The ballad of Mulan, a sixth-century war poem about a Chinese warrior who hid her sex while serving in the army for 12 years, manages to resonate to this day. A story about hiding who you are and defying the low expectations of those around you, ultimately saving them, is packed with dramatic potential, and it's no wonder Disney's animated classic. from 1998, Mulan is so beloved, not even Disney considered it suitable. to give the movie a live makeover. What's confusing, however, is how little the Mulan reboot pays much attention to the central character of it or what made the previous Disney movie work. The result is a patchwork of flashy martial arts, incongruous CGI, and forced seriousness that tries to mask the muddled tone at the film's center, though some of the choreography still deserves praise. The film quickly shows Mulan as a child prodigy, cartwheeling across rooftops and earning scolding from her parents, who don't know how to handle her wild and turbulent mind (or "chi"). After that, the film largely follows in the footsteps of the previous film, but with some key differences, mainly in the introduction of a new character: a shape-shifting witch under the command of the Hun horde. While 2020's Mulan may seem like a war movie based on the surface, in practice it wildly shifts tone.
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(Image credit: Disney) On one hand, it's often very goofy, with Bori Khan's horde acting as additional villains from the base film, snarling all in black, though not quite as terrifying as the Hun from the animated film. . 1998, with his exaggerated claw-like hands. (Yes, I had nightmares). On the other hand, Mulan 2020 continually forces a sense of gravity, with gruff-voiced soldiers, most notably the Emperor, played by Jet Li, making offhand statements about the incoming Hunnic horde in a monotonous fashion. The witch's presence is never really well explained and serves mostly as mythological filler in lieu of Mulan's ancestors from the animated film, with a prominent CG phoenix flying across the screen from time to time. , but never for any great purpose beyond her flashy appearance.
![¿Una especie de bruja? Es vago.]()
Some kind of witch? Is vague. (Image credit: Disney)
A movie that doesn't do the job for you to worry about
Mulan's training in the military is the most visible section, dealing with the tension and humor of being the only woman in a camp of mindless men, while showing that Mulan and her compatriots are gaining prowess in the field. fighting and knotting more than talking about girls at home. But the rest of the movie is too busy aiming for a full-scale spectacle to pay attention to those personal relationships, and the work done here isn't enough to really stake the film's climax. That's not to say that Mulan doesn't have strengths. The combat choreography is superbly executed and pleasantly playful, with soldiers regularly finding a way to shoot arrows, leap onto horses, or outwit their enemies with aplomb, none other than Mulan herself, who deftly gymnastics one fight scene to another.
![Mulan está en su mejor momento en el calor del momento, donde la coreografía puede brillar.]()
Mulan is at her best in the heat of the moment, where the choreography can shine. (Image credit: Disney) It's hard not to clap when you throw a soldier's weapon into the air, slam an enemy to the ground, or throw a spear into someone's chest (he kicks a lot, okay?). Moments of running over the walls through the city streets or watching movie titan Donnie Yen (who plays Mulan's regimental commander) circling the screen are also always a treat. The problem with these moments is just that: they go by quickly and never add up to a compelling story.
Lack of thought
There are moments of nostalgia for the original film here, with chord progressions from its soundtrack appearing in some form, though this time there are no songs in character. and a rendition of Christina Aguliera's Reflection that accompanies the end credits. It's hard not to miss classics like I'll Make a Man Out of You, Honor Us All, or A Girl Worth Fighting, though the 1998 film is still available on Disney Plus for those who want it. revive them.
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A movie worth paying for? (Image credit: Disney) The problem is, while cutting Mulan's songs is a perfectly reasonable creative decision, the reboot never replaces them with anything, leaving the film without a channel to communicate its characters' inner motivations. . The result is a cast of finely drawn characters who never have much of an inner life, shirking desires, hopes, and fears, so as not to be distracted from the film's most important settings. If 1998's Mulan was a 2D film with 3D characters, 2020's Mulan is the other way around, and the introduction of another prominent female character (Gong Li's The Witch) is undermined by how little we got there. understand her or Mulan's motivations. In fact, any introspection potential of the characters is destroyed by the dedication to empathic one-word statements about the values the movie world expects of its inhabitants, whether they tend to newly trained soldiers ("Loyal. Brave. True. ") or married women (" Aplomb! "). Even the film's conclusion falls back on these sweeping statements, replacing the closing with easy statements about dedication to his family.
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(Image credit: Disney) This verbal clarity underscores just how confusing the film can be, with a character's self-sacrifice appearing out of nowhere, an apparent resurrection without explanation, and the action simply skimming over fine plot points. . With Mulan skipping theaters for online streaming, its biggest problem is the high cost Disney Plus charges subscribers. While it could take up a night if you get it as part of the core subscription, the extra $29.99/$19.99 for such an inconsistent movie just isn't worth it. especially since it will land on the platform for real in a few months. In this case, while Mulan can live on loyalty, I'm not sure Disney deserves yours. Mulan is available from September 4 on Disney Plus for an additional fee of €29.99 / €19.99.