OVP: Mulan (2020)

Film: Mulan (2020)

Stars: Yifei Liu, Donnie Yen, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Gong Li, Jet Li

Director: Niki Caro

Oscar History: 2 nominations (Best Costume Design, Visual Effects)

Snap Judgment Ranking: 2/5 stars

I initially swore that I was done with live-action remakes of Disney films.  I think it's super lazy of Disney to constantly repurpose its beloved tales, and not create new stories for audiences, and I am sure I'm not alone in that regard.  I made an exception, however, for three reasons.  One, this is what my mom wanted to watch over the Christmas break & I love my mom (and in 2020, it's rare you get to enjoy time with the people you love, especially if you're like me & living alone).  Two, it's not exactly a carbon copy remake of the film like Beauty & the Beast or The Lion King were-the film cuts the musical aspects, as well as several key characters (Mushu & Li Shang) in favor of a more action-forward telling of the legend, so it didn't feel like it was a movie I needed to avoid (exactly) on principle.  And third, while it's not a guarantee, with 2020 bereft of obvious nominees for Best Visual Effects, Mulan is the rare traditional nominee for that category that could go well with the Academy if they so choose.

(Spoilers Ahead) The movie is about Mulan (Liu), a young woman who idolizes her father and wants to be a warrior, but as this is Imperial China, she is expected to be a wife & mother to bring honor to her family.  After her father is called to war, Mulan goes in his place disguised as a young male soldier, using a false identity.  Initially disregarded, Mulan proves herself to her commanding officer (Yen) and befriends her fellow soldiers, including Chen Honghui (An), who becomes something of a love interest to her after she's revealed to be a woman.  She does so during a gigantic fight sequence against Bori Khan (Lee) and his accomplice Xianniang (Gong Li), whom she eventually beats in a later standoff, getting her respect & a position in the Emperor's (Jet Li) personal guard.

The film doesn't stray too far from the original idea, even if the musical numbers and key characters are cut.  We even see recreations of some of the initial movie's most famous scenes (the matchmaker, the fights in the mountains, the father-daughter reconciliation at the end of the movie).  And the film goes beyond that by giving us hints of the initial movie, including one in particular that I loved (Ming-Na, the original voice of Mulan, makes a blink-and-you'll-miss-it cameo).

However, the movie still struggles in its conversion, and especially with its new elements.  Lead actress Yifei Liu has none of the spark of Ming-Na's work, and is dry & dispassionate as the lead.  She can kick ass, but Mulan is many people's favorite Disney Princess because she has a fire to prove herself, to show the world who she is after she discovers it for herself ("who is that girl I see, staring straight back at me?")...Liu's performance is disinterested in this, and more focused on striking an intimidating pose, and it totally undersells the movie.  Additionally, Gong Li (the best actor in this movie) does a solid job, but her character is horribly written (there's too little interest in her back story, which makes many of her decisions to keep following Bori Khan confusing).  These are things that take away from the movie, and while it doesn't have a cookie cutter vibe (this is better than Beauty or Lion King), it also feels unnecessary, never going beyond just "different" to "good."