This movie is only as good as war movies are. The legendary Hua Mulan (Mulan) is almost like the European Jeanne Dark, and unlike the Disney cartoon from the late 1990s, this film is as down to earth as possible. There is no magic here, so Chinese culture is much better represented.
Interestingly, showing a strong woman, the director at the same time carefully avoids feminism and well weaves traditional values into the plot. Leadership doesn’t stop Mulan from being a lover, and that trait makes her strong. The plot is built competently, leaving no attempt for contradiction or understatement. Like real life, the film is replete with happy and unfortunate coincidences, and is not afraid to show us the pain of the characters, quite tangible, unfantasy, especially in the scene with the execution of prisoners in front of his colleagues.
Becoming a commander and even a general, Mulan, in spite of his fears, leads troops to the northern nomads, who have long been for China the same headache as the Pechenegs and Khazars for Russia. Details of Chinese armor , painted with patterns, are striking. If the disturbed southerners have round shields, swords and helmets, then the nomads have spears, axes and numerous fur hats. They live in mobile tents and generally resemble the established image of the medieval Mongol invaders. It is significant to compare the battle-hardened Mulan performed by Vicki Zhao and the effeminate Ataman princess played by Angel Liu. The princess is meek and even in moments of determination remains charming. Mulan, with all his efforts, retains a typical female voice, which makes you think about the leniency of male warriors. Exposing the gender of the general, of course, is happening, but the furnishings are not as cruel as in the Disney version. The film was filmed in China and the efforts of the Chinese themselves.
The inescapable ideology of war films is present here, and it certainly does not elicit approval. Always, at all times, wars have remained forced and very terrible events, the chanting of which is a crime. And the more legendary the status of heroes and heroines like Mulan.
7 out of 10
For a long time I thought about watching this version of the film adaptation of the legend of Mulan, and I absolutely did not expect that it would make such a positive impression on me.
First of all, this film is really shown from a historical point of view, there is no hint of magic or anything supernatural. Only the blood, sweat and suffering of war.
Secondly, it was shot at a really high level. Colors, light and manner of shooting harmonize with each other, creating a spectacular picture. The scale of the shooting deserves respect, almost everything was filmed on real natural locations, with the participation of many extras – this is visible, and this is what gives an advantage over the green screen that reigns everywhere now. As for me, the more real shooting - the more honest, the more voluminous and quality. And the battle scenes here look unvarnished, but exciting.
And thirdly, Vicki Zhao was able to show that Hua Mulan is a woman in the war, which she had to spend many years surrounded by men, keeping her secret. The warriors considered her their brother, as much as she considered them her brothers. She saw their deaths, and on the stretched ropes only wooden tablets with names were added. At first it hurt her and diminished her spirit, but then it became what kept her fighting. It did not harden her heart as it could, but gave her new strength and ambition to defend her country. Father Mulan always said that feelings have no place in war, and when she suffers losses, she accepts that too. Vicki Zhao is a beautiful actress, but in men’s clothes she looked quite organic, because her beauty is not pretty or fragile. It is easy to believe that this woman would be able to wave her sword in armor and race on horseback along the steppe at the head of the detachment.
It is also worth mentioning the soundtrack that set the tone for all scenes of the film. But especially I want to note the song on the credits – a sad and beautiful melody that emphasizes the last scene of the film, which carried not only a note of sadness, but also a great meaning, the essence of which is carried through the whole film: duty above feelings.
I had modest expectations for this film, but the more valuable and pleasant it was to get such a strong impression.
P.S. Being aware of the participation of our singer - the notorious Vitas, I thought that he would have a maximum of a couple of shots, but another surprise was my surprise that he played a rather important role, and in all scenes had albeit short, but lines. Oh, and long hair definitely suits him, heh.
It is not so often that you have to see good adaptations of fairy tales and cartoons, but this film madly pleased with a pleasant and exciting story.
