Mulan

Mulan is the Disney produced live action remake of the 1998 animated version of the same name. It is based on a fictional folk story of a Chinese heroine set in 4th century AD. Unbeknownst to her ageing father, who has just been drafted, she takes his place in the army by disguising herself as a man.

I like that the character of Mulan. She is not your typical Disney damsel in distress. She doesn't need anyone to save her and being the best and brightest in her regiment she also helps to save her fellow soldiers. She’s independent, brave, smart and confident which makes for a great role model for young people.

There were a number of strong themes around having confidence in yourself and your gifts, not dulling down your light, and honoring your family,

The cinematography was visually stunning with vast landscapes. The costumes and makeup where very relevant for the time and helped to easily transport you to that era. The fight sequences were smooth but exaggerated and unrealistic. It was very Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. When a movie goes live action I expect something more convincing but instead it took more of a fanciful direction.

The move flowed smoothly but the story seemed rushed. I would have liked more character development and detail in the plot. I would have also liked for the characters to have spoken in their native tongue with English subtitles vs having them all speaking in English, which obviously is not culturally accurate.

Overall I thought that the movie was good. Not worth checking out in theatres but it was nice to watch from home. One critic called it the best live action Disney adaptation but I’d have to give that crown to the Maleficent franchise.