Heads up! This review contains some spoilers for the live-action remake of “Mulan.”
Learning that a childhood favorite is getting a remake can be both exciting and upsetting. On one hand, something you’ve loved is getting new life breathed into it, but on the other hand, there’s the possibility that it won’t live up to your expectations. The live-action remake of Disney’s “Mulan” not only lives up to, but exceeds expectations.
“Mulan” (2020) was scheduled for release in March, but was postponed due to COVID-19. Instead, the film was released with premier access Friday, Sept. 4 on Disney+. While the new adaptation follows the same plotline as the 1998 original animated film, the live-action remake tells a much more dramatic and empowering story.
There are a few differences between the original and the 2020 remake—this new adaptation more closely follows the original folk song “Ballad of Mulan” more closely, the film isn’t a musical and some of our favorite characters are missing—Mushu, General Li Shang and the lucky cricket. However, the introduction of two new characters makes up for the absence of Shang and our favorite animated cricket.
Being a big fan of musicals, I thought that the absence of music would curb my enthusiasm for the movie, but I was wrong. While I missed the songs that I knew and loved, I didn’t mind that they weren’t there once I became invested in the movie.
The remake is action-packed from start to finish. We are introduced to a world where girls are told to limit themselves because they can’t be warriors, and from the moment we first see her, Mulan doesn’t let that stop her. From the time she’s a little girl, we see her engaging in daring feats around her home village to the chagrin and chastisement of her community and her family, which includes a younger sister—another nod to the original poem. Although there’s no music, an instrumental version of the iconic song “Reflection” plays in the background throughout the movie, bringing a sense of familiarity and nostalgia to the film.
Another key difference between the original and the remake is the replacement of the Huns with the Rourans—another nod to the original poem. The Rourans work with a “witch” of sorts by the name of Xianniang who, like Mulan, has been told all her life to act like a proper lady and behave herself. Ostracized by her community, Xianniang is fighting to be accepted for the strong woman that she is, using her power to force herself into the narrative. These ideas of acceptance, femininity and finding your inner strength are so much more defined in the live-action film than the animated counterpart, and I found that refreshing. Most Disney movies in the princess franchise barely scratch the surface on darker themes as a way to make the film more palatable for children, but this film thankfully steers slightly away from that pattern.
Now, when a new film is released, there is bound to be some controversy, and “Mulan” (2020) does not escape that. The film has been met with poor reception by Chinese audiences because of lead actress Yifei Liu’s support of the Hong Kong police during a time where countries worldwide are re-evaluating their policing tactics. Critics have also objected to the closing credits’ thanks to government groups in the Xinjiang region, where Uyghur Muslims are being held in internment camps, as well as the film’s handling of Chinese cultural elements, specifically the treatment of qi, the traditional idea in Chinese martial arts and medicine that concerns a person’s energy flow. The film uses qi as a magical element rather than a convention that requires dedication and practice.
Disney makes magic happen, but not without some controversy. This film follows that pattern, as do a majority of films that base their content on cultural and historical references that differ from Western culture. “Mulan” is a film with its merits and its flaws, but it’s a spirit-lifting experience nonetheless for fans of the franchise and the original film.
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September 15, 2020 at 09:00PM
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