Most often, directors make many changes, remaking the story in their own way and this film also did not bypass some changes but they did not spoil the film adaptation at all. I will say more, they are not at all significant in this case, because the writers managed to fully preserve the essence and organicity of the plot, as well as preserve the characters almost in the original version. Although sometimes having changes even play to the advantage, amplifying the script and causing the viewer more emotions.
The plot is truly exciting and addictive from the first minutes. Who doesn't know the story of Mulan going to war instead of your father? I think everyone. The main advantage of the film is a very lively character of the main character. It is so simple and close to understanding that projecting this story on yourself is not at all difficult.
Zhao Wei, performing Mulan, managed to perfectly convey the whole character and development of the character. Watching her, a really bright change is visible: from a young but brave girl who went to war instead of her father, to a heroine and a real warrior. Mulan had to go a very thorny path with victories and failures that really broke her. She had to step over herself, sacrifice something dear and come to terms with these losses. She, unlike Mulan in the 2020 movie (sorry for the comparison), is nothing like Mary Sue. He's a real ordinary person with his own weaknesses.
Now from the picture: I don’t know how to compare the quality of shooting with the year of release of the film, so I will try to judge objectively by my impressions.
I honestly like directing, because the film is filled with many beautiful shots, often carrying deep meaning, and angles. A separate plus for moving frames during combat scenes: it is smooth, without a huge number of glues (unlike Mulan 20). Each shot is beautiful and realistic.
The color scheme is moderate. Although it is not filled with bright colors, it does not look somehow intimidating and depressing, although the atmosphere of such a neutral color scheme does not spoil the word at all. Locations are well designed and shown, all costumes are authentic and atmospheric, there are no complaints about anything. Separately, I take off my hat for using soft music in folk Chinese motifs, which maintains the atmosphere even on the credits.
P.S. The presence of Russian singer Vitas in the film surprised me and amused me. I never considered him an actor, but he performed his secondary role well.
I have not found any disadvantages for myself. Whether they exist or not, let everyone decide for themselves. This is a beautiful, well-designed and well-made film.
As a result, I can definitely recommend this movie! I doubt you can watch it as little as possible because of the murders, but it’s different in the film, but it’s up to the parents themselves. Let the adult audience look boldly. It doesn’t matter if you’ve seen the movie or not. This film adaptation is good anyway.
The feeling when an American cartoon better shows the Chinese heroine
I have always been amused by the fact that Mulan has been the national heroine of China for thousands of years, the legend of her originated in the 6th century, but the whole world learned about her only after the Disney cartoon for children in 1998. and apparently it was such a humiliating incident for the Chinese that in 2009 they decided to make their version, more realistic. I expected the film with approval. I expected to be shown an epic war ballad about a warrior girl, with massive battles and military brutality. In fact, it’s pretty much like that.
The film is an accurate adaptation of the legend. Only instead of the Huns, China was attacked by the renminbi. Honestly, the beginning of the movie was embarrassing. I can't help but compare it to a cartoon. Remember how Mulan’s act was furnished there: messengers came, who anxiously reported the news of the invasion of enemies; Mulan tried to tearfully dissuade her father; she suffered all night with grief and as a result courageously decided to steal her father’s armor and leave, knowing full well that she would face if she was exposed.
You know what the movie is? The messengers arrived quickly; they quickly gushed that there were enemies; quickly, Mulan, not even masking himself, almost under everyone’s nose, dresses up as a soldier and leaves. She's not even trying to talk her father out of it. I look and think, ‘Why is this moment so badly staged?’ Isn't it risky for Mulan to be executed? Isn't she doing it because she's worried about her sick father? So where's the drama, where's the willpower and the masculinity of the decision? Why is the moment so unemotional? ?
Then she comes to camp and it's ridiculous. All right, let's pretend I didn't watch the cartoon and have nothing to compare it to. Why isn't Mulan masking himself at all? She doesn't change her name without worrying if someone knows her father and asks where his son is from. By the way, really, is there no check at all in the camp who came on call and who did not? Mulan does not change her appearance at all, and even a moron can see that she has a female face, especially her beautiful, feminine eyes. Through the Russian voiceover, I heard that she does not change her voice, he is just as tall. In plain sight, when talking to a friend, she calls herself a woman. How did no one notice that there was a woman in front of him? In the cartoon, Mulan cut her hair, rude voice, invented a legend about the “son”, and here?
