Director: Niki Caro
Writers: Lauren Hynek, Rick Jaffa
Cast: YiFei Liu (Mulan), Donnie Yen (Commander Tung), Li Gong (Xian Lang), Jason Scott Lee (Bori Khan), Jet Li (The Emperor)
Release Date: March 27, 2020
Plot Synopsis: A young Chinese maiden disguises herself as a male warrior to save her father. -via IMDB
1st Impression: No Mushu, No Problem! That was my initial feeling on the brand new trailer for Mulan that hit the web today. My opinion has changed a bit since I checked out the teaser. While doing a strict live-action retelling is an easy approach I commend Disney for flexing their creative muscles and going with a more cinematic interpretation of Mulan.
The cast includes some heavy hitters in the Asian cinema including action film legends Donnie Yen and Jet Li who as many know had his action career cut short due to health issues. Seeing Jet Li back onscreen was awesome to see and while his role as the emperor is not the focal point of the film as a fan of his work it was just nice to see him acting again.
Mulan has all the makings of a box office hit and while a part of me feels this film is still a Disney live-action cash grab I am interested in seeing the final product given the more serious tone of the film and embracing of the traditional Chinese Wuxia storytelling. Removing the songs and cartoonish elements including Mushu was the right play especially when a lot of Chinese audiences felt the character was a disrespectful depiction of Chinese beliefs which I learned shortly after watching this film’s teaser trailer. The approach also allows the story to remain the driving force and removes the reliance on catchy songs.
What do you think of the latest Mulan trailer? Does the more serious tone change your opinion of the film? Let us know in the comments.
Trailer Source: Walt Disney Studios YouTube