Recently I watched the live-action Mulan movie and it missed the mark for me. The story, first adapted by Disney in the 1998 animated film, is about an ordinary girl who wants to save her father and bring honor to her family. Unlike the original, this war movie is definitely not for your 6 year old. 

Notably, the 2020 version of Mulan had no music. This has both positive and negative effects; while there were some serious parts that could utilize goofy songs, I found it powerful that they didn’t sing out “A Girl Worth Fighting For.”

This song has always been misogynistic, but the catchy tune made us forget about how bad the lyrics are. Just saying the words brought light into what Yao, Chien-Po and Ling were saying. They were talking as if women were just an object, and the men laughed when Mulan brought up strong women speaking their mind, showing how ridiculous the idea was at the time. 

I found Mulan’s high level of chi a misstep in the story’s plot. It made her lose that “ordinary girl” characteristic, as she was already so strong and could balance well. In the film’s first scene, this was evident when Mulan is seen chasing a chicken into a pen, before she jumps high enough to reach the shingles of the apartment’s roof, pulls herself onto the roof, and then balances while running around. While it was unbelievable, it actually hurt the character of Mulan.

Additionally, in the live-action version, Mushu, the quick-witted and rambunctious dragon sidekick voiced by Eddie Murphy, was cut. I found this to be an extremely disappointing decision, as Mushu’s comedic relief was one of the most beloved aspects of the original film.

Instead, the film included a phoenix sidekick, but replacing the shoes of such a prominent character like Mushu is impossible; it is evident that this swap wasn’t effective. 

The sister’s inclusion in the 2020 film and not the 1998 film brings up an interesting debate regarding her presence in the film. On one hand, it made more sense as to why Mulan failed to get a match; she knew her sister had a fear of spiders, and Mulan felt an obligation to protect her, so she tried to move the tea on top of the spider.

Unfortunately, when the matchmaker moved the teapot, Hua, Mulan’s sister, shrieked and the spider went right at the matchmaker, making the matchmaker fall back. On the other hand, the idea of bringing honor to one’s family is diluted by her presence, as Hua seems to be a perfect daughter, who could easily bring honor to her family. So in terms of Hua’s presence, I am undecided on my opinion. 

Another scene that was excluded was the famous scene where Mulan cuts her hair. It might not seem like such a big deal, but I felt that it was an important moment, where she let go of her old life, and her femininity, to become the soldier she needed to be for her family. It was such an emotional scene, but it had such a big impact, that I felt that it would’ve been nice in the live-action. 

A positive effect of the live-action was the humanity they brought to the witch. She was once a girl, but she had a lot of chi in her, like Mulan. She was shunned by society, and one day, she stopped caring about the other’s opinions. She followed Bori Khan, the main villain because he promised her a better future.

In the end, she realizes that what she did was wrong, and sacrifices herself for Mulan, and honestly, she was a great character.

All in all, the new Mulan wasn’t that great and I would have to give it a rating of a 5/10. It had some positive aspects, but the main letdown was that it lost the free spirit of the original Mulan.