Warrior princess
Stellar cast, action, story make ‘Mulan’ a masterpiece
Disney expected New Zealand director Niki Caro to bring the spectacle with their liveaction version of Disney’s groundbreaking 1998 hit animated film “Mulan,” and — wow — has she delivered. One has to give Disney credit, the company has been making films about female empowerment for decades, and they have found that the best films in their library have been watched over and over again by newly minted Disney fans. Unlike that recent CG “Lion King” dud, this “Mulan,” which will be available on Disney+ for $30 a pop, has genuine heart and a cast of terrific actors. It’s way more than a YA film and is about to become another of the company’s repeat-viewing standards.
Mulan (Wuhan-born Yifei Liu) has “powerful chi.” But her father (TV and film veteran Tzi Ma), a former warrior in the Imperial Army, is a traditional man. He tells his elder daughter to “learn her place.” He and his wife, Mulan’s mother Li (Rosalind Chao), agree that Mulan must present herself to the village matchmaker and find a husband. But a horde of enemy Rouran soldiers is riding across the steppes, destroying Imperial Army garrisons as they march toward the Imperial City.
The army is led by the villainous Bori Khan (a marvelous turn by Jason Scott Lee). His partner in crime is Xian Lang (the great Gong Li), a witch and fierce warrior, who can transform herself into an eagle or a swarm of blackbirds. She’s Mulan’s older evil self. An Imperial edict requires each family to supply one man to fight to save the kingdom. Mulan wants to fight. But her father, who is getting old and has a bad leg, stops her and offers himself. She, of course, takes his place, stealing his horse, sword and armor in the process.
Disguised as a man, which is punishable by death, Mulan joins the Fifth Battalion under the leadership of Commander Tung (the legendary Donnie Yen). A surrogate father figure, Tung puts his “men” through severe training in which Mulan excels. Tung expects his soldiers to be “loyal, brave and true.” Mulan figures two out of three aren’t bad. Among Mulan’s problems: how to avoid taking a shower with her young, boisterous comrades in arms, one of whom is her love interest.
Visually, “Mulan” is astonishing (I was truly sorry I could not see it on a movie screen). It was shot in director Caro’s native New Zealand as well as China and cost $200 million by the studio’s reckoning, the biggest budget for a female director, and I must say it is up there on the screen: the props, costumes, battle scenes, special effects, individual fight scenes (the sword fighting is mostly bloodless due to the PG-13 rating), elaborate sets and breathtaking locations. “Mulan” is ancient China eye candy.
But thanks to its four credited screenwriters, it is also an example of brisk storytelling with clearly defined characters and dialogue that moves the plot along. Liu is charming in a very reserved way, impressively athletic and completely convincing. Lee’s Bori Khan exudes some of the same bad-guy, scene-stealing star power as Conrad Veidt’s Jaffar from the magnificent 1940 version of “The Thief of Bagdad.” a character Disney co-opted and made the villain in “Aladdin” (creatively dropping an F from his name). Martial arts superstar Jet Li is great fun as the Emperor.
This “Mulan” is not a superhero movie. It’s a young woman’s coming-of-age story told against the backdrop of a live-action ancient war spectacle. Caro has finally topped her 2002 indie hit “Whale Rider,” another female coming-ofage tale. “Mulan” is certain to receive Academy Award nominations. One of them should be best director.
(“Mulan” contains violence.)