I can’t call the training in the camp good either. Be prepared that apart from Mulan herself, her friend and a warlord with a scar, we will not know anyone else from her army, since all the Chinese soldiers here are not registered in any way and they simply merge. Mulan doesn't prepare for battle because she already knows kung fu. That sounds like a trick to me, cheating! I understand the film is a film adaptation of a Chinese legend... but just imagine. There are two movies about Mulan. In the first, she is shown as a weak, naive girl who trains for a long time, overcomes herself, goes through humiliation and pain and eventually turns into a real warrior. In the second, she is not preparing for anything, already knows everything in advance. Which of these products features a truer story of a warrior girl who deserves to be called a legend. For me, so in the first.
The biggest problem with the film is cheapness. He's extremely poor and poor. 1) Do you know how we see most of the battles? It's just soldiers swinging from foot to foot and waving their swords. 2) It is said that the war has been going on for 12 years, while neither the heroes nor Mulan change in appearance at all. And by the way, tell me, what kind of "serious illness" in Father Mulan, with which you can live for 12 years, in the Middle Ages? In the movie, he was just old. (3) The film is catastrophically lacking, large-scale personnel. All the action takes place in a couple of desert scenery. By the way, I don’t understand where the Chinese army was based, that they are ambushed by enemies, then they drink, decay and no one attacks them. (4) The final battle was only shot well and on a grand scale and even there were questions. Wikipedia says that the nomads have assembled a 200,000-strong army, and I look and I think, "What?" What we were shown is 200,000? Can creators count? (5) And most of all, they used one frame twice. The scene where the nomads gather in line. This image was used before and after the storm. You know, there's cheapness, but this. It's a total hoax. Where's the war, where's the epic? Why was it all in a cartoon for children, but not in a big-budget film?
Conclusion: I cannot call the movie Mulan bad. It has atmosphericity, some battles are well filmed. Excellent musical accompaniment. The fact that enemies are shown not just as bloodthirsty villains, but with their own motives is also a plus. The ending, it touches. In this regard, another plus is that the film is more violent than the cartoon, it has scenes of slitting the throat with blood. Show it in a cartoon and it would be Disney’s first R-rated cartoon. Mulan's monologue is, without embellishment, beautiful.
But alas, this film is full of oddities, and most importantly, it is poor on warriors. There are no battles, they take place in the same scenery. The film's budget is $13 million. In the same 2009, our Bortko shot Taras Bulba with a budget of $ 15 million and there was scale, scope, epic and steep battles. It's not here.
5 out of 10
P.S. I hope that the upcoming Disney movie Mulan will have both realism and scale.
This little-known picture in Russia received many positive reviews, so I had to read it. Most viewers remember the legend of Hua Mulan from the beautiful 1998 cartoon, which featured memorable songs, deep drama and great humor. In the same tape, the emphasis is on realism, military tactics and battle, but indecently little time is devoted to peaceful life. But there is a great opportunity to look at the heroine of the Chinese epic from a completely different side.
Plot. The story is based on a Chinese poem in which a girl ran away from home and went to war instead of her elderly sick father. In the army, she was forced to pretend to be a man, since the death penalty was imposed for deception. . .
The creators worked perfectly on the script, bringing it almost to perfection. The tape contains a curious plot, memorable characters and unexpected plot twists. Sentimental scenes are few, but they would not go very well in a film that focuses on combat. The life of a soldier shows scantly, but colorful dialogues and a strong dramatic component of the picture easily correct the situation. The main complaint to the authors is that Mulan has not changed at all in 12 years of wars. She should have aged a little, but the make-up guys didn't bother, so we won't see the wrinkles on the girl. Also strange is the fact that none of the soldiers learned the secret of Mulan (although there were people who were condescending). Rumors, apparently, still went, but the soldiers did not care about such trifles in connection with the current difficult situation. The finale was a little crumpled, the details and consequences of what happened to the viewer were not disclosed.
