Mulan will always be remembered for one reason, and it’s not because of the breathtaking cinematography. The latest blockbuster for Disney will always be associated with COVID-19 because it went from the big screen to the small screen and for a price much higher than a regular movie ticket.
Subscribers to Disney Plus were dealt a low blow when the money-hungry studio decided their feature film wouldn’t suffer at the box office and charged $30 to watch their work. Was this movie honestly worth that much money? Nah, it really wasn’t. Had the film been released in IMAX and other theatre formats, Disney would be jumping into their money bin like Scrooge McDuck. Lucky for them, a lot of people bought the movie, and they made their millions anyway.
My review, up to this point, sounds bitter. It was not intended to be that way. I just never understood the hype surrounding the flick. This is also just how I feel since I’ve only seen the animated Mulan once or twice in my life. I just didn’t feel the love for the character like so many others.
Mulan 2020 had a chance to be great. Since I barely remembered the first one, I could sit back and just enjoy this one for what it was, a stand-alone action movie. There is a lot of action, only not great sequences. I understand Mulan is a legend and all that fun stuff; however I fail to believe someone can kick arrows in the air with such accuracy they can kill people. I’ll all about suspension of disbelief in movies and stories, but I wasn’t on board with this.
As most people know, Mulan is a girl disguised as a boy training in the Imperial Army. The majority of the movie, we sit and wait with anticipation when the shoe finally drops, and her secret will be revealed. The primary battle sequence is pretty badass and maybe the best thing the movie had going for it. Mulan showed her bravery, intelligence, and ability to be swift on her feet. It was my favourite part, how she could outsmart the enemy and cause them to be foolish enough to generate their own demise.
The story is pretty touching and showed the strengths and weaknesses of the male and female stereotypes. I’ll say again that Mulan is a legend, so who knows if this really happened or not. Either way, it is tough to take away from what this young woman could achieve when she defied the odds to become the leader she was meant to be. 6/10
Ten Stars or Less 