CERT: PG | PLATFORM: DISNEY+ PREMIER ACCESS
The highly anticipated live-action Mulan is here, and it’s a fascinating experiment for Disney. Mulan is enough of a departure from the 1998 original to discourage comparison, and it’s that bold, almost brazen approach that elevates director Niki Caro’s ambitious adaptation. Unlike the shot-for-shot Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Aladdin remakes, this new realisation of an ages-old ballad dares to try new things, with mixed results.
The film stands tall on the strength of lead actress Liu Yifei and the resounding power of its message, but its handling of magic and mysticism feels noticeably less inspired (and woefully lacking in the Eddie-Murphy-voiced-dragon department). Without Mushu, its fantastical elements have little bearing on Mulan’s evolution as a character, and the script reflects that. It never leans hard enough into its mysticism to feel like a fully realised part of that world. Even the witch coaching and coaxing her feels shoehorned in, a shame considering that particular dynamic’s potential.
Thankfully, though, Caro’s reworking is inspired and resonant enough to warrant a viewing or two. Will Mulan enjoy the longevity of its animated counterpart? Probably not, but the film does place its emotional beats artfully and tactfully, and the result is a well-meaning remake that honours the Ballad of Mulan not through faithfulness to its text, but through expansion of its themes.
Despite Mulan’s lopsided quality, it excels at reimagining the heroine as strong, gentle, and positively brimming with don’t-screw-with-me energy. Greatness may elude it, but its kind-hearted approach and beating heart won’t be lost on people who open themselves to them.