Atmosphere. The tape is remembered for bright fights, crazy camera flights and unusual angles. Dialogues may seem dry, but in fact they contain true Eastern wisdom. I liked the white transitions between the scenes and the final editing of the picture. Although the creators do not reveal the characters in detail, the viewer is still magically attached to them. This effect is achieved by an amazing acting game Zhao Wei (Hua Mulan), Chen Kun (Ventai) and Jasey Chang (Fei Xiaohu). I was very surprised to see in the film Vitas (Gude), it looked at least strange.
Music. Sometimes it seems monotonous, but its melody and calmness fits well with the spirit of the picture. Vitas, by the way, was also noted for a good initial composition 'Beneath the Glory'.
Result. I recommend watching this adventure historical film. It can be callous and rough, but the movie is the closest to historical facts and boasts a rather impressive set of trump cards.
8 out of 10
(78%), ' retreating from battles, we lose even more. . . '
The author of the film, Jingle Ma, quite correctly placed the accents, emphasizing the natural and understandable fears of the heroine, who got into an unusual situation, showed by what she overcomes circumstances and how she gets better. In general, the film was shot as seriously as the story itself, the basis of the plot, allowed. With the exception, perhaps, of the choice of the actress for the lead role - Zhao Wei is very feminine for Hua Mulan, although, as for her performance, conveying emotions - this is not to blame for her - the actress tried. This flaw, like others, very insignificant, can be attributed to the desire of the creators to make the film quite popular.
The main thing in this adaptation of the classic Chinese work is that the piercing story was not lost, but was presented in a key that emphasized the touching and tragic situation. It is also important that the film is filled with morality: the characters have to face a choice more than once, to show strength of spirit. Solutions are often not easy, much less in war. Yes, the film is essentially military, and shot in a very patriotic way, but for the times in which events occur, all this is perceived quite justified and appropriate.
7 out of 10
This is a legend about a woman who is ready to give the love of her life for her homeland. Centuries ago, the emperor issued a decree requiring each family to provide one soldier in the army. The Hua family does not have a male heir, and by law an aging father must join the army. Instead of sending his father to certain death, his daughter Mulan disguises herself as a man and takes his place.
Strong, spectacular, colorful, powerful and beautiful film, which is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious and realistic films according to the legends of China. The plot is touching and memorable, of course, this is not a Disney cartoon, and radically different not only secondary characters, but also the main meaning of the film. The ending is natural and only enhances the drama of the story. The actors played professionally, naturally not playing as if living the lives of their heroes, but of course Zhao Wei was the brightest, she perfectly embodied the image of a warrior who saved the world.
In general, the film "Mulan", known not only that this is a kind of implementation of the animated film "Mulan" 1998, singer Vitas and many famous Chinese actors, but also the beauty, entertainment and scale of the picture. Viewing is a must, as it causes the most touching and strong emotions.
It is unlikely that in Russia there are many film lovers who watched this picture before the 1998 Disney cartoon of the same name. Also, there are hardly many people who did not like the cartoon “Mulan”. Therefore, when watching the 2009 film, you willy-nilly beg for a comparison. Of course, comparing these pictures is completely inappropriate. And it’s not just that the tapes are aimed at completely different age audiences. These are two completely different stories, in the two paintings only the plots coincide (based on the ancient Chinese legend of a girl who voluntarily went to war for her sick father). And if the Disney cartoon was about patriotism and family values, then the 2009 film is more about love. At least that's what I understood.
Those who wanted to see the adaptation of their favorite children's cartoon with live actors are unlikely to be satisfied with this picture. Of the most interesting legend made a complete banalism. The clichéd plot is ridiculously interspersed with the strangest plot twists, which acutely lack logical reinforcement.
Mulan herself. There is an opinion that Europeans think that all Asians are on the same face. But even to me, as a Russian, in all the scenes it is so obvious that Mulan is a girl that it seems that the soldiers of the Chinese army are all blind. You could have picked an actress like you. This contrast is very painful.
