WTOP's Jason Fraley reviews the 'Mulan' remake
It’s the biggest movie to debut straight to streaming in new our pandemic reality.
Disney’s anticipated live-action remake of “Mulan” premieres this Friday on Disney+.
Fans of the 1998 animated flick are eager to see how Disney will adapt their beloved original, while parents are asking the all important question: Is it worth dropping $30?
More on that in a minute, but first, the tale.
Based on Chinese folklore “The Ballad of Mulan,” the story is set in China during the Northern Wei era (386–535 AD). The Emperor issues a decree that one man per family serve in the Imperial Army to defend against Rouran invaders. A young maiden, Hua Mulan, disguises herself as a male warrior to take the place of her ailing father.
Lead actress Yifei Liu was born in the now-timely city of Wuhan, China in 1987, before moving to the U.S. at age 10, then returning to China in 2002. While she has appeared in several Chinese productions, she is a relatively new face to American audiences. Nevertheless, she commands the screen, kicking butt and inspiring a new generation.
She also finds pathos in more intimate family scenes with Tzi Ma (“The Farewell”) and Rosalind Chao (“The Joy Luck Club”), who play her loving parents who need time to see the error of their traditional matchmaker ways. Unlike the animated version, Mulan also now has a younger sister, Xiu (Xana Tang), but she’s a rather forgettable addition.
That’s not the only casting change from the animated film. Her military mentor Li Shang has now been split into two characters: Commander Tung and Chen Honghui. The former is played by the stoic Donnie Yen (“Rogue One”), while the latter is played by the charming Yoson An (“The Meg”), who becomes Mulan’s unsuspecting crush.
Likewise, the villain has been changed from Shan Yu to Böri Khan, the intimidating Rouran leader. Khan is played with scar-faced menace by Jason Scott Lee, who played Bruce Lee in “Dragon” (1993) and Mowgli in “The Jungle Book” (1994), but now gets to show his sinister side, promising: “If gold is not enough, I’ll give you blood.”
Equally dangerous is an omniscient, shape-shifting witch named Xianniang, played by Chinese screen legend Li Gong of Yimou Zhang’s “Raise the Red Lantern” (1991) and Kaige Chen’s “Farewell My Concubine” (1994), arguably the two greatest Chinese films ever made. American audiences will remember her from “Memoirs of a Geisha” (2005).
As for the Emperor, who better than cinema icon Jet Li? Kids, if you like him in “Mulan,” go back and check out Zhang Yimou’s “Hero” (2002) where his Nameless character presents the first emperor of China with the weapons of three would-be assassins. Cinephiles will dig the meta nod that Li is now the emperor bathed in an angelic glow.
Amid the flurry of new or combined characters, there is one notable missing role. Just as Tim Burton’s live-action remake of “Dumbo” (2019) sadly scrapped the comic relief of Timothy Q. Mouse, the new “Mulan” lacks the comic relief of Eddie Murphy’s red dragon sidekick Mushu, who paved the way for his hilarious Donkey in “Shrek” (2001).
Instead, the script finds other ways to break the tension, earning chuckles in the camaraderie between the warrior trainees. Screenwriters Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver are no stranger to remakes after “Jurassic World” (2015) and the “Planet of the Apes” prequels (2011-2017), so “Mulan” more than lives up to its source material.
Their script gives Mulan magical instincts of The Chi, similar to The Force in “Star Wars.” “The Chi obeys the universe and all living things. We are all born with it, but only the most true will connect deeply to his Chi and become a great warrior.” Add fatherly lessons about a phoenix rising and we have a sufficient mythical backdrop.
It’s quite the epic canvas for New Zealand filmmaker Niki Caro, whose short films “Sure to Rise” (1994) and “Memory & Desire” (1998) shined at the Cannes Film Festival before features like “Whale Rider” (2002), “North Country” (2005), “A Heavenly Vintage” (2009), “McFarland, USA” (2015) and “The Zookeeper’s Wife” (2017).
Now, she has the keys to Walt’s kingdom as “Mulan” is the most expensive female-directed film ever at $200 million, topping Patty Jenkins’ “Wonder Woman” ($175 million) and crushing Ava DuVernay’s “Selma” ($20 million), Dee Rees’ “Mudbound” ($10 million) and Kathryn Bigelow’s Oscar-winning “The Hurt Locker” ($11 million).
Caro seizes the opportunity, her fluid camera swirling around a village courtyard then pulling back for extreme wide shots of the palace steps. The action sequences are shot in true Wuxia style as horseback armies ride in slow-motion and invaders run up castle walls, all while the camera turns 90-degrees sideways to capture the PG-13 combat.
Forget G ratings; this is Disney’s version of “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” (2000).
Caro also shows a keen eye in quieter scenes, like Mulan staring at her own reflection in the blade of her father’s sword. When the witch appears out of a blurry desert mirage to take possession of nomad, we don’t see a cheesy special effect, but rather a practical shot of her shadow merging with another on the sands of the Silk Road.
Filming took place in both New Zealand and China, taking advantage of the natural landscapes from lush green trees to snow-capped mountains just ready to rumble. It’s all captured by Australian cinematographer Mandy Walker (“Hidden Figures”) and set to the sweepingly familiar score of composer Harry Gregson-Williams (“The Martian”).
Throughout, you’ll hear instrumental callbacks to Jerry Goldsmith’s Oscar-nominated score from 1998, but there are no musical numbers this time. Some “Mulan” fans may miss the soundtrack of “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” by Donny Osmond, “Reflection” by Christina Aguilera and “True to Your Heart” by 98 Degrees and Stevie Wonder.
Granted, the original “Mulan” came at the tail end of the Disney Renaissance, a step behind “The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast” or “The Lion King.” Like “Pocahontas,” however, it at least paved the way for diversity in gender and ethnicity, finally showing a kickass Asian heroine instead of the white damsel princesses of old.
Sure, you have to dock slight originality points as Disney fans will once again realize that nostalgia is a double-edged sword that cuts both ways: it makes us excited to see the newest version, while carrying the inherent albatross of constant comparison.
Which brings us back to the original question: Is it worth $30?
If that price is too steep, you can wait for it to hit your standard Disney+ subscription on Dec. 4. However, if you think about it, it would probably cost you more than $30 to bring your family to the theater, so I say go ahead and splurge. Heck, make the kids pitch in their allowance. With great streaming power comes great fiscal responsibility.
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September 04, 2020 at 04:31PM
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Review: ‘Mulan’ live-action remake debuts on Disney+, but is it worth $30? - WTOP
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