While I was really looking forward to seeing the new take on Mulan, I was not going to pay a $30 overcharge to watch a movie at home given the ridiculous abundance of distractions already on offer across the spectrum of video sources available to me. It just does not make sense. (I would pay $5-$10 to rent a movie.)
Now it is free for Disney+ subscribers and we got to watch it. We is not exactly correct... I was the only one who really watched it. H and K were not keen on the "action movie" vibe of the whole thing.
I will say that Mulan does take much more liberty with the original that the other live action adaptations.
From my point of view, the choices they made greatly improved upon the movie.
The animated version is fine and the songs are cute, but it is definitely a kids movies. The animated version does have a strong girl message behind it, but it also muddies it all up with a needless love story.
The live action movie is better for dropping the songs, the silly dragon, and the love story. What is left over is a powerful story of a young woman finding her voice and her power without the help of some man. This Mulan is strong, courageous and foolish. However, she has the wherewithal to own up to her mistakes and the confidence to choose the middle path.
The action sequences are spectacles. They are sumptuous. The whole movie is visually spectacular.
It is a shame that COVID stopped it from being seen on the big screen. In a theater, it would have been a much more thrilling experience.
Even at home on a 40+" TV with surround sound it was a fun way to spend a couple of hours.
