Our entire family was disappointed when Disney announced its live-action “Mulan” would not be released to theaters. The trailers looked gorgeous, the plot gave us hope it would be empowering for women, and the action seemed tailored to the big screen. Alas…Covid.
Finally catching it on Blu-ray I can say that it is gorgeous, and the action is very fun, everything from the large battle scenes to the choreographed wirework. It really makes me wish we’d seen it on the big screen.
You probably already know the plot (Mulan takes her father’s place in the war and pretends to be a man), but they made some good changes for the transition to live action. First, they ditched Mushu, the animated dragon voiced by Eddie Murphy. I know Mushu has a loyal following, but I’m not a fan. It was nice to watch Mulan’s story unfold without the (unnecessary) comic relief interrupting every five minutes. Second, they focused on Mulan’s relationships with her fellow soldiers, which is also one of the strongest elements of the original. And third, they added menace to the antagonists in the form of Xianniang, a shape-shifting “witch” helping the invading armies. All good improvements.
As for empowering women, well…it does a pretty good job, especially for Disney, which doesn’t have the best record. Mulan holds her own with her fellow soldiers during training, finding unique ways to accomplish extreme physical feats; she is brave during the battles; and she understands battle tactics, effectively turning the tide and rescuing her fellow soldiers. Unfortunately, her character is not allowed to grow to her full potential until she sheds her armor and removes her helmet to allow her hair to flow freely (which makes for a great poster image, sure) - essentially, she’s not a true warrior until she sheds any remnants of masculinity and returns safely to “girl” status. It’s not a major point, but it sure would have been nice to see her fighting effectively while also wearing battlefield-appropriate armor, and it made no sense to the plot for her to retain her long hair while attempting to impersonate a man - except for the beautiful cinematography of her flying and leaping around the battlefield with that long hair flowing behind her.
Overall, it’s a fun movie that does a good job of modernizing a 20-year-old Disney movie. The battles and choreography are expansive and beautiful, and the more “realistic” portrayal (read: no Mushu) is a welcome update. As for Bechdels, it passes: 1) There are a few women in the film; 2) they speak to each other a few times; 3) and they don’t always discuss Mulan’s prospects for landing a guy, though that is the focus at the start of the movie when the town’s Matchmaker attempts to make her into an “acceptable” bride. (PG-13 for sequences of violence.)