Much to the enthusiasm of longtime Disney fans, the long-awaited live action film Mulan was released on Disney+ over the Labor Day weekend.
There was a catch, however. The film was only available to view on the streaming platform if subscribers paid for the premier access service at a price of $29.99. For subscribers without premier access, they will have to wait until December 4 when the film would be made available to all subscribers at no additional cost.
Questioning the ongoing societal pressures that stem from the conflict between conventional gender roles and contemporary role reversal, Mulan contains the right amount of relevancy to the current climate fostered by the modern feminist movement.
In comparison to the animated version that came out in 1998, there are some notable changes in the live action film. These changes (which we won’t give away here) are likely to ignite some criticism from diehard fans of the animated version.
For new watchers who don’t have a history with the 1998 film, however, the 2020 version will be an entertaining delight, especially during a time when people are begging for new content to watch.
Directed by Niki Caro, Mulan has an exciting cast starring Yifei Liu (Once Upon a Time) as Mulan, Donnie Yen (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), Li Gong (Memoirs of a Geisha), Jason Scott Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny), Rosalind Chao (The Joy Luck Club) and a surprise appearance from Jet Li (The Expendables) as the Emperor.
Disney does a great job of infusing several lessons and philosophies throughout Mulan’s evolution from child to warrior, a signature style of the studio that continues to draw viewers from around the world. Some of the phrases that are churned out include themes such as, “To hide amongst them, she had to become one of them” and “There’s no courage without fear.”
As Disney reaches into its IP library to revive many of their classic films with live action remakes, a lot of fans are taking it hard. Currently, Mulan is rated as 5.7 out of 10 on IMDb.com, which has a total of 23,858 submitted votes. The Metascore sits at 68, while the audience score is at a low 55 percent.
The overall sentiment appears to be that the live action version is not as energetic and charged as the shorter animated version. This is true. The creative flair and magic of the original films seem to be missing factors in the live action movies.
Also, audiences are beginning to show a fatigue for the industry of remakes and reboots. But, again, these type of critiques come from older movie watchers who have first-hand experience watching the originals. The newer generations may not be as critical if they’ve never seen the older Disney library.
So, when it comes down to the decision on whether this film is worth the money to watch it early, the answer would be yes and no. Yes, if you’ve never seen the animated version and would like something new to watch. No, if you love the original animated films and can’t bear to see another legacy tampered with, messing up your precious childhood memories.
