Disney’s live-action remake of ‘Mulan’ has more swords and sorcery but less magic What’s your Reaction? +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 +1 0 Facebook Twitter Email The new live-action Mulan, directed by Niki Caro (Whale Rider, The Zookeeper’s Wife), is reminiscent of two things. First, naturally, the 1998 animated film it’s adapted from. Second, Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. There isn’t any science fiction in the new Disney movie (though there is a healthy helping of fantasy), but the changes to the story — and the nostalgic cues that haven’t been changed — call the recent installments of the blockbuster franchise to mind. The bulk of the story, based on the legend of Hua Mulan, remains the same. Mulan (Liu Yifei) is strong-willed and unafraid to speak her mind. Those qualities worry her family, since they may prevent her from finding a suitable husband, especially after she bombs her visit with the local matchmaker (Cheng Pei-pei). However, when her father (Tzi Ma) is called upon to serve in the Imperial Army as forces from the Rouran Khaganate invade from the north, Mulan’s determination and spirit become assets. Rather than sending her father to certain death, she disguises herself as a man and takes his place as a soldier. Unlike with the 1998 film — and unlike most other recent Disney live-action remakes — Caro and screenwriters Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver, Lauren Hynek, and Elizabeth Martin tell the story without any songs. But they aren’t able to completely let go of the music that made the animated film such a hit. The score, composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, has constant nods to Matthew Wilder and David Zippel’s old songs, including an entire orchestral cover of “Reflection” at a pivotal point in the movie. On top of that, characters recite entire lyrics in scenes from which songs have been removed. While those lines might sound natural when sung, they’re clunky when spoken. The old music and lyrics are also effectively a shortcut, tapping into the animated film’s well-established emotions, at least for those familiar with it. The same tactic is also used in the new Star Wars movies, which bank on nostalgia and trot out Luke’s and Leia’s respective themes to get straight to Star Wars devotees’ tear ducts. Unfortunately, the musical cues aren’t enough to distract from the live-action Mulan’s clunky script, even aside from the shoehorned lyrics. Mulan is repeatedly referred to as “the daughter,” and despite the script’s insistence that she be true to herself (“loyal, brave, true” are the words inscribed on the Hua family sword), the early mischievousness she displays is replaced with stoicism and seriousness as a way of representing her burgeoning strength. And what does strength entail, exactly? The Mulan of the 1998 film (who notably retained her impishness throughout the movie) displayed her strength through determination and cleverness. The 2020 Mulan possesses those same traits, but Jaffa, Silver, Hynek, and Martin also introduce the concept of chi, or life force. Though everyone possesses chi — it exists everywhere — Mulan is overflowing with it, and that excess of chi is what makes her special, rather than her resolve in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. Related Videos Tweets by yifei_cc Style to wear