The new live action version of “Mulan,” directed by Niki Caro, is nothing like the original. Photo from NYT.com.
I spent the $30 on “Mulan” so you didn’t have to. You can thank me later.
I fed into the corporate mouse with my $30 donation to whatever the so-called “effort” of what was meant to be a historically accurate live-action “Mulan” adaptation. I watched this movie with my mother, as we enjoy going to the movies together any other time, but seeing as our choices were limited by the pandemic, we settled for steaming this pile of garbage on Disney+.
This movie spits on both Chinese heritage and the original “Mulan” movie as Disney attempts a haphazard effort to destroy your prized childhood movie.
The original “Mulan” features fun characters such as the beloved Mushu, Li Shang and Cri Kee, all of whom are not included in the 2020 adaptation. Mistake number one. These characters added to the plot of the movie as charismatic companions to Fa Mulan, aiding her on her journey to save China from the Hun invasion.
Not including them in the live-action film takes away from the appeal to nostalgia to those who have seen the original and also deprives them from any children that might have been newly introduced to the story by the 2020 version.
The villain in the 1998 “Mulan” is also switched out for a northern invader alongside a … witch? The witch plot in this movie is really confusing to be honest and tries to appeal to some kind of feminist arc in the story wherein the witch sides with Mulan because Mulan is … a badass? Like I said, very odd. The plot of this movie doesn’t make much sense and is, once again, superseded by that of the 1998 “Mulan.”
Another downfall of the 2020 version is that it includes no singing. That’s right; the classics like “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” and “Reflection” are stripped from the movie. The theme from “Reflection” can be found at different points in the movie’s score, but we do not hear Mulan singing. Lyrics from “A Girl Worth Fighting For” are spoken by Chinese soldiers in the movie, but it feels like a cheap attempt at nostalgia.
The editing in this film is also lazy and shoddy. The cuts in this movie are dizzying and leave you wondering if they’re actively trying to make you have whiplash. Just thinking about the fight scenes in this movie gives me a headache as I write this.
Quintessential moments to the original movie, such as Mulan leaving home to take her father’s place at war, are butchered in this adaptation. In the original, Mulan left at night with her family going out into the stormy night to realize she’s gone. This version, however, dresses Mulan up in her father’s armor and has her family’s realization of her departure in the morning. This example shows just how poorly the movie adapts scenes unnecessarily.
While other Disney live-action remakes don’t measure up to their original iterations, “Mulan” most certainly takes the cake for the worst of them all. So if you’re looking to watch the new “Mulan,” don’t. Save $30 and watch the original, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it much more.