and true. She returns to the commander's tent, with the intention of revealing herself. But he thinks she is just nervous, because they are heading into battle against the Rurans the next day. The commander also suggests that when the battle is over, he would like to introduce her to his daughter. Mulan later spends time around the fireplace with her fellow soldiers, to give them inspiration. The next morning, the soldiers gather as the Rurans approach. And they head into battle, with a small team of Rurans taking out the charging Chinese soldiers, except for Mulan. Although she manages to kill some Rurans, she is found by the witch, who knows that she is lying. And after a brief fight with the witch, Mulan escapes her clutches, and then decides to follow her words. She undoes her armor, and lets her hair down. Returning into battle stronger, and more capable. The witch transforms into a flock of crows, that attack the soldiers. When they shield themselves together, the Rurans use this against them, by hurling fireballs at them with a catapult, severely taking out many of them. Thinking quickly, Mulan rides her horse around the Rurans, and tricks them into thinking the soldiers snuck up behind them. By using their helmets mounted on spears, the Rurans launch a fireball in that direction, only to hit a mountain, and cause an avalanche. The Rurans are wiped out, while the remaining soldiers just barely make it out alive. After the snow has settled, Mulan emerges to reveal herself to the soldiers as a woman. The commander expels her from the army, but she would rather die, than return home in disgrace. And he orders Mulan to leave. On her way home, Mulan breaks down until the witch arrives to taunt her. She tells Mulan that she did once want to take the noble path. But her exile, and ridicule from others, led her down the dark one. The witch tries to get her to join forces, telling her that Khan is heading toward the imperial city to kill the emperor. And not heading down the Silk Road, as the commander was led to believe. This encourages Mulan to head back, to warn the soldiers. She catches up to them on their path, and tells the commander about Khan's true plans. Although the commander is not ready to listen to someone who lied to him, the other soldiers believe in Mulan. The witch makes it to the imperial city, by assuming the guise of the emperor's chancellor. And claiming that Bori Khan wants to challenge him, to a duel personally. The emperor obliges and heads out to fight. Meanwhile, Mulan leads the soldiers into the imperial city, by attacking the Rurans. The commander orders the soldiers to fight, but to guard Mulan so she makes it to the emperor. At the same time, the emperor fights off some Rurans, before ultimately being ambushed by Khan and his men, leading to his capture. Mulan makes it to the palace, but only finds the witch. Although the witch thinks it is too late for her, Mulan assures her that she still has a chance to make things right. She asks her to help lead her to the emperor, but the witch morphs into a hawk and flies away, only for Mulan to follow. The witch makes it back to Khan, tells that a warrior woman is leading the Chinese army, and that she will come for him. Knowing the witch deliberately, led Mulan to him. Khan fires an arrow at Mulan, but the witch flies in and takes the arrow in the back. Mulan catches her, as she returns to her human form and dies. Mulan finds him and the emperor atop a construct, where he plans to burn the emperor alive. She attempts to fight Khan with her sword, but she ends up losing it when it falls into molten lead. However, with help from the phoenix, Mulan regains her qi and continues to battle Khan. They jump onto a platform, where Khan nearly causes Mulan to lose balance and fall. But she gains the upper hand, takes his sword, and cuts the rope to sever the platform and send him falling. As she goes to free the emperor, Khan attempts to kill him with an arrow. But the emperor to catch it and give it to Mulan, who fires it back into Khan's chest, finally killing him. A celebration is held for Mulan's victory, and the emperor offers her a position as an imperial guard in his army. But while Mulan is very grateful for the offer, she feels that she has been away from her family for too long. The emperor respects her decision, as he feels devotion to family is a major virtue. Mulan returns to her village, to find everyone astonished at her return. Her sister is with the matchmaker, but stop when she knows her sister has returned. Mulan embraces her and their mother, before her father steps out. Mulan apologizes for going against him, and for losing the sword. But her father says that she is the most important thing for him, and they embrace. Soon, the commander arrives with other soldiers, to inform Mulan's family and the rest of the village, about her hand in saving the emperor and the imperial city, leading everyone to cheer, and the matchmaker to faint. And he presents Mulan with a new sword, that contains the same three virtues as before. He says that the emperor insists Mulan reconsider her choice in joining his army. As Mulan looks up to the sky to see the phoenix once again, her father closes his narration by saying that his daughter would become a legend.