Both Vicki Zhao and Aloys Chen turn in emotionally convincing performances, so that message gets across anyway. After all that will be the first point of reference for most Westerners when it comes to the almost 2000 year old Chinese legend of the girl turned warrior. The horrors of war begin to wear the warrior woman down though and when those close to her are sacrificed on the battlefield, she faces some difficult decisions. Calling out a single line may be nitpicking, but Ma's choice of dialogue is symptomatic of the film's general malaise.
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| Still, I don't find it a movie to watch over and over, it can get boring like that. Given its mediocre mass appeal, Mulan is able to pass the time in a familiar, inoffensive fashion. "Red Cliff" was a decent idea, this one is not.... More like a TV soap opera then an exciting film.
Despite such cosmetic changes, the plot retains its recognisable shape. There was also no gi jane trying to show the world something, mulan was just a person who grew with the duty and just did what she had to do.
No, the film doesn't have a little red dragon named Mushu.
These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. With Wei Zhao, Kun Chen, Jaycee Chan, Rongguang Yu. This version of Mulan is not based off of the Disney movie and stays closer to the original 'Ballad of Mulan' (yes, Mulan is a real historical figure). Generally, the film works, just not in a manner that one could ever term as superlative. I thought the script was well written, mixing human drama and battle scenes. But with multiple critics claiming that Mulan is the best live-action remake from Disney in years, it’s a safe bet to expect it to earn a fresh Rotten Tomatoes score overall. Mulan makes use of sticky palms to defend a fellow soldier against bully Nicky Lee and gains instant notoriety with her own men and draws the attention of Wentai (Kun Chen) with her abundant skill and ferocity. In the film, there were only two people in the military who knew Mulan's true gender before her self-disclosure at the end, but this seems very unrealistic in real life given the facts/circumstances of this film.
Vicki is a potentially under rated actress who displays a versatility that is often never matched by over paid Western A - listers. to Review Archive - M. Jaycee Chan brings more to his character than probably existed on paper, and Hu Jun shows a fun charisma as the villain.
You sense the phrase “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon for kids” must have been uttered at some point early in production, while Hero and House of Flying Daggers, Zhang Yimou’s blazingly coloured historical epics, were also surely extensively pinned to the mood board.
Its big bucks effects lost on living rooms. Vicki Zhao is physically and emotionally fine as Mulan, and Aloys Chen is inordinately soulful as the super-cool Wentai. I was quite excited to learn that they've made a cinematic version of Mulan and used real characters and none of the twisted-tale of the original that Disney is famous for.
Not an incredible movie, but it wouldn't really hurt give it a watch.
’Mulan’ does not provide that elevation of standards.
The nadir of his unimaginative storytelling occurs when Mulan's childhood friend Tiger (Jaycee Chan) says to Wentai, "You two are so lonely," referencing Wentai and Mulan's inability to honestly connect. The fate of Disney’s Mulan is inextricably bound up in the fate of Disney’s moolah.
Look at the bright side: this is the story of Mulan, meaning that it'll doubtlessly be remade again one day. If you think those details count as a spoiler in a China film, you really need to get out more. Look at the bright side: this is the story of Mulan, meaning that it'll doubtlessly be remade again one day. Anyone who’s seen the androgynous heroes of any recent K-drama should be much more forgiving; watch the ludicrously coiffured heart-throbs of something like ’Boys Over Flowers’ and Vicki Zhao’s downtrodden look for Hua Mulan will seem like ’Mr.T’ in comparison.
Just watched this yesterday with full of anticipation coz I love epic films like these. Chinese cinema regains control of the legendary heroine Mulan after its controversial Disneyfication and gives mainland superstar Vicki Zhao the role of a lifetime. A good way to spend the time. We urge you to turn off your ad blocker for The Telegraph website so that you can continue to access our quality content in the future.
Vicki This visually stunning but heartless movie is bypassing cinemas for Disney+. ’Mulan’ does not provide that elevation of standards.
