Mulan Early Reviews Agree Disneys Latest Should Hit Big Screen

Mulan Early Reviews Agree Disney’s Latest Should Hit Big Screen

The first reviews for Mulan are finally in, and they agree: Disney’s latest live-action epic was destined for the big screen, not streaming.

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Mulan Early Reviews Agree Disneys Latest Should Hit Big Screen

At long last, the first reviews for Disney’s live-action Mulan are here – let’s see what they say. In addition to being the most unique of Disney’s live-action remakes, Mulan is also quite possibly the most unlucky. Originally scheduled for release in March, Mulan was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic a mere week before its debut. Disney continued to pursue a theatrical run for the expensive film (it boasts a budget of $200 million), but when confronted with the prospect of delaying it yet again, the studio made the surprising decision to send Mulan to Disney+. It will be available for $30 starting tomorrow, though it will play in theaters in certain markets (such as China) where Disney+ is not available.

Directed by Niki Caro and starring Liu Yifei as the titular heroine, Mulan tells the story of the eldest daughter of a former warrior who disguises herself as a man and goes to war in her aging father’s place. The original 1998 animated film remains a beloved classic to this day, but this new Mulan has taken several steps to differentiate itself from it. In addition to removing characters like lovable sidekick Mushu and love interest Li Shang, Mulan is no longer a musical, instead opting to hew closer to the original folk tale.

Ahead of tomorrow’s Disney+ release, the first reviews for Mulan have debuted online. Read ahead for some spoiler-free snippets to see what the critics are thinking.

Molly Freeman, Screen Rant

Mulan is a perfectly fine live-action adaptation, delivering some Disney magic and gorgeous visuals, but it’s ultimately just an average action movie.

Inkoo Kang, THR

With a reported $200 million production budget, Mulan is the most expensive movie ever directed by a woman filmmaker — and every last cent is visible, even on the small screen. And in theaters, the feature’s epic grandeur might have provided greater distraction from its anemic characterizations, uninvolving storyline and stunted performances.

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Peter Debruge, Variety

Unlike “The Lion King” or “Beauty and the Beast,” which slavishly adhered to their underlying IP, “Mulan” feels as if it were made by someone who didn’t necessarily love Disney’s earlier treatment. That may disappoint fans who grew up on that version but should pose no obstacle to a new generation sure to be inspired by this epic-scale tribute to female empowerment.

Pete Hammond, Deadline

Still it is a shame, at least for North American audiences, not to experience this on as big a theater screen as possible. Caro, with the aid of Walker and an ace production team, has given this film the immense scope it deserves. But there is no question that, however it will be seen, Mulan is a rich and rewarding experience for the whole family.

Leah Greenblatt, EW

Whether its stronger rating and more somber tone will translate to a home-bound family audience, only time and streaming revenues will tell; in the meantime, Mulan might be the closest thing to a true old-fashioned theater-going experience the end of this strange summer will see.

Steve Pond, The Wrap

You can certainly argue about whether “Mulan” is worth the extra money, but the production seems to have steered clear of the other pitfalls and delivered a satisfying movie that veers further from its source than any of the studio’s other recent live-action remakes of its animated films.

Kate Erbland, IndieWire

While Caro’s vision of Mulan has done away with many of the traditional trappings of the beloved 1998 animated tale — no, no one ever breaks out into song, and while some purists might rankle at that exclusion, the film really does work without it — the film can’t quite kick all of its Disney-fied inclinations.

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Matt Goldberg, Collider

I’m fully willing to admit that Mulan benefits from following a string of disappointing live-action Disney adaptations, but on its own merits, Caro has still crafted an exciting re-telling that retains the story’s emotional core while giving the movie its own personality and tone.

Angie Han, Mashable

Leeched of that warmth, Mulan feels impeccably crafted and unimpeachably dignified, but also too cool and remote to connect with either younger audience members looking for fun or older ones hoping for depth. Liu’s Mulan is as loyal and brave and true a Disney hero as one could possibly hope for, but that’s all she is; the joy and yearning and playfulness of her predecessor are sorely missed.

A majority of the reviews for Mulan are positive, as evidenced by the 78% Rotten Tomatoes score it holds at the time of this writing. Most are quick to praise Mulan’s visuals: Almost every review notes that it’s a shame the film won’t get a proper theatrical run, because its fight scenes deserve to be shown on the big screen. It does seem clear that Mulan deserved a proper showing in theaters, and that’s also because this is arguably the one live-action Disney remake that has justified its existence. This Mulan, while holding onto certain parts of the original film, is remarkably different than what came before.

It remains to be seen how many people will be willing to shell out extra money to watch Mulan on Disney+, but most of the first reviews certainly do make a compelling case for why they should. While Mulan has its flaws (the most common being underwritten characters and, well, sticking too close to the 1998 film at times), it feels like one of the best live-action remakes to emerge in recent years. During this time when new movies feel like a novelty, that alone might be enough of an endorsement.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/mulan-2020-movie-reviews-preview/

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