“Mulan” Film Review

Disney wants to keep milking money and sucking that beautiful soul of their animated movies library, and turn them into live-action remakes with a distinct lack of heart. Thankfully, their newest update, this time for Mulan, is a visually stirring reboot with entertaining action and an appropriately grandiose scale. Like most of the studio’s new spins on their classic stories, everything is taken too seriously, especially in this one, which is going for an edgier, more battle-packed tale. That’s what you’d expect when you take a look at that PG-13 rating. The thing is, director Nicky Caro doesn’t go far enough to make this truly realistic, nobody speaks mandarin, and there’s even a magical aspect involved in it. No, the movie’s strong suit is when we really get into the action sequences, set in beautiful locations and peppered with impressive editing. Too bad we’ve lost most of what made the original so fantastic.

Mulan herself enters the film on her feet, swiftly chasing a protesting chicken, jumping from roof-to-roof with grace. She’s just a little kid, and you already know that Disney’s new movie has some special abilities in store for the once ordinary girl. Just like the original, this rebellious, butt-kicking young woman will soon be forced to marry a man she has never met, but don’t worry, feminism will prevail. If you’ve seen the classic 1998 version, everything I’m explaining will be for nought, though I will still do it. Remember how her father has some kind of a disabled leg, too old to fight in the war? Well, the Hua family must fight in an on-going war against the Huns, and he doesn’t have any sons to head off to battle. Because her father is clearly unfit, Mulan suits up as a man, donning badass armor, her daddy’s sword, and rides to the training camp instead.

Sadly, there isn’t any cricket for good luck, or Eddie Murphy’s Mushu to cheer you up, although we do get some well-choreographed training sequences, and a glimpse of Yifei Liu in action. Let me tell you, Liu may not have the emotional heft to truly carry a powerful performance, in the action, I couldn’t imagine anyone better. The actress makes this character a true warrior, and I do like that aspect, which occasionally makes up for her lack of soul. The men in the camp, of course, are clumsy, stupid and a bit inappropriate I may add. A couple can’t even keep their hands to themselves during the night, unaware, I hope. We also lose that touching romance in between Mulan, and her general Li Shang due to the #MeToo movement, nevertheless considering some of the themes of the two movies, it was a bit necessary.

Instead, we have the uber-talented Donnie Yen of the IP franchise, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. Yen, as the general in the film, may not have enough acton, but it’s still cool to see him show off some moves The cast overall is a mostly positive factor, with a few exceptions. I’ve already talked about our heroine, but she isn’t it. Yen is impressive, and famed martial artist Jet Li even takes on the role of The Emperor, a movie decently fit for the guy. Gong Li, who you may know from 2006’s Miami Vice, is very good as the main villain, a shape-shifting witch of sorts named Xian Lang. The classic villain, however, is disappointingly sidelined, this time played by Jason Scott Lee, who’s looking for revenge. Overall, I enjoyed the performances, but there wasn’t really a standout to praise.

The most powerful moment in this entire movie, arguably, is when Mulan decides to show her feminine side herself. They don’t do that in the original movie, and it was a big loss for them. The scene is where she’s fed-up with deceiving everybody of her true gender, and let’s her hair go in the middle of a battle. It’s already captivating to watch this actress in the action, but what an addition. Props to Nicky Caro for tweaking this aspect, as she handles gender, intimacy…and the violence with a sure-hand. Of course, what violence we get is decidedly bloodless and antiseptic, and while it would be incredibly bold to see an R-rated Mulan, we’ll have to take this as a step in the right direction for Disney reboots, because it’s there best one yet. Forget all the scenery and visuals galore, I consider this a smarter approach to one of their more mature animated movies.

The final opinion is: Notwithstanding the disappointing lack of soul and joy, this Mulan adaptation is a beautifully shot, action-packed update with a capable lead actress…$PLURGE IT

Badass, Action-Packed and Epic...These are the Qualities We See in "Mulan"

“Mulan” Film Review

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