Ancient China faces invasion by the barbarian hordes of Shan-Yu, and calls all able bodied men to arms to defend their Emperor. Young girl Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen) disguises herself as a boy and joins up in her aged father's place, accompanied by her protectors: guardian dragon Mushu (Eddie Murphy) and lucky cricket Cri-kee. Mulan trains under the handsome Captain Shang (B.D. Wong, with Donny Osmond handling the singing), with whom she is soon falling in love, and shows herself to be a capable warrior. When Mulan is wounded in battle, however, the secret of her gender is discovered and she faces exposure and disgrace.

Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer star in this Academy Award-winning musical drama adapted from the Broadway stage show. A neighbourhood in Manhattan, New York, provides the setting for a love affair between Tony (Beymer) and Maria (Wood), a young man and woman caught on opposite sides of a gang war. Maria is the sister of Bernardo (George Chakiris), leader of the Sharks, and Tony is the best friend of Riff (Russ Tamblyn), leader of the Jets. The two gangs are sworn enemies, and nothing Maria or Tony can say will dissuade them from the violence which leads to the film's heartbreaking finale. The film won ten Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Original Score.