Parents' Guide to

Mulan (2020)

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Martial arts epic is more intense, violent than original.

Movie PG-13 2020 115 minutes
Mulan (2020) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 10+

Based on 57 parent reviews

Shunyi
Shunyi Adult
November 8, 2022
age 10+
Mulan is a legendary Chinese folk tale that was reworked from an American perspective by a white director for this film. The movie introduces "Chi" as a signifier of a gender dyad, where only sons can wield it, while daughters risk shame, dishonor, and exile. Males who can wield chi can bring honor to their families by becoming warriors, while daughters can only do so through marriage. The movie also adds more characters. For example, Xianniang, a woman exiled for her ability to wield powerful Chi, is a character who is a tragic version of Hua Mulan. Through several battles with Hua Mulan, she pushes Hua Mulan to stay true to her heart, to release her Chi better, and to complete her character's growth. This is one of the important messages the movie wants to convey; only by being true to oneself can one truly realize one's potential. These plot additions are a challenge to patriarchal society and traditional gender roles. However, the film is missing a reflection on intersectionality, with no mention of race or social class. Overall, Mulan is a feminist film that encourages the personal empowerment of women. It reinforces the understanding of gender stereotypes of male superiority over female and demonstrates how difficult it is to break gender role stereotypes. If it's for the gender aspect, this movie is recommended. But if one wants to learn more about Asian culture, then there are other better choices.

This title has:

Educational value
Great messages
Great role models
2 people found this helpful.
Mulan2020isgarbage
Mulan2020isgarbage Adult
February 2, 2021
age 7+

Absolutely horrendous

Absolutely horrendous they said things were cut to make it more realistic and yet they have witches and Magic yes they think we the audience are stupid enough to think them using Tai Chi is a good cultural representation but it is just Magic and doesn't actually hold any real cultural background and if you don't know Tai Chi is more of a spiritual energy not a force or Magic but oh well I don't think they could have ever done anything right with this film it is just all garbage
2 people found this helpful.
See all 57 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Disney's live-action MULAN is a dramatic retelling of the original ancient Chinese ballad, not a shot-for-shot musical remake like the studio's other reboots. The film opens in a small village, where a young Hua Mulan (Crystal Rao) causes trouble by doing acrobatics to chase after a chicken, alarming her mother (Rosalind Chao), who doesn't want to see her "acting like a boy." Mulan's father, Zhou (Tzi Ma), tells her that he has indulged her and that she must hide her chi/warrior spirit. Years later, after a matchmaking appointment goes awry, all hope seems lost for the now adolescent Mulan (Yifei Liu). But then Imperial Army scouts ride into the village and demand one male conscript from each family to fight the Rouran Huns, who are led by Böri Khan (Jason Scott Lee) and the warrior witch Xianniang (Gong Li). Without any sons, Zhou -- a proud but wounded war hero --volunteers, but Mulan decides to save him by taking her father's armor and family sword and pretending to be a young man. Under Commander Tung (Donnie Yen), the disguised Mulan (who binds her breasts and puts up her hair) and the rest of her regiment train to save the emperor's (Jet Li) kingdom from the invaders.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (57):
Kids say (115):

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.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in Mulan. Do you think it's necessary to the story? How does live-action violence impact viewers differently than animated violence?

  • Do you consider Mulan a role model? Why is it notable when a female character, especially one of color, is the main character of a major movie? What are the story's messages about feminism?

  • Why is it significant that the cast is composed of ethnically Chinese actors? How does that compare to the casting of Disney's original version? Why is representation important in the media?

  • What character strengths do the various characters display? Why are courage, humility, perseverance, and teamwork important?

  • How does the live-action version compare to the animated one? Why do you think certain changes were made? Do you think audiences should consider it a remake?

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