Mulan

It`s easy to be cynical about Walt Disney animated films, but at their best these movies can be very special experiences - most of us grew up on Snow White and Bambi, which are masterpieces of animation. These days, Disney films are invariably criticised for the messages they are seen to carry to young, impressionable audiences all over the world.

Mulan will undoubtedly have its critics, but it represents Disney animation at its best. It`s an original, though familiar, story about a brave young woman who, when the Huns invade China, takes her elderly father`s place, disguising herself as a man in order to join the army and fight the enemy...Of course, no Disney film would be complete without a cute animal or two, and Mulan has Mushu, a small dragon who speaks with the unmistakable voice of Eddie Murphy - Mushu provides some genuinely funny comedy. But most of the characters are voiced by Asian Americans, and a great deal of trouble and artistry has gone into the design of the characters and the settings. Mulan is visually very beautiful; it`s also a stirring, entertaining story which children of all ages should thoroughly enjoy,