The live action Mulan offers some spectacular visuals, but is weak character and story! Mulan has moved from a theatrical release to streaming on Disney+. Of course, there is the 1998 animated film which I like, but had some criticism from the Chinese audiences for its cultural faults. It had a number of screenwriters; Rita Hsiao, Chris Sanders, Philip Lazebnik, Raymond Singer, and Eugenia Bostwick-Singer. I saw the Chinese produced Mulan: Rise of a Warrior (2009), co-directed by Jingle Ma, and starring Wei Zhao. I was interested in a film that hedged closer in historical accuracy, but the movie was just slow paced even in the fighting scenes! This film is directed by Niki Caro, I liked her dramatic movie based on a true story, The Zookeeper’s Wife (2017).
The screenplay features a number of writers, Rick Jaffa, who co-wrote the Jurassic World (2015) screenplay, along with Amanda Silver who also worked with him on Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), also Elizabeth Martin and Lauren Hynek, they both worked on the tv movie, Christmas Perfection (2018). The story began with the Ballad of Mulan written in the 6th century. It starts with a studio logo that has Chinese rice fields and the castle from Shanghai Disneyland. There is a charm to Jerry Goldsmith’s music that has some of the Chinese sounds and instruments, but it also has an epic sweep. This is missing in the score by Harry Gregson-Williams which is too subtle. He has previously worked on The Zookeeper’s Wife with director Caro.
What is stunning is the cinematography by Mandy Walker and she was also the cinematographer of Hidden Figures (2016). There is shadowy hills with a setting sun as we get the narration of Zhou (Tzi Ma) speaking about the story of Mulan, his daughter, to his ancestors. Ma is a brilliant actor. He was Haiyan in The Farewell (2019). This moves to the young Mulan (Crystal Rao) practicing with a staff. Zhou says she is strong in chi, “the boundless energy”, in martial arts movies this is allows the fighter to be capable of gravity-defying feats. This resoles to two circular buildings, tulou, that house many people in mountainous, rural areas found in southern China, though Mulan was traditionally in the north. We peek into the open roof of a tulou with two upper stories for housing and the lower floor for food and a gathering place. The historical accuracy in the film offers some interesting visuals and development for the story.
Mulan tries to guide a chicken into the pen held by her father. The chicken escapes, Mulan chases after it causing chaos in the tulou, and she leaps off a phoenix statue breaking its wing. Mulan’s mother, Li (Rosalind Chao) tells her worry to her other daughter Xiu (Elena Askin). Chao is recognizable from The Joy Luck Club (1993). The chicken flies up to the roof so Mulan climbs up to it. The chicken flies down to the coop and then Mulan slips, she slides down like Daredevil and poses with her staff. The staff training, we get that her father helped with her skills, and this scene show that Mulan is a superhero from an early age, but this takes away from her character arc. This act has the disapproval of the villagers and turns into disappointment for Zhou. At night, Xiu asks Mulan if she was scared, her sister teases her by bringing up her fear of spiders. They overhear the conversation of their parents, Li is adjusting the leg brace for her husband, and worries over Mulan being called a witch. Zhou finds Mulan trying to attach the wing to the statue.
He wants Mulan to hide her gift and bring honor to her family. This shifts to a desert on “The Silk Road, Northwest China”, a merchant leading a camel caravan sees the shimmering image of a woman. This resolves to a strange woman, Xianiang (Gong Li), the actress known for Memoirs of a Geisha (2005). Her shadow merges with the merchant and he enters a city. She has falcon claws in her human form. The witch is a Western idea. Later in the film, Xianiang turns into a cloud of birds that attacks the army, but this is an overused and unconvincing effect. Out in the road, a dark rider splits into an invading force, the castle guards identify them as Rourans. These are the more historically accurate warriors than the Huns in the 1998 movie. The black hood of their leader is torn off by the wind revealing Böri Khan (Jason Scott Lee). I recognize Lee from Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) and he was Mowgli in the live action The Jungle Book (1994). An arrow is loosed at Bori Khan, he catches it, nearly impossible to even see the arrow at those speeds! By the way, several times in the movie is the inaccurate term “fire”, there is no chemical reaction in bow and arrows.
