Mulan released directly to Disney Plus!
Mulan is the latest live action adaption by Walt Disney Pictures. It is not technically based on Disney’s 1998 animated film of the same name, but more so on the Chinese folklore “The Ballad of Mulan”. The film stars Yifei Liu as Mulan, and features both new and familiar side characters.
Set in imperial China, Hua Mulan is an adventurous young woman trying her best to fit in. As a young woman in her culture, she is expected to be content as a wife and house keeper, but Mulan does not want either of those things. Mulan desires to bring honor to her family, but she also wants follow her heart and be her own person. She is basically told that she cannot do both, and this serves as the primary conflict and driving force behind the story.
If you know anything about the story, you know that Mulan pretends to be a young man, and takes her fathers place in the imperial army. She then proceeds to impress her new army comrades and eventually saves the day multiple times. She becomes a decorated war hero and even rescues the emperor of China. In the end, she finds a way to both be herself and bring honor to her family.
This tale of Mulan might surprise viewers.
I really enjoyed Mulan. I found it to be entertaining, fast-paced and well made all around. I expected it to be different from the cartoon Disney version, and it was indeed very different. Walt Disney Pictures took a very different approach with this live action adaption, and hopefully it pays off for them.
There was a lot of unrealistic combat, mixed with some spiritual elements that made the film feel original. When Disney announced that they were removing Mushu and the animated songs, I expected the movie to be more real and grounded, but this was not the case. The combat was off the wall, literally, and they did not hold back when it came to magical abilities.
Overall I really liked this new Mulan film, and I plan to watch it again soon. Whether you decide to buy Mulan, or wait for it’s free release on Disney+, I definitely recommend watching it.
Director: Niki Caro
Starring: Yifei Liu, Donnie Yen, Li Gong, and more
Runtime: 1hr 55min
Rated: PG-13
HFR Rating:
