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Yifei Liu, who plays Mulan, doesn’t have as much character development in the new Disney Plus movie.
Disney
With its new live action MulanDisney had the opportunity to bring the legendary warrior to life, a fixture of centuries-old Chinese storytelling, with serious storytelling and a perfect cast. So it’s ironic that the animated version that debuted more than two decades ago still shows more vitality, vigor, and character growth than the big-budget version that’s now airing. Disney Plus.
To be clear, I’m not a standard-bearer for the 1998 animated classic. But that version of Mulan took the time to get into the head of the main character, taking us on his journey as he worked to become a worthy soldier while struggling to balance his identities. dual. The new Mulan, played by Yifei Liu, hits many of the same rhythms, but without the emotional resonance.
That, unfortunately, seems to be part of the course for blockbusters these days.
Mulan borrows from the same conventions at Disney’s other big franchises, the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Star Wars, which in recent years have emphasized show and pieces on character development. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker had us running from planet to planet, but did we really learn a lot about Finn? (Clearly, John Boyega, who played the Stormtrooper-turned-hero, doesn’t think so.) Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame were too busy juggling dozens of characters to develop any of them.
Who cares, right? Those were bombastic and fun movies that offered a lot of fan service and the best special effects money can buy.
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The sacrifice of character work on Mulan, however, is a much tougher blow because this isn’t the start of a multi-movie franchise. Steve Rogers and Tony Stark had the luxury of several sequels to evolve and grow: Mulan just had this opportunity. The cursory description is especially a disgrace because director Niki Caro established an intriguing dynamic between Mulan and Gong Li’s fascinating Xianniang (which actually has some development) that my colleague Abrar Al-Heeti calls in his review one of the “most flashy from the movie. ” . “
But Caro didn’t give that evolving relationship time to breathe, and the movie speeds through what should have been many of Mulan’s most emotional moments. There is no struggle to become a warrior: she already has a supernatural talent from the first minutes of the film. There are no scenes to show the seriousness of her leaving her family; she’s already rocking her father’s armor and holding her sword in a hero pose (maybe there’s a place for her in the MCU?).
Slight spoiler warning here: Mulan’s true gender reveal, subsequent rejection, emotional breakdown, and eventual reconciliation with her comrades should serve as the emotional backbone of the entire film. Instead, it lasts about six minutes in total.
It’s almost an afterthought between an epic battle and the climactic, action-packed finale.
Having a fully developed Chinese character on the big screen is important because, well, there just aren’t that many examples in Hollywood. And that dynamic between two Asian women, who are not talking about their love lives, is even weirder. It felt like a lifetime ago when Crazy Rich Asians had a huge success, sparking anticipation that the film would spawn more projects with Asians and Asian Americans. And while South Korea’s Parasite was a critical favorite and this year’s Oscar winner for best picture, it’s not exactly a movie to take the family out to see.
With a budget of $ 200 million and the weight of Disney behind it, Mulan was supposed to be a great time for Asians looking to have a more significant cultural impact in the US. Instead, it is on Disney Plus as an add-on. of $ 30 for subscribers.
And the combination of limited dialogue, some wooden performances from Liu, and a frenetic pace that prioritizes training montages and declarations of being “loyal, brave, and true” over more exchanges between Mulan and her comrades, means you’re not as involved. on his journey. or development.
Visually, Mulan looks stunning at times. It’s a shame it’s not in theaters in the United States.
Disney
It’s especially painful to know that Caro and screenwriters Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Elizabeth Martin, and Lauren Hynek tried to create something that differed from the animated version, even if the plot points were similar. Unlike Lion King or Beauty and the Beast, this was not a literal remake, with the filmmakers taking a much more serious tone and ripping out elements like the catchy songs and Mushu (although this movie has a more subtle substitute for continuing).
Caro, in particular, is to be applauded for the film’s visual flair, from the sweeping shots of the beautiful Chinese mountains to the appropriately grand scenes of the imperial palace. Mulan’s wire work and sword and battle pieces are worthy of any action blockbuster, harking back to old-school Chinese historical epics.
When the credits finished and I saw the note “Optimized for Imax cinemas”, it was a reminder of everything. the coronavirus pandemic It has taken away, including the opportunity to appreciate the visual splendor of this movie on a proper big screen. (For the record, I watched the movie on my 32-inch computer monitor.)
Gong Li’s Xianniang is a new addition to Mulan, and one of the characters who really gets real development.
Disney
All that visual appeal, however, leaves you hungry and wanting more, decidedly lacking in emotional weight and character.
Still, we hope Disney doesn’t decide to be happy with the franchise and produce a follow-up movie. Otherwise we can end up with another parody like Mulan II. Mulan the warrior can scale walls and fend off Rouran’s fiercest invaders, but even she’d be hard-pressed to make a cheap, direct-to-DVD sequel worth watching.
