Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney. And back to Vs., the idea for this Vs. came to me, when I was thinking about the upcoming princess retrospective and how these two have always stood out as the two that seemed out of place in that particular line-up. Now, this'll include Personality (Round 1), Defining Moment (round 2), Song (Round 3), Support (Round 4), The Film Factor (The Final Round). With that out of the way, let's begin.
Personality (Round 1)
Pocahontas
Pocahontas is described as being noble, outgoing, adventurous, and kind. Which is nice and do not misunderstand me, I do not hate her but these are traits that we've seen in previous female Disney characters. Take Jasmine or Ariel for example, they both displayed a sense of being outgoing and adventurous. Unlike those two, however, Pocahontas isn't rebellious. Not that all rebellious characters are good characters but there isn't much that makes this character stand out. I don't hate her but it does seem like the traits of previous Disney characters were thrown into a mixing bowl to create this character. Though, do not misunderstand me as we do see some semblance of doubt and fear in Pocahontas such as the arranged marriage or when she confronts John Smith before he is about to be executed but there are times in the film, where she just seems emotionless. Not all the time but there are moments of this. Going back to my Ariel comparison, the relationship with her father is eerily similar of the Ariel/Triton relationship but again, this was done better in that film.
Mulan
Mulan, in her film develops through her time in the army. She starts off as best put meek and unsure of herself but as Ping, she grows to be more assertive over time and however, she is very smart and bright but just, I don't know if I'd say introverted at first but just uncomfortable in the situation that she was in, but as described she grows and we see her character expand over the course of the film and for that reason, I have to give this round to...
Defining Moment (Round 2)
Pocahontas Saves John Smith (Pocahontas)
You Said You Trust Ping, Why Is Mulan Any Different (Mulan)
I think this one line sums up Mulan pretty well. Shang had come to trust Ping throughout the film and understandably was hurt and angry, when he learned the truth of Ping's true identity, being Mulan but this line sums her up perfectly. She is telling the truth and wants the trust of the people, she served with but she doesn't have it because of the prior incident. It's a great moment to be sure but I do think that Pocahontas has the stronger moment and for that reason, I'm giving this round to....
Pocahontas
Song (Round 3)
I at first was going to use Just Around the Riverbend but compared to this number, it's the weaker song and Colors of The Wind does a better job of letting us know who this character is. And more importantly, what she stands for. She is one that is nature, no just lives in it, but a part of it. And through this song, she is tying to teach John Smith, quite a valuable lesson, that we are all a part of nature and that we need to protect it.
I love this song, it's one of my all time favorite Disney songs. Yeah, there's a bias here. It's a truly great song that perfectly delves into who Mulan is and how she feels that she cannot be what is expected of her because that is not who she is, yet she fears being herself will dishonor her family name. That is just so sad and the way, Lea Salonga sings this number. Oh, just breathtaking. Perhaps my only regret is that I didn't discover the original full version until only a few years ago. Here ya go.
I really like the full version of the song, maybe just a bit more then the final film version but I love this song and I consider it one of the greatest Disney songs of all time. So yeah, obvious winner is...
Mulan
Support (Round 4)
Grandmother Willow (Pocahontas)
Now Grandmother Willow has a very minor role in the film but she is someone, I would call a magical mother. (a reference to an old blog, I wrote years ago). What I mean by this is that, she is very caring and nurturing and willing to listen to whatever Pocahontas needs to say. She's a good character that as her name implies is very much like a grandmother.
Mushu (Mulan)
Mushu for all intents and purposes, at the start of the his film, is rather selfish and only looking out for himself. He does grow to be more likeable over the course of the film but he wasn't looking out for Mulan in the beginning and just wanted to prove himself. So, while it makes him a fun character, I do think that Grandmother Willow is the better support and for that reason this round goes to...
Pocahontas
The Film Factor (The Final Round)
We are all tied up, this is it, The Final Round to determine once and for all, who is the better character and who works better in their respective film.
Pocahontas
Pocahontas is perhaps the best character in her film and I would even argue the most memorable. The problem is, that she really doesn't a strong supporting cast of characters. Aside from maybe Meeko and John Smith, Pocahontas is the only character that really stands out in her film. And does bug me a bit, because this is isn't a bad film but it's dreagged down by it's characters other it's lead.
Mulan
Mulan, on the other hand is a great character that is strengthened through the support of strong supporting character such as Mushu, Shang, or the Army. And to me, the way these characters play off of each other so well highlight why Mulan is a great character and why she works so well in her film. And why I get invested in her arc. And for that reason, I have to give this round to...
Mulan
The End Result!
By a score of 3 -2, Mulan is the victor. Here's the way, I look at it, Pocahontas is a good a character form an okay movie, while Mulan is a great character from a fantastic movie. This is just my opinion, let me know what you think in the comments below. Peace!
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