Mulan Movie Review: Breathtaking and spirited, but slightly off the mark

Review: At a time when live-action remakes of some of the most loved animation films (read: 'Aladdin', 'Cinderella', 'Beauty and the Beast', 'The Jungle Book') have brought a hit of nostalgia for the older generation and engaged a new set of fans at the same time, Disney has delved into another such project with 'Mulan'.The 2020 live-action remake of the 1998 film by the same name is based on the 'Ballad of Mulan', a Chinese folk legend that follows the coming-of-age story of Hua Mulan and her transformation into a warrior of the Imperial Kingdom. Although the essence of the story remains the same, don't expect a scene-to-scene retelling. Firstly, there are no songs, a rarity in a Disney film, and secondly, there are no talking animals (which means no wisecracks from Mushu, the dragon). The makers have focussed more on the heroics of Mulan, than the histrionics of other characters.The story is simple and well-known. Possessing an extraordinary chi (mystical energy), Mulan (Yifei Liu) is made for larger things than getting married to a boy chosen by their village matchmaker (Pei-Pei Cheng). Her father Hua Zhou (Tzi Ma) is well aware of this, but keeping the family's tradition in mind, decided to find a suitable match for Mulan. The meeting at the matchmaker goes horribly wrong, but soon after, the village is visited by soldiers from the Imperial Army. They ask for one man from each family to join the battle against the Rourans, led by Bori Khan (Jason Scott Lee). While Zhou volunteers, despite a broken leg, Mulan steals his armour and sword and rides off to join the battalion, disguised as a boy. She completes her training, successfully hiding her true identity, but there comes a point while at war when she realises that she isn't being true to herself. That's when she reveals her identity to Commander Tung (Donnie Yen) and is expelled from the army. But Mulan learns of Bori Khan's plan of killing the Emperor in deceit and pleads to Commander Tung to listen to her, which he does. Thus begins Mulan's journey from a young woman hiding her identity and chi, to becoming a legendary warrior.With a cast comprising Asian and Asian-American actors, the makers have ticked off the ethnicity aspect. Furthermore, it's a mix of seasoned and younger actors that gives the film the right balance. Yifei Liu looks and acts the part of Mulan brilliantly. The shift from a rebellious girl to a mature, calm yet fierce warrior is almost like a cakewalk for her. Among the supporting cast, Donnie Yen, Li Gong (as Xianniang), Jason Scott Lee and Yoson An (as Honghui) make an impression. Yifei's 'The Forbidden Kingdom' co-star Jet Li features in a small role as the Emperor and has an arresting screen presence in his scenes.Staying true to expectations, this Niki Caro film is a visual marvel that captures breathtaking landscapes and beautifully choreographed action perfectly. However, the film comes across as hurried. The reason could also be that there's hardly any scope for something new in the story that has been loved by generations. On the big screen, perhaps the visuals could've taken centrestage, but on the small screens, they alone can't shoulder the weight of the entire film. That said, 'Mulan' does bring certain nostalgia and deserves a watch for the performances.