Mulan (2020)

Powerful performances and intense battle sequences make this retelling of Mulan a more mature adaptation, stressing the story's themes of female empowerment and family devotion. Although New Zealander director Niki Caro isn't of Chinese descent, she's spent much of her career focusing on women's stories (Whale Rider, Zookeeper's Wife, North Country), so Mulan fits in with her filmography of strong female characters overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles. And kudos to the filmmakers for making sure there was no white-washing in the cast; the ensemble is made up of internationally renowned ethnically Chinese actors from mainland China, Hong Kong, the United States, and New Zealand (where, along with China, the movie was filmed). As with all of her movies, Caro highlights in Mulan the way that women have always had to fight to be taken seriously or to be considered as capable as men. Liu is well cast as the young warrior woman in the making who wants, more than anything, to make her father proud.

Fans of the original should know that this isn't a musical (though instrumental bits of the animated movie's soundtrack do show up in the score), and there's no wise-cracking talking dragon sidekick. But there are plenty of small callbacks to the earlier film, from the jade comb Mulan wears to the matchmaker's to the lucky Cri-Kee, here transformed into a human character named Cricket who's still quite lucky. Even Mulan's original voice, Ming-Na Wen, gets a cameo. There are plenty more, but it's fun to discover them while you watch. It may be hard for the character's youngest fans, but this version really isn't for really little kids. It has lots of potentially disturbing action violence, as well as a few scenes in which it looks like beloved characters are injured or near death. There's not a ton of humor in this version, although there are a couple of funny scenes, like Mulan's disastrous introduction to her potential match's mother and, later, a silly conversation between a disguised Mulan and her fellow soldiers about "what a man wants." A new witch character, Xianniang (expertly played by Gong Li) is frightening but also fascinating and unabashedly feminist. And this movie makes Mulan's love interest a peer, rather than her commanding officer, which is a healthier power dynamic. Ultimately, those looking for their favorite movie in live-action form will need to reset their expectations. But audiences open to a more intense retelling will appreciate this adaptation for what it is: an intense tale of a young woman busting gender stereotypes to lead men in battle and bring honor to her family, village, and empire.