▁the ▁fast - mov ing ▁plot ▁and ▁rich ▁animation ." ▁O wen ▁G le iber man ▁of ▁Entertainment ▁Week ly ▁grad ed ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁B + ▁writing ▁" V ivid ly ▁animated , ▁with ▁a ▁burst ing ▁p alette ▁that ▁ev okes ▁both ▁the ▁win try ▁grande ur ▁and ▁decor ative ▁spl endor ▁of ▁ancient ▁China , ▁Mul an ▁is ▁art ful ▁and ▁satisfying ▁in ▁a ▁slightly ▁remote ▁way ." ▁ ▁Gene ▁S isk el ▁of ▁the ▁Chicago ▁Trib une ▁described ▁the ▁film ▁as ▁" a ▁big ▁disappoint ment ▁when ▁compared ▁with ▁the ▁studio ' s ▁other ▁recent ▁films ▁about ▁a ▁female ▁hero ▁searching ▁for ▁independence ." ▁He ▁was ▁further ▁critical ▁of ▁Mul an ' s ▁character ization ▁in ▁comparison ▁to ▁A riel ▁and ▁Belle , ▁and ▁claimed ▁the ▁" design ▁of ▁the ▁film ▁does ▁not ▁take ▁advantage ▁of ▁the ▁insp iration ▁provided ▁by ▁classic ▁Chinese ▁artists , ▁and ▁the ▁songs ▁are ▁not ▁memor able ." ▁Review ing ▁the ▁film ▁for ▁the ▁Los ▁Angeles ▁Times , ▁Kenneth ▁Tur an ▁wrote ▁" M ul an ▁has ▁its ▁accomplish ments , ▁but ▁unlike ▁the ▁best ▁of ▁Disney ' s ▁output , ▁it ▁comes ▁off ▁as ▁more ▁manufact ured ▁than ▁mag ical ." ▁While ▁he ▁pra ised ▁the ▁title ▁character , ▁he ▁highlight ed ▁that ▁the ▁" by - now - standard ▁hip ▁pat ter ▁( prepare ▁for ▁j okes ▁about ▁cross - d ress ing ) ▁is ▁so ▁te pid ▁that ▁not ▁even ▁five ▁cred ited ▁writers ▁can ▁rev ive ▁it , ▁and ▁the