Movie Review: Mulan (2020)

Loyal, brave, and true is what the live-action Mulan teaches audiences. 

It has finally arrived! After 22 years, Mulan, the classic 1998 Disney animated movie, has finally been remade into a live-action film. Available to stream on Disney+ for 30 bucks, this Mulan movie joins the ranks of other successful adaptations, including The Lion King, Aladdin, and Beauty and the Beast. Its original release date was set for March of this year, but like everything else in 2020, that was pushed back due to the coronavirus. 

Background

Following the Hua family's story, Mulan sets out to represent her father in the imperial army under the disguise of a man to protect her dad, who is too fragile to fight. Ok, caught up yet?!

What Worked

The parts where Mulan truly shine is when Liu is battling the evil army. Liu is swift in her fight scenes, and she did 90% of it herself, which is impressive. The avalanche part was my favorite scene as it was close to what happened in the animated movie. The beautiful cinematography mixed with her fight scenes is captivating to watch, and that's where Mulan truly shines.

Even though big named stars like Jet Li and Gong Li are in this, the supporting character who truly stood out me is Donnie Yen's Commander Tung. Mulan's presumed love interest Hong Hui (Yoson An), is charming, but he is just another background character added to support Liu's Mulan. The film also has an international all-star Asian cast, much like the strong representation seen in Crazy Rich Asians, which is awesome. But a hidden Easter egg which I had to read upon was the appearance of Ming-Na Wen, who voiced the animated Mulan, makes a surprise cameo as an announcer in the imperial court.

Yes, I missed the 1998 animated film's catchy music and talking animals — which I thought there wasn't any magic in this film, but there are some CGI that I only wished they brought Mulan's sidekick Mushu to the screen too, where I was hoping he was going to say "DISHONOR TO YOUR COW!" — but I was swept away by the breathtaking Chinese backdrops and high-stakes battles. And there are plenty of them. With a PG-13 rating, this "Mulan" is a much more violent take on the ancient story. No funny grandmas with lucky crickets; lots of enemy soldiers killed by arrows.

Did We Like It?

We did. I have to say it is very different from the animated version. I am not sure I would call it live-action Mulan because it lacks the music and many characters. I would call it a new version of Mulan. The message of honor and family is empowering, rich, and beautiful. The movie is visually stunning, with a lot of fantastic action shots. We enjoyed the martial arts display. The film is long (2 hours). Still, it's hard not to compare this remake with the original, especially when you are, like me, a longtime fan.

How to Watch it

You need to have a Disney + subscription. Disney+ will offer Premier Access to "Mulan" for $29.99. Once you have Premier Access to Mulan, you can watch as many times as you want. To me, it is worth getting in the comfy of your couch and watch as many times you want. Or if you want to wait, it will be free in December. 

What each person is willing to pay to watch a movie is up to them, but I'm sure "Mulan" will make a fan out of you. We give it 3.5 out of 5 stars. -xo Mel