The Tea With Bailey: A Spoiler Free Review of Disney’s Live-Action Mulan

To say I love Disney is a pretty big understatement. Some of my favorite childhood memories involve the classic Disney movies. When I was younger, my sisters and I would get our favorite coloring books, grab our arsenal of rainbow-colored markers and sit at our table after school, where we would color as we watched our favorite Disney movies. 

We would laugh, sing along to the songs and occasionally fight about which prince would marry whom (I still claim Flynn Rider, by the way). Disney is nearly synonymous with childhood. The movies whisk us off to a far away land while telling a story of heroes who impact our lives — even if we don’t realize how much until we’re much older.

One of those staple Disney movies in my home was Mulan. I cannot even count the number of times I have watched this epic classic. 

As kids (and even now — let’s be honest) we could easily relate to Mulan. She was a quirky young girl doing her best to find her place in the world. Not only that, but she had a love of family that ran so deep that she was willing to risk her life so that her father didn’t have to return to war. 

The 1998 Mulan is an absolute masterpiece. From the storyline to the memorable characters that you come to know and love, it grabs you and holds you captive until the very end. And who could forget the most memorable character of the animated Mulan — Mushu, Mulan’s beloved sidekick desperate to prove to the ancestors that he is worthy of being a guardian.

The soundtrack is inspiring. Who doesn’t want to go fight the Huns when singing “Let’s Get Down to Business”?  Combine the music with Mushu and Cri-kee’s hilarious escapades and Mulan saving the empire, and this movie will be a family classic for years to come. 

While the 1998 version is nearly impossible to replicate, the 2020 Mulan did not disappoint, despite some very big differences from the original. The movie is not a musical, so the beloved songs from the original were not present in the way we know them. 

Disney is known for their Easter eggs, however, so some of the songs we know and love were included, just behind the scenes: if you’re not paying attention, you may miss them!

Li Shang, Mushu and Mulan’s grandmother are also not in the movie, and I felt that this Mulan was harder to relate to than the Mulan in the animated version. This Mulan is a more serious character, who had trained to be a warrior from a very young age, though it was discouraged and hidden by her mother.  

One character had an unclear role in the movie. I was confused about her character and why she was in the movie in the first place, but I won’t say anymore about it due to
potential spoilers. 

While those were some of my complaints with the new Mulan, there were so many things I loved. I loved her fellow soldier Chen Honghui, who the movie insinuates may be Mulan’s future suitor. I loved his character and felt he added a lot to the movie, especially at the end in regards to his relationship and respect for Mulan.

I also loved her relationship with her father. The animated movie barely scratched the surface when it comes to capturing that relationship. In the new version, the directors went out of the way to show how close Mulan and her dad were. It was an easy decision for Mulan to go to the army in his place because of how much she loved him. 

Fans of the original Mulan will recognize the names of Mulan’s fellow soldiers in the live action – Ling, Po, Yao and newcomer Cricket (which may be a nod to the lucky cricket from the animated). 

Instances of the soundtrack can be found in scenes such as when Mulan goes to meet the matchmaker. The song “You’ll Bring Honor to Us All” can be heard playing softly in the background. When they begin training, the general tells them, “We’re going to make men out of every single one of you,” seemingly as a reference to the iconic song from the original movie. 

Additionally, some of the soldiers quote the song “A Girl Worth Fighting For” while talking about the qualities they look for in a woman, and refrains from “Reflection” can be heard throughout the movie as well. 

Even with all those amazing references to the animated movie, perhaps my favorite part of the new version was when Ming Na Wen (the actress who voiced Mulan in the 1998 movie) made a surprise cameo toward the end of the movie. Do you think you can spot her? I’m not exaggerating when I say I screamed when she showed up onscreen. 

I loved this movie. Yes, it was very different from its predecessor, but I think Disney did an incredible job with the storyline and with incorporating some of the beloved moments from the animated film. Some of my friends who are familiar with Asian and Chinese culture also said the movie was true to their culture and that the directors paid very close attention to the little details — something I believe always sets
Disney apart. 

Whether you’re watching Mulan and Mushu brave the Huns in the 1998 version of the movie or holding your breath as Mulan and Chen Honghui fight side by side to save the emperor, the major messages remain the same: “A flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful at all,” and one should always be “loyal, brave and true.” 

Mulan can be streamed for a fee on Disney+ now, or can be streamed on the same platform for free in December.

Bailey Duran is the Opinion Editor. Follow her on Twitter at @duran_bailey.