This being my 3rd Mulan movie, not counting the sequel to the cartoon movie. So my review is based on a comparison between the cartoon Mulan movie and the Chinese live action Mulan
If you liked the Disney cartoon of Mulan, you'll probably enjoy it. They even turned some of the song lyrics from the cartoon version into dialogue and rewrote some of the key combat sequences to make more sense in a live action movie. On the other hand, if you've seen the Chinese live action Mulan, then this will fall well short of the mark for you.
They replaced the dragon with a bird which honestly, they could have done without. It's more complicated than just changing critters for kicks, but I'm trying not to give away the reason for using this particular bird... Thankfully, it was a very minor and limited plot device. Slightly more egregious though, is the addition of another unnecessary character to fulfil a similar role.
The combat is VERY wuxian. So, if you liked the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon or Dragon Blade fight sequences then you'll enjoy the fight scenes in Mulan. Lots of gravity defying FX and altogether unbelievable fighting techniques. But hey! It's a fantasy movie set in ancient China, so the action is standard fare.
I do have to give it props for being a great movie for kids, especially girls. That whole inspirational, "you can overcome everything life throws at you" theme comes out better than in the cartoon. I actually added a star just for this.
My issue with this film is that even though it's live action, it still feels like the cartoon version of Mulan. It lacks the gritty realism of the Chinese Mulan and the pace is sort pretty quick. My impression is that corners were cut with the plot because it is essentially a remake that most people know. Every familiar scene seems a bit clipped. Even the combat scenes are relatively brief for a live-action action film. Character development is minimal except for Mulan herself. You almost need to rewatch the cartoon movie so you can understand some of the important characters and sub-plots.
As for the cast.... and what a cast! Excellent performances all around! I have to say that the casting department did a top notch job.
I'm giving this version of Mulan 7 stars. The writing and directing is just too lazy to warrant more stars even in spite of the excellent acting and special effects. Since it is largely based on the cartoon movie there just isn't enough new content to oooh and aaah over. I also realize that many people reading this have never seen the Chinese version of Mulan. So, if my rating seems a little low, then my recommendation is to go find the better, grittier Chinese version for context.
If you liked the Disney cartoon of Mulan, you'll probably enjoy it. They even turned some of the song lyrics from the cartoon version into dialogue and rewrote some of the key combat sequences to make more sense in a live action movie. On the other hand, if you've seen the Chinese live action Mulan, then this will fall well short of the mark for you.
They replaced the dragon with a bird which honestly, they could have done without. It's more complicated than just changing critters for kicks, but I'm trying not to give away the reason for using this particular bird... Thankfully, it was a very minor and limited plot device. Slightly more egregious though, is the addition of another unnecessary character to fulfil a similar role.
The combat is VERY wuxian. So, if you liked the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon or Dragon Blade fight sequences then you'll enjoy the fight scenes in Mulan. Lots of gravity defying FX and altogether unbelievable fighting techniques. But hey! It's a fantasy movie set in ancient China, so the action is standard fare.
I do have to give it props for being a great movie for kids, especially girls. That whole inspirational, "you can overcome everything life throws at you" theme comes out better than in the cartoon. I actually added a star just for this.
My issue with this film is that even though it's live action, it still feels like the cartoon version of Mulan. It lacks the gritty realism of the Chinese Mulan and the pace is sort pretty quick. My impression is that corners were cut with the plot because it is essentially a remake that most people know. Every familiar scene seems a bit clipped. Even the combat scenes are relatively brief for a live-action action film. Character development is minimal except for Mulan herself. You almost need to rewatch the cartoon movie so you can understand some of the important characters and sub-plots.
As for the cast.... and what a cast! Excellent performances all around! I have to say that the casting department did a top notch job.
I'm giving this version of Mulan 7 stars. The writing and directing is just too lazy to warrant more stars even in spite of the excellent acting and special effects. Since it is largely based on the cartoon movie there just isn't enough new content to oooh and aaah over. I also realize that many people reading this have never seen the Chinese version of Mulan. So, if my rating seems a little low, then my recommendation is to go find the better, grittier Chinese version for context.
