Film Review: Mulan

Out of all the live-action remakes of Disney animated classics, Mulan seemed like the one that had the most potential. For people in my age group, in their late 20s, the 1998 film came out at just the perfect time, and it has rightfully endured over the years as a favorite among many Disney fans. I remember it being one that I revisited often on VHS as well. However, while it may hold a special place in many hearts, it’s easy to see where improvements or tweaks can theoretically be made, which brings us to the live-action film, which has now hit Disney+, for a temporary premium price.

The new film follows the same basic plot skeleton of the original film. We have an adventurous girl, Mulan (Liu Yifei), who struggles to fit in her society and her family’s desire to be an elegant and traditional woman that can be married off. Things turn sideways when an order is placed for a man in every family to be sent to fight in the war against northern invaders, forcing Mulan’s father, Hua Zhou (Tzi Ma) to take part. However, Mulan takes it upon herself to disguise as a man, and take his place in the army.

Initial impressions from the marketing might make you think the film goes into whole new directions, but that doesn’t really seem to be the case. It’s not necessarily a shot-for-shot remake in the vein of the 2017 Beauty And The Beast. There are additions made to the film, some elements of the original taken out, most notably Mushu (which is totally fine by me) and the musical numbers, but the film’s story beats and arcs remain largely identical, and the additions made here don’t really add much to what was already in place. In fact, some changes serve to undercut what made the original as effective as it was.

Mulan as a character begins already as a young girl, wielding a stick, practicing her swordplay with great competency. Along with that, she jumps around in complex aerial acrobatics because she is high in chi, which is treated in this film like it’s the force from Star Wars. As a result, there’s never a sense of her coming into her own as a warrior because she’s already great at what she does. It leaves the only sense of tension to come from her hiding her secret, which is resolved in a way that doesn’t feel as impactful as it did in the original.

Other new elements are hit-and-miss. Gong Li shows up as Xianniang, a witch fighting alongside the head of the invaders, Bori Khan (Jason Scott Lee), but as striking a presence as she is, not only does her character’s journey feel like it was given the bare minimum, if you expected her to bare any resemblance to the character of the same name from the Chinese folklore, you will be sorely disappointed. There’s also a new kinda-sorta love interest in the form of Chen Honghui (Yoson An), who is sorely lacking in personality and chemistry with Liu Yifei. Their moments together are nowhere near as engaging as the bond between Mulan and Captain Li Shang from the animated film.

If there is one area where the film shines, it’s through the visual flourishes courtesy of director Niki Caro, her cinematographer Mandy Walker, and all the work put into the costumes, stunt work, and action sequences. It’s a lovely film to look at, and there’s plenty of style put into it. I might even go as far as to say it’s one of, if not the best directed out of all these live-action Disney remakes so far. The action, while not as impressive as the wuxia films it’s clearly drawing from, is still really fun to watch, though it is sometimes undermined by moments of over-cutting.

Many of these live-action Disney films can be best described with one word, which is “uninspired,” and sadly, Mulan doesn’t really veer away from this trend. It’s not a terrible movie, it’s perfectly watchable, and at times, quite enjoyable, but in moments where it seemed like they had the opportunity to do something new and interesting with the material, they decide not to. Despite plenty of moments where they could have drawn from the original folklore, the filmmakers simply rely on the audience’s affection for the animated film, and further complicates or muddles the tight, efficient storytelling of the original. There is a lot of work put into the film, technically speaking, and that is commendable, and the same goes for its cast being made up entirely of Asian actors, both known and unknown, which I’m sure will bring joy to audiences wanting to see themselves on screen. Though, there is something to say about the performative representation Disney puts in a film like this, which despite all the Asians we see onscreen, there is not nearly as many behind the camera, and in all the major department positions. Plus, there’s Liu Yifei’s comments regarding the Hong Kong protests, which has sparked some backlash. It’s a lot of baggage for a film that’s not even remotely interesting enough to carry it. Had it not been for the pandemic, this would’ve come, made it’s billion dollars, and then gone and forgotten like most of these movies, and I don’t think its shift to Disney+ will make that much of a different outcome aside from lesser box office intake. I’m sure it will have its fans, but to me, this isn’t a film worth fighting for.

Mulan is now available on Disney+.