The warrior princess got her own live action movie and I paid the $30 Disney + Premier Access to see it a few months early. Obviously there are some differences between the 1998 animation and the 2020 live action. I’d say spoiler free but everyone already knows the plot so how much can actually be spoiled.

Disclaimer: I am reviewing an enjoyable Disney live action movie. I will not be discussing the movement to boycott the movie in today’s cancel culture. All I will say is can we enjoy a strong female lead movie without bring politics into it?

We open with young Mulan which was a nice touch of backstory. Her parents and sister start discouraging her from using her natural kick-butt talent – because dishonor and sexism. Years pass and it’s time for Mulan to meet with the matchmaker, which goes about as well as you can expected. Right after, the army rolls in to recruit her father. Mulan steals her father’s gear and runs off to take his place in the army. Meanwhile, the invaders are killing along the silk road and stopping trade. They have a witch who has basically all the abilities – possession, shape shifting, and magic fighting. The leader of the army is looking for revenge after the Emperor killed his father. Instead of a quirky side character, Mulan’s spirit guide is a powerful phoenix that leads Mulan through her journey. Instead of the general’s son being hot boyfriend goals, there is no Shang in the way I expected, but I’m happy with how they handled it. She still has those awkward moments with her fellow soldiers like sleeping arrangements and hygiene. The movie is not a musical, but there’s still a training montage. Eventually they get called out to assist a garrison at the front. The battle commences on an open field in typical epic fashion. To my delight, the battle ends with an avalanche and Mulan’s identity coming out. Mulan got banished, found out the enemies plans, and returned to save the Emperor. There’s more fighting and winning. Mulan saves China and brings honor to her family.

First of all nothing about the movie was “bad”. I just have some complaints. The smallest being the lack of sassy grandma. What is a Disney movie without the sassy grandma? The big complaint I have is the witchcraft. I was hoping this movie would be realistic and follow some of the rules of physics. Instead they use Chi as a supernatural magic. If girls have it, they are witches. If boys have it, they are great warriors. *heavy feminist sigh* Anyway, I’m all for including chi and respecting Chinese cultural, but it came off as “use the force”. I was expecting a historical war movie, but should have remembered it was made by Disney.

I really enjoyed all the little nods to the first movie. They didn’t remake it exactly and they didn’t change it too much. I think it was a healthy mix of both. Like I said before, there are no songs, but some of the original themes are instrumental pieces in the background. Reflection being the most recognizable, but there are some others. I also loved the characterization, but that’s usually my favorite part. Mulan is less funny than her animated predecessor, but she still has those small moments that make her relatable. She is confident and brave. Her father is proud of her even in the beginning, but feels compelled to follow societies expectations. The witch was probably the most interesting character with her arc. She started out like Mulan, but turned to the dark side after being unaccepted and dishonored. She asked Mulan to join her, but Mulan insisted loyalty to the Emperor. When she saw Mulan leading the army of men, she decided to help by leading her to the Emperor.

Overall, it was an enjoyable movie that I recommend Disney fans watch. Maybe not $30 worth, but you can get a (Covid approved) watch party together and have a movie night. You can also wait until December to avoid the additional charge. We all knew the story from the first movie and I was looking for some additional depth to this one. I don’t know if it’s the best live action adaption (I’m partial to the Beauty and the Beast remake), but it’s up there with some of the other good ones (Lion King, Cinderella, Aladdin). I’ll definitely be rewatching to soak it up more.