Movie · 2020 · Adventure, Fantasy, Action · 1h 55m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 0.8/10 (477.4K ratings)
Loyal. Brave. True.
Overview
When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Chinese Army to defend the country from Huns, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. She is spirited, determined and quick on her feet. Disguised as a man by the name of Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her innermost strength and embrace her true potential.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.8/10
IMDb: 5.8/10
Letterboxd: 2.28/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 71%
Metacritic: 66
TMDB: 6.8/10
Director
Niki Caro
Production
Walt Disney Pictures, Good Fear, Jason T. Reed Productions
Cast
Liu Yifei, Donnie Yen, Gong Li, Jet Li, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Tzi Ma, Rosalind Chao, Cheng Pei-Pei, Ming-Na Wen, Xana Tang, Ron Yuan, Jun Yu, Chen Tang, Doua Moua, Jimmy Wong, Nelson Lee, Hoon Lee, Crystal Rao, Elena Askin
Where to watch
Disney Plus, Philo
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy live-action reimagining with some striking visuals and competent action, but it largely loses the charm, humor, and emotional clarity that made the story resonate. The result feels overproduced and underwritten, with style often outpacing character and momentum.
Best for
Viewers curious about Disney live-action remakes
Fans of polished fantasy action and large-scale production design
Audiences interested in a more serious, militarized take on the legend
Skip if
You want the warmth and musical energy of the animated film
You prefer character-driven wuxia with richer choreography and atmosphere
You are sensitive to thin writing, uneven pacing, or corporate remake energy
Overview
This version of Mulan aims for grandeur and seriousness, trading the animated film’s wit and emotional immediacy for a more solemn war epic. The visuals can be handsome, and there are moments where the scale and color design briefly suggest a stronger movie than the one that actually emerges.
Worth noting
The problem is that the film never fully finds its identity. It borrows from wuxia, military drama, and superhero origin storytelling, but the pieces don’t quite click together. Character beats feel rushed, the dialogue is blunt, and the action, while serviceable, rarely feels inspired enough to carry the movie on its own.
Bottom line
As a prestige live-action remake, it’s hard to recommend unless you’re specifically interested in the production design or in comparing it to the animated original. For most viewers, there are far better films in both the Disney catalog and the broader martial-arts tradition.
Top Letterboxd reviews
James (Schaffrillas) (0.5★) · 5832 likes
Fucking worthless. It strips the original film of nearly everything that made it special, but forgets to add anything worthwhile as a substitute. It is inferior to the original in literally every respect. If that's not enough, it also contains the most fucking abysmal editing I've ever seen in a major motion picture. I'm baffled that Disney considered this theater-worthy for the longest time, and doubly insulted that they have the gall to charge $30 for such an irredeemably awful pile of garbage. A new low for the Disney live-action remakes.
But at least it's better than Artemis Fowl.
hunter strawberry (2★) · 4013 likes
list of better ways to spend your $30:
• buy a Blu-ray of the original• go see Tenet for the 4th time• order 20 chicken nuggets, pocket the rest• get a fly hat, autumn is coming• buy your mom some flowers, she deserves • Netflix subscription, so you can stop using someone else’s• donate it, there are people who need it far more than Disney
karen h. (3★) · 2808 likes
"what if mulan had midi-chlorians"
alex todd 🧟♂️ (1.5★) · 2329 likes
so glad i watched this piece of shit illegally
matt lynch (1.5★) · 1791 likes
There are literally hundreds of Chinese martial arts films that celebrate virtuous swordswomen. This cribs from that prominent wuxia legacy, dilutes it with market-expedient notions of nationalism, and proceeds to congratulate itself for its window-dressing representation. Oh, and the action is adequate at best.