CLEVELAND, Ohio -- “Mulan” might not have had the commercial or critical success of other animated movies from Disney’s 1990s glory days. But from a cultural standpoint, the film was just as, perhaps more, significant as “The Little Mermaid” or “Beauty and the Beast” because it gave young Asian American girls a Disney princess all their own.
That made it easier to overlook concerns about the movie’s racist caricatures, appropriation of Chinese culture, and gender norms, which were outdated even for 1998. Not to mention, it failed to meet the true measure of a good Disney movie: all of the songs, save for one (“Reflection”), are completely forgettable.
So, the studio was wise to ditch the source material and start over for the live-action “Mulan,” streaming on Disney+ starting Friday for $29.99. Representation indeed matters, but so does entertainment value, especially at this price point.
The new version, like the original, is based on the Chinese legend of Hua Mulan, which dates back all the way to the fourth century. If you’re expecting a wise-cracking dragon named Mushu voiced by Eddie Murphy to show up, this isn’t that movie.
When we meet her, Mulan, played by Yifei Liu, is an independent, free-spirited girl living in a close, tight-knitted village. She is one with her Chi, portrayed here as sort of the Chinese version of the Force and which gives her a particular set of skills that would make her a great warrior. But because she is a girl, she is told to repress her Chi and instead agree to an arranged marriage and “bring honor” to her family.
Fans of the original will get a kick out of the matchmaker scene. While completely reimagined, it’s still one of just a few instances of fan service (keep your ears on the music playing in the background of the scene and don’t miss a surprise cameo at the end, too) and the closest thing resembling the shot-for-shot callbacks that bogged down live-action versions of “Beauty and the Beast, " “Aladdin” and “The Lion King.”
From there, war breaks out in the country, forcing each family to send one man to join the fight. Mulan, loyal, brave but not exactly true, disguises herself as a man and runs off to take her ailing father’s place in the Imperial Army.
The film wanders into familiar territory in the base camp scenes, from the awkward situations typical of gender disguise movies to the standard “Rocky”-style training montage from every underdog movie. The story finally finds its groove when the battalion is sent to fight and Mulan is forced to reveal her true identity.
Director Niki Caro (“Whale Rider”) deserves credit for bringing “Mulan” not only into the real-ish world, but giving it a modern sensibility and level of authenticity, too. Her heroine is already strong, gifted and empowered at the jump, and doesn’t need a man, as the song goes, to make a man out of her. Instead, the script gives Mulan an unlikely ally, a witch played by Gong Li, for a more feminist bent. The new version also disposes of Li Shang, Mulan’s shirtless and somewhat problematic supervisor/love interest with Donny Osmond’s singing voice from the cartoon. Yoson An as Honghu takes his place in a relationship that’s less creepy and more platonic.
The original “Mulan” is one of the few Disney animated films with a body count. Still, this version is darker and more violent than you’d expect even in 2020 given the target audience. And, unlikely as it sounds, the film is much more of an action movie than it is a fairy tale. Caro brings the high-energy of a Jason Bourne movie and the gravity-defying flair of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” to the fight sequences. Disney clearly wanted to broaden the film’s appeal and the presence of martial arts stars Donnie Yen, Jet Li and Jason Scott Lee certainly add gravitas to the proceedings. For hodophiles, the film is gorgeously shot and does justice to the beauty of China and New Zealand, where the movie was also shot. It’s a shame the film isn’t playing on the big screen.
But the movie is far from perfect. The message, while admirable, is surface-level deep, and the film is fraught with cliches and one-dimensional characters. There’s a noticeable lack of emotion that Christina Aguilera belting a few bars of “Reflection” could’ve easily fixed.
The release of “Mulan” has been delayed several times, yet its arrival this weekend comes at just the right moment. This is an aspirational film, for Asian Americans and young women. That makes it relevant, particularly in these divided times. But more than that, the movie, with its heroic story, intense action and sweeping scenery, is an unexpected epic-- the kind of escapism all of us could use right now. In those ways, consider “Mulan” priceless.
“Mulan” is available to Disney+ subscribers who unlock Premier Access for $29.99 starting Sept. 4. The film will be available to all subscribers at no extra charge beginning Dec. 4.
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Disney’s live-action ‘Mulan’ strays from the original, and that’s a good thing - cleveland.com
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