if you don't watch this movie, then dishonor on you AND your cow! I have been waiting for this day for a very long time. Mulan (1998) was the first movie I ever saw in a real movie theater, so this came full circle for me in so many ways. (Which means yes, I cried. Several times.) I have been waiting for this day for a very long time. Mulan (1998) was the first movie I ever saw in a real movie theater, so this came full circle for me in so many ways. (Which means yes, I cried. Several times.) Disney's live-action version of Mulan is more centered on the retelling of original Chinese legend. The film centers around Hua Mulan – a girl who has an incredible amount of chi like a warrior and doesn't act like a traditional girl. This causes trouble not only for her small village but also for her family. Years later, when a matchmaking session goes wrong, Mulan feels down. Things get worse when her father gets conscripted to fight the Rourans since the Hua's have no sons. Mulan decides to take his place by taking his armor, his sword and pretends she's her father's son. Mulan trains and bonds with her fellow warriors, but keeping her secret proves to be more difficult than she thought. As the battles with the Rourans get closer to the emperor, Mulan must decide once and for all if she is loyal, brave, and true. Honestly, there was so much to unpack from this movie. From the start, this is not your run-of-the-mill Disney movie. There's no song and dance (literally). No talking animal sidekicks were found. Instead, they replace it with a lot of kickass fighting and powerful acting. It was a worthwhile watch. Many will instinctively want to compare this with the iconic animated movie, but I would advise not to do so. This movie stands on its own because it doesn't try to be like the original. There's been a lot of criticism against Disney for making shot-for-shot remakes of other iconic 90s movies like The Lion King and Beauty and the Beast. This was a refreshing take on a tale a lot of people are familiar with that didn't try so hard to be like the original. While there are similarities, this Mulan is mature with hard stress on female empowerment and devotion to family in its themes. There are good bits of comedy in the moments the movie needs some relief from the seriousness. What I loved most was the small homages to the 1998 version like Mulan's jade comb, and even Ming-Na Wen gets a cameo. It has a satisfying mix of the old and new that anyone could love. The casting, the cinematography, the score! It's all so good. However, some things felt stilted. You could tell there was CGI work involved and the use of editing to compensate for some of the more difficult stunts. However, it doesn't take away from the fact it's an intense story of a young woman willing to fight and bring honor to her family. As I said, this movie came full circle for me. It was both weird and so exhilarating at the same time. I can't watch it again.
Reflection is and will forever be Christina Aguilera's song.
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