Mulan (2020)

Directed by: Niki Caro | 117 minutes | action, adventure | Actors: Yifei Liu, Donnie Yen, Gong Li, Jet Li, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Tzi Ma, Rosalind Chao, Pei-Pei Cheng, Xana Tang, Ron Yuan, Jun Yu, Chen Tang, Doua Moua, Jimmy Wong, Nelson Lee

After new versions of ‘Jungle Book’, ‘Beauty and the Beast’, ‘Aladdin’ and ‘The Lion King’, it was the turn of ‘Mulan’ in 2020. Originally a Disney animated film from 1998, this version is a “live action” remake.

The story of Mulan (Yifei Liu) is based on Chinese folk tales from the 4th/5th century BC. The film uses the same basic elements as the animated version: when the Empire is threatened by enemies, each family must provide a warrior for the army. Mulan’s father (Tzi Ma) has a limp and has no sons to take his place. So Mulan decides to dress up as a man and enlist in the Imperial army. It leads to adventures and love for a fellow soldier.

A few things have changed compared to the 1998 version: the funny dragon Mushu has disappeared and Mulan has got a younger sister. The main change is that Mulan’s love Li Shang is also written out of the story. After the attention for #metoo from 2018, the makers no longer thought it appropriate to give Mulan a romantic partner who is also her manager. Instead, his character traits are split into the more paternal Commander Tong (Donnie Yen) and the budding romance is with recruit Chen Honghui (Yoson An). Well-known actors appear in supporting roles, such as Jet Li as the emperor, Gong Li as the witch Xianniang and Jason Scott Lee as the villain, Khan.

The update looks great, with great visual effects, but offers few new and improved elements compared to the original animated film. Then why this remake? The cynical viewers will mainly think “Making money” – which, of course, is ultimately the goal of movie studios. But why not tell a new, inspiring story than a remake with real actors? Despite all the time, money, care and attention that has clearly been put into the film, it still feels somewhat redundant. The film also caused controversy, as scenes were filmed in a Chinese province that also includes internment camps for Uyghurs, where international organizations accuse the Chinese government of serious and systematic human rights violations.

Those who only concentrate on the film itself will certainly not be disappointed. ‘Mulan’ has flashy action scenes, beautiful graphics and fantastic landscapes, with the actors breathing new life into the old legend with verve.

Due to the corona pandemic in 2020, the film was only released in limited theaters and almost immediately on the online streaming service Disney Plus.