I read in one of the review that the story wasn't going anyway and was dragging along. It's unfortunate to knock Ma because he's an excellent cinematographer and can handle light commercial entertainment (e.g., Tokyo Raiders) decently. Mulan progresses inorganically, like it's so concerned with moving from point A to point B that it doesn't care to explore situations or characters properly. | So whether it’s about movies, books, training techniques, philosophy, stunts or seminars, we hope to inspire and stimulate your inner warrior! As a soldier, Mulan confronts the horrors of war, wrangles with military politics and experiences the difficulties of falling in love when she shouldn't. About Us Forget about the sugar-coated Disney versions and forget about talking animals. Mulan: Legendary Warrior charts the early life and rise to power of Hua Mulan, a fearless heroine who disguises herself as a man and goes to war in place of her ailing father. Theres a pretty cool atmosphere where it feels light and childlike (since the people in war can be quite young in real life, during the time) while still being graphic and brutal.
By all rights, MULAN should be THE definitive retelling of the story about the famous woman warrior: it's a big-budget Chinese historical war film, made with a huge crew and cast, actors who have previously excelled in other movies, and a thoroughly serious look at a woman out of place in a man's world. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I had the opportunity to see this movie when I was in Asia. Having Just watched this film, and whilst it is still fresh in my mind I found the movie to be a refreshing change to traditional epics offered by Asian Cinema.
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It's also not as flowery as the Disney movie. Since "Mulan" is a decidedly feminine name in Chinese, it beggars belief that more people didn't question Mulan's gender upon hearing her name.
'Mulan' is folklore--like Robin Hood, King Arthur--initially popularized as literary fiction, perhaps with some 'historical grounding', but so heavily mythologized that what is 'fact' and what is 'fiction' is virtually indistinguishable (this in turn produces multiple versions of the story, including of course, Disney's campy animated 'revision'). We are writers, martial arts practitioners and film-makers consumed by a passion for everything connected to the martial arts, and we love sharing it! I got quite excited when I heard of this re-adaption of the Chinese folk tale Mulan, having always loved Disney's version for unexplainable reasons. In the "bewildering performances dictated by marketing" department, Russian popstar Vitas shows up as a singer held captive by the Rouran tribe. The film’s biggest visual effects coup is another new addition: a dazzlingly animated phoenix that looks like a living kite, with streaming tail feathers that twist and ripple in the wind.
Most of the pivotal moments have been dutifully restaged, from the avalanche that reveals Mulan’s true sex to her cohort to the climactic battle at the Imperial City. For example, one character disappears and then reappears oddly, but outside of one or two people, nobody seems to notice or care.
Based on an age-old classic tale, director Jingle Ma brings this vision to life in a new adaptation of the historic legend. Mulan often feels less like a conventional Disney film than a glossy pastiche of wuxia – the martial arts genre whose heroes run up and down walls, bound across moonlit rooftops, and bounce on the blades of one another’s swords.
But when dynamic emotions or strong storytelling is necessary, Ma should never be your first choice. I was moved by this movie. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. I felt the scriptwriter's high policy of writing a human drama. I thought the handling of that theme transfer was a high point of the script's skill. FAQ But when dynamic emotions or strong storytelling is necessary, Ma should never be your first choice. Vicki Zhao's tomboyish image certainly helps her believability as Mulan, but as with his handling of Cheuk Ying-Toi in Butterfly Lovers, Ma doesn't seem that concerned with pretending that Mulan is really a he.
Eventually becoming a general, she formulates an ingenious plan to beat the overwhelming odds her regiment faces against the Rouran invaders.
Determined to protect the kingdom, the Emperor orders every family to volunteer one man to serve in the Imperial Army.
Review by Kozo: Jingle Ma's Mulan is a lot better than his previous Butterfly Lovers.However, relatively speaking that doesn't mean much. (Kozo 2009), Return
There’s a preponderance of these middle-of-the-road historical epics on the market at the moment and Jingle Ma’s flat take on Hua Mulan just adds another to their number.
Interestingly, Mulan achieved the 9th Henan Province Governmental Award in 2011.