Mulan (2020)

My “reflection” on this film

1998’s animated Disney film Mulan is one of my favorite films. It managed to blend brilliant action sequences (that awesome avalanche scene) with an engaging and inspired tale. The 2020 version of the film attempts to do something similar with a few changes, additions, and removals and, to a degree, it succeeds. I enjoyed the film as I watched it, but I kept feeling as if something was missing. Read on to get my opinion on the film. There are a few spoilers in my review, but nothing too major.

The film’s plot is essentially the same as the animated film: Mulan, a misfit in her community, disguises herself as a boy in order to take her injured and aging father’s place in the Emperor’s army as it wages a defensive battle against a sinister invading force. Along the way she learns to be true to herself and shatters cultural barriers for women in the process.

There are also quite a few changes to the story, especially when it comes to the supporting characters. Most notably, there is no Mushu, Cri-Kee, Shan Yu, or Li Shiang. Instead, Bori Khan, a Rouran warrior determined to avenge his father’s death, replaces Shan Yu as the primary threat and, at least according to numerous sources including the production team, Li Shiang is replaced by two characters, Commander Tung and Chen Honghui. Shan Yu’s falcon from the animated film is replaced by a shapeshifting “witch” named Xianniang who joins forces with Bori Khan to overthrow the emperor.

Perhaps the biggest change of all was the addition of Mulan’s chi giving her superhuman powers. There are plenty of other reviews and critical lists about this film where you can see why the treatment of chi was disappointing to many, so I’ll let those people discuss that aspect of the film.

In all honesty, these changes didn’t bother me one bit. I viewed the film as its own movie and not as an adaptation of the animated classic.

I enjoyed this film. Director Niki Caro did especially well with character development. She quickly established the roles of the secondary characters and used the bulk of the film to develop Mulan. She hinted at the romance between Mulan and Chen without having it get in the way of the main plot. The action sequences were very good but could have been better. I’ll go more in depth on that topic in a minute. The music by Harry Gregson-Williams, a composer I have grown to love over the years, was epic when necessary and subdued when it aided the plot. Cinematographer Mandy Walker really shined with this film. There are many breathtaking wide shots (both real and CGI) that pop with color throughout the film.

The cast was excellent as well. Liu Yifei does an excellent job as Mulan. Donnie Yen’s performance as Commander Tung is very good as are the performances of Jason Scott Lee as Bori Khan and Yoson An as Chen. Of special note is Gong Li as Xianniang. Her character could have easily become an unintentionally funny character, but she made the “witch” both fierce and weak at the same time. I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing a film focus on her character. The rest of the cast, which includes Jet Li, Tzi Ma, Rosalind Chao, and Ron Yuan, all did admirable jobs in their roles. Of special note is a brief cameo by Ming-Na Wen, who voiced Mulan in the 1998 animated film.

My biggest gripe with this film is the action sequences. Yes, many of them were grand, but all of them seemed to be missing something. With nods to Wuxia films, the fight sequences included wall-walking, superhuman jumps, punches, and kicks, and excellent swordplay, but all of them just seemed to be too short. Just as things start to get going during the fighting sequences, the action swiftly ends. Sure, this is a Disney film so I don’t expect it to be full of blood and gore, but I would expect the fights to last a bit longer. In fact, the battle sequences in the animated film are superior to the live action movie in my opinion. With stars such as Yifei, Yen, Li, Lee, and more known for doing many and/or all of their own stunts, I believe that this movie missed out on a great opportunity to bring Wuxia to a large audience.

Had the film done a better job with the fight sequences, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. As it is, though, it’s still a very good film. I can’t comment on the cultural aspects of the movie as I’m not well versed on Chinese culture. The film was beautifully shot, had excellent pacing, and had a great moral of being true to oneself. If you enjoy war epics, this film might fall a bit short, but it’s still a very serviceable film. I liked it.

Thanks for reading my review. Let me know what you thought of the film in the comments section. I’ll have another film review coming soon!