6. Fa Mulan - Mulan
Here we have our second Disney-owned "princess" in a row, but Fa Mulan is anything but a princess. Voiced by the exquisite Lea Salonga (the singing voice of Jasmine in
Aladdin, the first Asian Eponine in
Les Miserables and Kim in
Miss Saigon for which role she won a Tony Award), she spills tea amd slouches. She speaks without permission and writes notes on etiquette on her wrist so she'll remember her place in society. She is brought up to believe "A girl can bring her family great honor in one way: by striking a good match." She dutifully respects her family's wishes and her ancestors' legacy by presenting herself to the matchmaker, but later asks, "Why is my reflection someone that I don't know?" The movie is about a girl who joins the Imperial Army in her father's place. She trains to the standards of her exacting captain, cleverly defeats a horde of Huns and eventually saves China before returning to her small village. The point of the movie is not that a woman can be as much of a hero as a man. The point of the movie, in my opinion, is that any person can bring honor to his/herself and his/her family by being true to his/her own self. Yes, it's a great story for little girls to grow up to. She gets the guy in the end. Our take-away message has more to do with the worth of any soul than the girl power of a Chinese legend.