If each Disney princess of this era is an attempt to evolve the archetype, Mulan combines Ariel’s yearning, Belle’s intelligence, Jasmine’s outspokenness, and Pocahontas’ sense of duty into the most nuanced, richly drawn Disney heroine of the 1990s.

Mulan marks a sumptuous return to top form, and it can stand comparison with anything done in the classic era of Disney animation. Back then, Snow White dreamed that some day her prince would come. Today, the prince would not find Mulan waiting for him.

The color palette is stunning, the attention to detail exquisite and the merger of computer-animated epic scenes with intricate, hand-drawn passages is seamless.

Mulan is beautiful. It soars, laughs and cries. It's as delicate as a late-blooming cherry blossom and as solid as the Great Wall of China.