'Mulan' Review
PG-13: Sequences of violence
Runtime: 1 Hr and 55 Minutes
Production Companies: Walt Disney Pictures
Distributor: Disney+
Director: Niki Caro
Writers: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Lauren Hynek, Elizabeth Martin
Cast: Liu Yifei, Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Gong Li, Jet Li
Release Date: September 4, 2020
When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation… and a proud father.
As someone who absolutely despised the last few Disney live-action remakes, I was on the fence about Niki Caro’s live-action take on Mulan. While I do love the 1998 animated film, I didn’t want a direct, and less extravagant, carbon copy remake as a means for Disney to make a quick buck. Thankfully, that is far from the case here. As far as narratives go, the film is a mixture of both the classic folklore and the Disney film, the former being the primary source of inspiration. While it doesn’t feature any musical sequences, the story beats follow some of the same rhythms as the animated film. It’s also complemented by Harry Gregson-Williams’ fantastical score, which, very much like the film itself, finds its own path while retaining the familiar melodies of its iconic songs that correspond with the recognizable beats.
One of the core elements that allow this take of Mulan to stand on its own is the tone. What was once a very upbeat and energetic action-comedy is now a straight-up action flick. Caro takes an appropriately straightforward approach that captures the grim reality of war. Because this film aligns more with the original source material, there’s a central focus on Mulan herself. It fleshes out Mulan as both a dimensional character and a badass warrior, alongside the relationship she shares with everyone around her, especially with her father Hua Zhou (Tzi Ma).
Liu Yifei truly shines as the iconic titular character. Yifei brings all of the known characteristics of Mulan — from her courageous spirit to her fiery confidence — to the forefront. She’s a talented actress who carries the film with grace and resilience. She’s also super badass. She did most of her stunt work she did and she nails being a powerful warrior. However, the scene she shares with Tzi Ma is the emotional core of the film that summarizes what Mulan’s story is all about. They are two experienced performers who are great at what they do and they truly drive it home.
There is absolutely no Whitewashing to be found in Mulan and the fact that they shot on location instead of on a soundstage is a huge leg up over many other live-action Disney remakes. The people behind this film went out of their way to make Mulan a large-scale epic and, for the most part, they succeeded. China’s natural beauty is on display through Mandy Walker’s luscious cinematography. It’s also admirable that the filming locations weren’t limited to landmarks like the Great Wall of China; the film’s team went above and beyond to give the movie an authentic feel.
Thank GOD this Mulan adaptation has a COMPLETELY Asian cast. As I mentioned earlier, Tzi Ma is fantastic. Donnie Yen, who portrays Mulan’s commanding officer Tung, is also great. He carries his role with a likable sense of leadership. Donnie Yen is such a charismatic delight, but the only disappointing part about his character is that he doesn’t receive any badass moments in the film. Even Jet Li, who plays the Emperor, is given more action to work with. Yoson An portrays the love interest, Chen Honghui, who basically embodies all of the bisexual components of Li Shang, but as a soldier. The scenes that An and Yifei share are charming, but they lack romantic tension.
Though the serious angle of this tale is admirable, some humor should’ve been interjected. This film was so set on straying from most elements of the animated film that it forgot one of the best aspects — the comedy. Though there are hardly any, none of the few comedic beats work. The action is so cartoonish that a bit of humor would’ve gone a long way.
As far as production goes, Mulan is one of the better Disney live-action remakes. It would’ve joined the ranks of Jungle Book (2016) — which also benefited from a great story that borrowed from two sources — if it wasn’t for its egregiously sloppy editing. Mulan has to be one of the most poorly-edited features I’ve seen in a long time. It might even get nominated for (and win) an Oscar because the editing is Bohemian Rhapsody-levels of garbage. It’s clear that the action sequences are meant to pay homage to the over-the-top, vibrant, and fast-paced style of old Shaw Brothers wuxia movies, but it fails to do so because of its editing. Mulan follows the infuriating westernized “one cut per combat move” formula where each small movement a character does is followed by a quick cut. If you so much as blink, you’ll likely miss a portion of the action.
Something that the animated film did well was its realistic portrayal of gender and exhibiting the stakes that Mulan faced with intense moments. In this live-action adaptation, the handling of the theme of gender norms is flimsy as it provides a significant twist that is nonchalant in its execution and hinders what the story is all about. There’s a new shape-shifting sorceress named Xian Lang (played by Gong Li), who serves as both an antagonist and a contrast to Mulan. The two share the desire to be seen as respected warriors by society despite their genders. As far as romance goes, this could’ve really driven it home since the two shared the most intimate scenes together. This might have nailed Mulan as the bisexual icon that many bisexuals look up to because the scenes between her and Xian Lang were so strong. There are little glances or moments like Lang caressing Mulan’s hair. But because this film comes from the heteronormative, Chinese-market-pleasing Disney, the queerbaiting is heavier than ever before. What they do instead is make Mulan’s sexuality ambiguous, for her romances with Chen and Xian go nowhere.
All in all, Mulan serves as a decent live-action adaptation in terms of production quality and is bolstered by good performances, especially Liu Yifei’s. Unfortunately, this is undermined by poor editing choices and undercooking its central theme. Due to the lack of soul, Mulan ends up being a lesser reflection of a largely more memorable film.
Rating: 3/5 | 66%
