Mulan - Mulan As Ping - Funko Pop! (629) - (Hitek Box - June 2021)
Mulan is a fictional character, inspired by a legendary figure, who appears in Walt Disney Pictures' 36th animated feature film Mulan (1998), as well as its sequel Mulan II (2004). Her speaking voice is provided by actress Ming-Na Wen, while singer Lea Salonga provides the character's singing voice. Created by author Robert D. San Souci, Mulan is based on the legendary Chinese warrior Hua Mulan from the poem the Ballad of Mulan. The only child of an aging war veteran, Mulan disregards both tradition and the law by disguising herself as a man in order to enlist herself in the army in lieu of her feeble father.
Disney had originally conceived Mulan as an oppressed young Chinese woman who ultimately elopes to Europe to be with a British prince. However, director Tony Bancroft, who was inspired by the well-being of his own daughters, wanted Mulan to be a different, unique kind of Disney heroine – one who is strong and independent, whose fate does not depend upon a male character. Thus, the relationship between Mulan and Captain Li Shang was relegated to that of a minor subplot, while Mulan's bravery and strength were emphasized in order to ensure that she remained the hero of her own story. She became the eighth Disney Princess and the first one who wasn’t born of royalty or marrying a prince. She also became the first one of Asian descent as well. Mulan's supervising animator was Mark Henn, who deliberately designed the character so that she would appear less feminine than her predecessors.
The Huns, who are led by the ruthless Shan Yu, invade imperial Han China by breaching the Great Wall. In the Imperial City, the Emperor orders a general mobilization, with conscription notices requiring one man from each family to join the Imperial Chinese Army.
Fa Mulan learns that her elderly father Fa Zhou—the only man in their family and an army veteran—is being conscripted and fears for his life due to his poor health. To protect him, she cuts her hair and takes her father's sword and armor, disguising herself as a man so that she can enlist in his stead. The family quickly learns of her departure, and Mulan's grandmother prays to the family's ancestors for Mulan's safety. The ancestors decide that the "Great Stone Dragon" will bring Mulan back and send a disgraced former guardian, a small red dragon named Mushu, to awaken him. Mushu accidentally destroys the guardian's statue but then resolves to go instead, desiring to redeem himself to the ancestors by making Mulan a war hero.
Reporting to the training camp, Mulan passes as a man named "Ping", with Mushu providing encouragement and clumsy guidance throughout her deception. Under the command of Captain Li Shang, she and her fellow recruits—including Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po—gradually become trained soldiers, but the Emperor's belligerent counsel, Chi-Fu, threatens to dissuade the Emperor from allowing Shang's men to fight. Mushu then crafts a fake letter from Shang's father, General Li, ordering Shang to follow the main imperial army into the mountains. The reinforcements set out and arrive at a burnt village, discovering that the Huns have massacred General Li and his troops.
As the soldiers march up a mountain pass, they are ambushed by the Huns. Mulan cleverly uses a Huolongchushui cannon to cause an avalanche, which buries the entire Hun army. Shan Yu wounds Mulan during the battle, and her deception is revealed when the wound is bandaged. Instead of executing Mulan as the law requires, Shang spares her life and expels her from the army. Mulan is left behind as the other soldiers depart for the Imperial City to report the Huns' defeat. However, Shan Yu and several of his warriors have survived, and Mulan sees them heading towards the city.
Mulan enters the city and warns Shang. The Huns then capture the Emperor and seize the palace. Mulan, Yao, Ling, Chien-Po, and Shang enter the palace and defeat Shan Yu's men. Shang prevents Shan Yu from assassinating the Emperor, and Mulan lures the Hun leader onto the roof, where she pins him there with his own sword. Acting on Mulan's instructions, Mushu fires a large skyrocket at Shan Yu; the rocket strikes and propels Shan Yu into a fireworks launching tower, where he dies in the resulting explosion.
The Emperor initially reprimands Mulan, but then he and the city's assembled inhabitants praise her for having saved them, and they bow to her in honor. She accepts the Emperor's crest and Shan Yu's sword as gifts but politely declines his offer to be on his royal council and asks to return to her family. Mulan returns home and presents these gifts to her father, but he is happy to have her back. Having become enamored with Mulan, Shang also arrives and accepts her invitation to stay for dinner. Mushu is reinstated as a Fa family guardian as the ancestors celebrate.
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Mulan is a 1998 American animated musical adventure film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation for Walt Disney Pictures. It is based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, and was Disney's 36th animated feature and the ninth animated film produced and released during the Disney Renaissance. It was directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook, with story by Robert D. San Souci and screenplay by Rita Hsiao, Philip LaZebnik, Chris Sanders, Eugenia Bostwick-Singer, and Raymond Singer. Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, Miguel Ferrer and BD Wong star in the English version, while Jackie Chan provided the voice of Captain Li Shang for the Chinese dubs of the film. The film's plot takes place in China during the Han dynasty,[citation needed] where Fa Mulan, daughter of aged warrior Fa Zhou, impersonates a man to take her father's place during a general conscription to counter a Hun invasion.
Produced and released during the Disney Renaissance, Mulan was the first of three features produced primarily at the Disney animation studio at Disney-MGM Studios (now Disney's Hollywood Studios) in Bay Lake, Florida. Development for the film began in 1994, when a number of artistic supervisors were sent to China to receive artistic and cultural inspiration. Mulan was well received by critics and the public who praised the animation, plot, characters (particularly the eponymous character), and musical score, and grossed over $304 million. It earned a Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination and won several Annie Awards, including Best Animated Feature. It was then followed by Mulan II in 2004, a direct-to-video sequel. A live-action adaptation directed by Niki Caro was released on September 4, 2020.
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Funko is an American company that manufactures licensed pop culture toys. Funko is most known for producing over 1000 different licensed vinyl figures. In addition, Funko produces licensed plush, bobbleheads, action figures, and licensed electronic items such as USB drives, lamps, and headphones.
Founded in 1998 by Mike Becker, the company was originally conceived by Becker as a small project to bring back various low-tech, nostalgia-themed toys in the high-tech world of today. Funko's first manufactured bobblehead was of the restaurant advertising icon Big Boy.
Sold in 2005, Funko LLC is now headed by Brian Mariotti as president. Since 2005, the company has increased the scope of unique toy lines, and has signed licensing deals with Marvel, DC Comics, WWE, Lucasfilm, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, Hasbro, CBS, Fox, Warner Bros, Disney, HBO, Peanuts, BBC, NFL, Ubisoft, NBCUniversal, Cartoon Network, 2K Games, Bethesda Games, and many more. Funko products now have worldwide distribution. According to Mariotti, "We were in the $40 million range for revenue [in 2013] — and $28 million of that was from Pop figures alone." In 2015, Funko added Mopeez, Dorbz, Vinyl Idolz, Vinyl Vixens, and Super Deluxe vinyl to their existing lines.
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