Mulan movie review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: Mulan (2020) Available on Disney+ (access online, not the app)

RATING: PG-13 (This is the first Disney live-action remake to have this rating.)

LENGTH: 1 hour, 55 minutes

Movie Review Mom GRADE: A-

IN A NUTSHELL:

The long-awaited live-action version of Mulan is finally available and it is visually stunning! The good news: the new Disney Plus channel is offering it. The bad news: you have to pay a premium of $29 for it on top of your subscription fee. Come on, Disney…don’t be like that! We’ve all had a tough 2020. Surely you’ll make enough money on your Disney Plus channel subscriptions. Don’t be so greedy. You and this movie need more heart.

Don’t expect this live version to be exactly like the animated musical because it is definitely not. Tony Bancroft, one of the directors of the original animation, is thrilled that this live-action version is not like the animated version. Instead, there are more details and realistic characters to discover but without the music and charm of the original. It is based more accurately on the Ballad of Mulan than the animated film.

If you hated the shot-by-shot remake of The Lion King, you’ll love this completely reimagined remake. If you loved the music and humor of the original Mulan, you might be disappointed. Enjoying this movie is all about managing your expectations!

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

There is a new villain/witch, but she’s pretty cool and not very scary.
There are some moments that allude to homosexuality among the soldiers.
Sexist talk about girls among the soldiers
Two soldiers take off their clothes to bathe in a lake but you don’t see anything below the shoulders.
Children will learn about “chi”, the inner force that guides energy and force.
In the animated version, the Huns were the enemy, but this movie features the Rouran, which is more historically accurate for the time period.
Lots of bloodless fighting with a high body count

THEMES:

Values: Loyal, brave, and true
Control
Sons vs. daughters / men vs. women
Being accepted for who you are (Both the villain and protagonist desire the same thing)
Don’t hide your gifts. Live your truth.
“A lie can only live so long.” – Zhou (Tzi Ma)
Female empowerment and how women are seen in society
“Rise up like a phoenix.” – Emperor (Jet Li)
Forgiveness
Pride
Devotion to family
Honor
Loyalty to country

THINGS I LIKED:

Every frame in the film is a work of art. Truly gorgeous to experience.
Liu Yifei performs 90% of her stunts as an impressive Mulan. She rides a horse, fights with a sword, and does martial arts. Those were some of the skills the casting directors were looking for while interviewing over 1000 candidates for the role! Some critics say she is too stiff, but her lack of overexaggerated emotions is authentically Chinese.
You get to see beautiful and ancient China: rice fields, villages, the famous “Forbidden City”, landscapes. The actual Forbidden City is MASSIVE! I love China and have been there many times for business. It’s an incredible country of rich beauty and heritage. Some of the scenes were filmed in mainland China, although the majority were shot in New Zealand.
The talented cast includes Yifei Liu, Donnie Yen, Li Gong, Jet Li, Jason Scott Lee, Tzi Ma, Jun Yu, Chen Tang, Jimmy Wong. By the way, when is Rosalind Chao going to start aging?
There is a lot of gorgeous imagery.
Some cool CGI.
Jet Li initially rejected the offer to play the role of Emperor, but when his daughters reminded him that the movie would feature Chinese culture in a lovely way, he changed his mind and accepted the role.
The phoenix is beautiful and is the perfect imagery for Mulan and her “rebirth.” The witch’s fingers look like talons, which is an appropriate contrast to the Phoenix.
In a movie that shines the spotlight on a female hero, it’s appropriate that the director is also female: Niki Caro.
A lot of attention to detail was paid to ensure the movie was historically accurate. For example, the costume designer, Bina Daigeler, researched in China for weeks.
The music is inspiring and sweeping.
I loved the song Loyal Brave True (From “Mulan”) at the end of the movie. I also loved the familiar Mulan song from the original that played during the rolling credits sung in Mandarin. Lovely.
The castle you see at the beginning of the movie is from the new Shanghai Disneyland!
Look for the fun cameo of Ming-Na Wen from the original animation! She looks beautiful, as always. Seriously, Asian women never age! If you blink, you’ll miss it. (She introduces Mulan in the palace toward the end of the film.)

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

It’s not a musical!!! I’m so disappointed.
Mushu the ancestral dragon is missing!
I hate fake-looking stunts and there is a lot of that. It’s called Wire-Fu, which some people love.
Instead of an actual cricket that accompanies Mulan like in the animation, there is a soldier whose nickname is Cricket, but there is no special connection that runs as a thread throughout the movie.
Some important scenes are cut short as missed opportunities. For example, in the animation, quite a bit of time is spent with Mulan as she makes the big decision to take her father’s place as a soldier. In this remake, that epic moment lasts only a moment.
The movie tries to be realistic, yet Mulan doesn’t wear her armor in battle.
In the original movie, Mulan is a pretty typical girl who becomes great. In this film, Mulan has magical powers from the beginning, making it hard for all of us average girls to relate to.
Some of the CGI is very noticeable.
A villain should be equal to a protagonist to provide balance. In this movie, there are 2 villains but it’s still not balanced.
They dubbed Jet Li’s voice and it looks super weird. Why???

FUNNY LINES:

None. This movie is a very serious drama.

INTERESTING LINES:

“There is no courage without fear.” – Zhou (Tzi Ma)
“Devotion to family is an essential virtue.” – Emperor (Jet Li)
“One warrior knows another. You were always there and I see you for the very first time.” – Zhou (Tzi Ma)
“The girl became a soldier. The soldier became a leader and the leader became a legend.” – narrator

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