Spinning a Chinese legend into family-friendly entertainment with worldwide appeal is tricky. The new 'Mulan' is a watered-down version of a potentially captivating story, our reviewer writes.
in a theater months ago; having rewatched it recently at home from a digital screener, I can say that it isn't remotely the same experience.doesn't skimp on spectacle: She handles the large-scale action sequences with flair, and she fills the frame with beautiful costumes and majestic landscapes — many of them from New Zealand, which stands in nicely for China.
Many novelists, playwrights and filmmakers have already tackled the ancient folk legend of Hua Mulan, a warrior who famously disguised herself as a man and fought valiantly in the Chinese army. In addition to drawing inspiration from the epic poemMulan . But Caro strikes a more serious tone. There are no fast-talking dragon sidekicks here and no upbeat musical numbers. That's a bit of a shame, frankly: The stiffly earnest script could have used a little more showbiz pizazz.aspires to be more than an exact replica of the animated original. One crucial difference is that in this version of, the protagonist is a naturally gifted warrior.
The Imperial Army commander is nicely played by Donnie Yen, one of a few veteran actors cast in key supporting roles. Jet Li exudes beard-stroking gravitas as the Chinese emperor, while Jason Scott Lee gets some compelling layers to play as Bori Khan, the villainous leader of the Rouran army. Bori Khan is aided in battle by a powerful sorceress — that's the great Gong Li — who becomes the movie's most intriguing character.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Disney Reveals ‘Mulan’ Release Date For All Disney+ Subscribers After $30 Premier Access RunMulan will be released to all Disney+ subscribers at no extra charge on December 4, three months after it begins its run at $30 exclusively through the streaming service. Instead of labeling it a p…
Read more »
'Mulan' Sets Sail on Historic Dual PVOD-Theatrical JourneyNiki Caro's live-action adaptation of the classic Disney animated film stars Chinese actress Liu Yifei.
Read more »
Who is Yifei Liu? Meet Disney's new 'Mulan''I realized that we weren't just looking for an actress with all this unusual skill set, but we were actually looking for Mulan,' director Niki Caro says. 'And we found her.'
Read more »
‘Mulan’ Will Be Available to All Disney Plus Subscribers in December for No Extra CostDisney Plus customers who shell out $30 for “Mulan” starting Friday, Sept. 4, will get the first look at the live-action remake — but in three months, all subscribers to the streaming s…
Read more »
How ‘Tenet’ and ‘Mulan’ Could Shape the Future of Blockbuster Movies During CoronavirusThe future of film in an age of plague may be crystallized this weekend. That’s because after numerous delays and months of anticipation, Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” —…
Read more »
'Mulan': Film ReviewMulan gets the superhero-origin-story treatment in Niki Caro's long-awaited live-action remake, starring Yifei Liu, Gong Li and Donnie Yen.
Read more »