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The long-awaited Mulan movie is now a Disney + for those that want to see the live-action version.
Plans for a live-action remake began in 2010, but the project stalled in development. In March 2015, a new attempt was announced and Niki Caro was hired to direct in February 2017. Liu Yifei was cast in the title role in November 2017, following a casting call of 1,000 actresses, and the rest of the cast joined over the following year. Filming began in August 2018 and lasted through November, taking place in New Zealand and China. With a production budget of $200 million, it is the most expensive film ever made by a female director.
Mulan’s Hollywood premiere was held on March 9, 2020. Originally scheduled to be a wide theatrical release, it was delayed multiple times due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Disney eventually announced that it would instead be released on September 4, 2020, on Disney+ for a premium fee in countries where the service had launched. It will have a traditional theatrical release in countries without Disney+, where theaters have re-opened. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the action sequences, visuals, and performances, while criticizing the screenplay.
Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film three-and-a-half out of four stars, praising the “fine cast, exciting action and spectacular visuals” and writing, “Director Caro knows how to stage elaborate action sequences, and she is equally adept at light comedy and the heavier dramatic moments.”
The movie begins when the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation…and a proud father.
