When I first heard that Disney was making a live-action version of its classic 1998 animated movie Mulan, I was ecstatic. Mulan was such an important part of my life growing up because it inspired me to be myself. The songs from this movie like the incredible power ballad, “Reflection” and the iconic, “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” are such special parts of this movie; not to mention Mulan’s hilarious and sassy dragon sidekick, Mushu, voiced by Eddie Murphy. But when I found out that the new movie would not have any musical numbers or a sassy dragon, I just about lost my mind! How could they recreate this classic movie without these signature elements? After hearing this, I began to wonder what other changes they would be making for this live-action renovation.

The live-action Mulan was set to be released in March, but due to the widespread closing of movie theaters, Disney made the decision to release it exclusively for Disney+ subscribers, as long as they paid an extra $30 fee, a decision regarded as controversial by many.

In the first scenes of the remake, we see Hua Mulan as a child. This was something that I was not expecting, as Mulan’s childhood is never even mentioned in the original, but, nevertheless, it was a nice addition. Her father, Hua Zhu, tells her that her chi is for warriors and not for daughters and that she must hide it. Her chi gives her superhuman abilities: she can run faster, jump farther, and control the energy of the world around her. I didn’t really like that they had given Mulan special abilities in the live-action because what was inspiring in the animated version was how hard she has to work to become the warrior that she is. It was almost like she only succeeds because she has special powers. Whenever things get tough for Mulan, it isn’t her inner strength or ingenuity that saves the day, it is her chi.

There were many character changes in the remake as well. Mulan’s grandma is not in the movie, but she does have a younger sister, Hua Xiu. Her sister doesn’t really contribute anything to the movie except for her fear of spiders which creates a forced conflict in the matchmaker scene. Otherwise, she is just kind of there. Li Shang, Mulan’s general and eventual love interest, was not exactly cut from the remake but instead divided into two characters. The “Captain” part of Li Shang becomes Commander Tung who trains their army. The character Chen Honghui becomes Mulan’s love interest, who is one of Mulan’s fellow soldiers. Yoson An plays Chen Honghui, and though he portrayed the character very well, he does not have very many lines, and the ones he does have feel very forced.

The villain of the story is Bori Khan, the leader of the Rourans which is more historically accurate than how it was in the original, when Shan Yu was the villain that led the Huns. Bori Khan also has a witch on his side named Xian Lang, who becomes almost like a dark mirror to Mulan’s character as another woman with powerful chi. Mulan’s ancestors are missing from the movie but they are combined into the phoenix that follows Mulan throughout her journey... and it doesn’t do much more than that. Without amusing characters like her grandma and Mushu, there aren’t many comedic parts to the movie, which can make certain scenes drag on interminably.

In the animated version, Mulan is discovered as a woman because she is injured in battle and is discovered by the doctor that treats her. In this version, however, Mulan chooses to reveal herself as a woman. Mulan choosing to reveal her identity is much more powerful because it is her choice to be her true self and she realizes she is more powerful not pretending to be someone else. Also in the remake, Mulan doesn’t cut her hair with the sword like she does in the animated version. I think they made the choice to not do that because Mulan really doesn’t want to change herself. In the animated version, she is spared from execution for revealing her identity because she saved Li Shang's life. In the remake she is expelled, which is significantly less dramatic and packs less of an emotional punch.

There isn’t any singing in this movie, but the creators do incorporate some of the original song lyrics into the dialogue. For example, when Mulan is told that she has been matched she says, “I will bring honor to us all,” an obvious reference to the “Honor to Us All” musical number. During the training scene, Commander Tung says, “we will make men out of each and every one of you,” a nod to “I’ll Make a Man Out of You.” While eating, Mulan and other soldiers are discussing what they want their future wives to be like which has multiple references to “A Girl Worth Fighting For.” The melody of “Reflection” is even woven into the score when Mulan removes her male disguise and decides to return to battle as her true self. During the credits, Christina Aguilera can be heard singing a cover of “Reflection” and a new song called “Loyal Brave True.” Keeping the music in this remake would have been more successful because the music was such an important and beloved part of the animated version.

Despite its flaws, this was a movie that I enjoyed and while watching it, I forgot about the songs and characters that I wanted to be there. The action scenes are brilliantly shot, the landscapes and nature in this movie are so beautiful, and the overall message is inspiring. Even though there are many changes to the remake from the original, I suggest to anyone who watches it to keep an open mind because I was pleasantly surprised, and you might be too.

Grade: B

“Although lacking some of the charm of the original, Mulan delivers a unique story of its own that creates a competent and enjoyable movie not quite worth the extra $30 for early access.”

By Angelina Vu

Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue I

October 2nd, 2020

Disney continues cannibalizing past with live action, music-less, Mulan