He looses an arrow back that serves as a signal for Xianiang to transform back and hurl weapons at the castle guards. The film is incredibly violent, but this is bloodless violence, not for younger viewers. The Rourans run up the castle walls, which might be ok for Böri Khan as the leader, but if every one of the villains has magical powers it becomes absurd. The musical score sounds like it is out of Gregson-Williams’ Prince of Persia: The Sand of Time (2010) music. Xianiang singles out a castle guard and we get the tilting of the camera as she possesses him. This shifts to the "Imperial City, Central China", with some beautiful city scenes. On the golden throne is the Emperor played by Jet Li. He has been in countless martial arts films including The Forbidden Kingdom (2008) where he played the monk. The Emperor is informed by The Chancellor (Nelson Lee) that Bori Khan has united the tribes and the Emperor had defeated his father. The Emperor as a capable warrior lessens the threat of Bori Khan. The Chancellor is the role that was played by James Hong, Chi-Fu, in the animated movie. The soldier tells the emperor about the witch and his response is to raise an army.
The soldier shapeshifts back into Xianiang and then into a falcon. The falcon was the vicious companion of the villain in the animated movie. In the Khan’s tent, she explains the Emperor’s plans and Böri Khan says that the witch wants a place where she is not exiled. Then, we get Mulan now played by Yifei Liu riding her horse, Black Wind, in a field. Liu was also in The Forbidden Kingdom. She tells about her ride to her family including her sister (Xana Tang), now grown up. Li tells Mulan that a match has been made for her. Mulan is dressed in an uncomfortable purple robe and make-up to be taken to the Matchmaker (Pei-Pei Cheng). The costumes are elaborate and stunning, kudos to Bina Daigeler who also worked with Caro on The Zookeeper's Wife. I think when Mulan is revealed with her red robes that is the point when the film begins. Mulan pours tea for her and sees a spider crawl by her terrified sister. So she places a teapot over it. This causes more chaos when Xiu screams at the spider. Then, they get the announcement from The Chancellor that one man from every family must enlist in the army. Zhou collapses, but gets the conscription scroll.
At night, Mulan takes out her father’s sword and sees on the blade, “Loyal Brave and True.” She takes his armor, sword, and conscription scroll and leaves her magnolia comb. Zhou prays to the ancestors to watch over Mulan with their ancestral guardian, the phoenix, which we see as Mulan crosses snowy and mountainous terrain. Finally, in a canyon, the phoenix that looks like a kite with trailing tail feathers leads her to the military camp. The phoenix is good if you need to take a selfie. In the enlistment line, a shy Cricket (Jun Yu) introduces himself, he seems to be a replacement for the animated cricket, Cri-Kee. Cricket is bullied and Mulan gets thrown down. Chen Honghui (Yoson An) offers to help her up. An is in the historical drama mini-series The Luminaries. It seems a fellow soldier having a sort of romance with Mulan is more appropriate than a commander like Captain Shang. Mulan is offended so they draw swords to each other. This is broken up by Commander Tung (Donnie Yen). He is of course well known for martial arts movies like Ip Man 4: The Finale (2019) and also playing Chirrut Imwe in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016). Mulan says her name is Hua Jun.
She meets with other soldiers; Ling (Jimmy Wong), Chien-Po (Doua Moua), Yao (Chen Tang), but they are loosely identified so it was difficult to recognize them as the trio that bullies and then befriends Mulan in the 1998 movie. This brings up the songs. I get that they may be out of place if characters burst into song. I think it would be better if there was a singer in the village that touches Mulan with “Reflection.” Also, a marching song with the soldiers sounding off as they go through their drills. Instead, it is the worst variation, putting words of the songs into dialogue, “I’ll make a man out of you”, ugh. What was the function of Mushu was to remind Mulan of her family and especially her father, the obligation that she has to them. The dragon is mostly comedic, but probably disrespectful to the culture. The phoenix really has no function in this movie, but to fly around. I think the phoenix could speak psychically to her, not “talk” to her, or speak in dreams.
Mulan’s reflection could speak to her or she could see her young self in a dream. What is really lost is the connection to the father throughout the film except the narration. He is lost about mid-way into the movie. There could be memories of him that speaks to her as Mulan struggles. The movie shifts to her training as a soldier, but of course she is simply better than the others. In the animated film, we had Mulan failing in the training, until she is able to think her way through obstacles. She doesn’t go the path of strength, but using her mind, which we don’t see in this story. This Mulan is already a warrior, it reminds me of Captain Marvel (2019), she’s powerful so there is nothing stopping her except the plot. The same here, it really is confidence that unleashes her woman warrior. Her cleverness is abandoned in the live action movie except one scene. The film is around thirty dollars with Premier Access on Disney+. I would recommend waiting until it streams for free if you are interested in it. Mulan is beautiful visually, but needs stronger character development and story!
Three Conscription Scrolls out of Five!
#Mulan, #NikiCaro, #YifeiLiu, #GongLi, #YosonAn, #DonnieYen, #JasonScottLee
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