Mulan [2020] (4½ Stars)

This is the 2020 version of the story of Mulan, made by Disney Studios. According to the information on Wikipedia, this is the 13th film about her, and it's considered to be a remake of Disney's 1998 film about Mulan. Since I had doubts about the accuracy of this description, I watched it today with the question in mind whether it qualifies as a remake.

What makes a film a remake? If a story is written for film, an original screenplay, a repeat telling of the story is a remake. If a film is based on a book, an adapted screenplay, a repeat telling of the story isn't a remake. A borderline case is stories based on true events. Usually the second or third film about the same person isn't a remake, but if it concentrates on the same specific events in the person's life it can be considered a remake. It's a matter of opinion.

"Mulan" (2020) definitely refers to the same events in Mulan's life as "Mulan" (1998). She had a long successful life, but both Disney films refer to the same events early in her career. Furthermore, they're the same contentious events that deviate from the official story as maintained by historians. Chinese critics have complained about the new film's cultural and historical inaccuracies. These are things that are based on the 1998 film, which already had these inaccuracies. There were less complaints about that film, because it was made as a children's film and wasn't meant to be accurate. The new film is for adults (certificate 12A in England), so the Chinese critics have analysed it with a toothcomb.

There are many differences in the way the new film is told, in content and style:

1. It's a live action film instead of a cartoon film.

2. The 1998 film was a comedy, but the 2020 film has only a few comedic elements.

3. In the 1998 film Mulan is aided by the comic characters of a dragon and a caterpillar; in the 2020 film Mulan is aided by a phoenix force.

4. In the 1998 film the invading enemies are the Huns, in the 2020 film they're the Rourans. My brief research hasn't been enough to tell me whether the two names refer to the same people. If anyone can answer this question for me, please leave a comment below.

5. The 2020 film adds a new character, Xianning, a powerful witch who aids the Rourans.

6. In the 2020 film, Mulan has a younger sister instead of being an only child.

7. In the 2020 film, Mulan reveals her gender after the first battle and is expelled from the army.

Hua Mulan is played be the beautiful Chinese actress, Liu Yifei. She was 32 at the time of filming, but she manages to look like a teenager.

Even more beautiful is Gong Li as Xianning. Is she really 55 already? She's one of the most beautiful actresses I know. I always associate her with the director Zhang Yimou, for whom she's appeared in several of his films.

Like the first film, the new film has strong feminist messages, but in this film there are new messages that emphasise the feminist theme even more. Mulan is a capable warrior from the beginning, but she doesn't reach her full strength until she stops pretending to be a man. There's so much I could say about this. In today's business world there is (theoretically) equal opportunity for women, but it's offered at the cost of women having to behave like men. This is wrong. A truly powerful woman should reveal her femininity in all situations. Femininity shouldn't be perceived as weakness, femininity is power.

Another message is the power of women combined. Mulan and Xianning are on opposite sides of the war. They're enemies, because they serve different men. They reach their full potential when they work together. Men make war, but women seek peace.

But getting back to my original question, is this a remake or not? It's not a clear cut case, but there are so many changes to the original story that I answer No. If you disagree with me, I shan't argue. It's a matter of opinion. One thing that I shan't give way on is that the 2020 film is better than the 1998 version. It's an excellent film that I want to watch again, preferably on the big screen.

Yes, the big screen. The film should have been released in the cinemas last year, but the Coronavirus lockdowns prevented it being shown in Germany (where I live) and most other countries. The poor performance at the box office is a result of the film not being shown in many countries. There were posters for the film at German cinemas, but it was never shown, and now Disney has released it direct-to-video, as well as including it on the streaming service Disney Plus. I'm hoping that it will be shown in cinemas retrospectively after the lockdown.

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