I also find it funny that she doesn’t hide her name, which translates to “orchid flower.” This is a typical male name, no suspicion.
The film does not pay attention to the most interesting thing that, in my opinion, is in the legend: the life of a single woman hiding her gender in a purely male team. The director simply squandered everything about Mulan’s behavior in the camp, her interaction with other soldiers remains almost completely off-screen. But this is much more unusual and many times more exciting than sucked from the finger grief-love drama that we have seen many times in other films.
In addition to Hua Mulan, all the characters in the picture are incredibly hyperbolized. The protagonists are impeccably pure, the antagonists are villains in their pure form. But it doesn't happen. Because of this, the characters become one-sided and do not cause empathy, they are not close to the viewer, their motivation is either unclear or too idealized.
The film raises the theme of patriotism, but this patriotism is imaginary: if you think about it, it becomes obvious that all selfless actions are committed by heroes for the sake of friendship or for the sake of love, and not for the sake of the homeland. The picture is teeming with sentimental scenes, but at the same time, alas, does not work even as a tear presser. Of the advantages, we can note that competently staged spectacular fighting scenes at the level of the best Hollywood blockbusters and the excellent work of costume artists. The picture is really bright and beautiful.
After watching the film leaves the desire to reconsider the good old “Mulan” of Disney and remember the truly talented and elegant exposition of the ancient Chinese legend.
Disney Mulan has always been one of my favorite cartoons, so after learning about the existence of the film of the same name, I started watching it not without some fear and trepidation. Not even because I was afraid to see something that didn’t match the level of the cartoon (it just couldn’t be that the Chinese made a bad movie on their own legend!). Rather, I was afraid to see another Mulan, not like the image from childhood.
I did not even understand at first - it seems that she remained the same, the same strong-willed personality, but something was wrong in her, something strange.
And then the realization came -- Mulan stayed the same -- the world around her changed. It became real, too real to be a fairy tale with a happy ending. In the film there is hardly anything left of a cute, beautiful cartoon.
A cruel, ruthless world - that's what you have to face. Mulan: There is no longer a dragon, no happy cricket - faithful defenders.
But there are close people on whom you can lean in a difficult moment, who follow her into the fire and into the water, but they all gradually leave, leaving the fate of the country on the shoulders of a fragile girl.
The film shows a different b>, not idealized war. It is revealed as a tragedy of an individual and a whole people, as blood that must be erased from the nameplates sent to the homes of fallen wars.
All this is unbearable sadness, but aren’t these films that catch your soul?
One grain of rice tips the scales. One person can be the key to victory or defeat.
I rarely watch Asian films, so I haven’t even heard of a movie about Mulan’s exploits. Disney's fairy tale "Mulan" is perhaps the most beloved Disney cartoons, but Disney, in general. Recently, on the verge of coming of age, a child’s soul asks for a holiday, so for 3 days I watch exclusively cartoons. Deciding to revise “Mulan” I came across a film about this militant woman.
I didn't like the movie at first. For the beginning is very smeared, and everything is told so, passing and reluctantly: she came, called herself a man, and fought for ten years. And no one could even think, looking at her frankly feminine face, bulk and voice, that she was a woman. Mentally, I compared this film to a cartoon, and Disney Mulan won despite its naivety and fairy-tale characters like Mushu and the spirits of ancestors, it seemed more truthful, more logical, and more beautiful. However, it is impossible not to note the delightful atmosphere of the film. The battles and video sequence resembled the Gladiator. Every battle is a real work of art, for which you have to thank the operator.
The closer the end, the more I was drawn to the film. The finale of the story is beautiful and elegant, all thanks to sadness and a small tragedy for the viewer, but inexhaustible for the heroine. Happy End would have blown out the whole movie. So even I, a lover of happy endings, liked the light sadness at the end. Sadness and exhalation of relief.
Still, to sum up, I want to say that despite all the advantages, the film is still poorly directed. It's a blurry beginning, which is simply unacceptable in such films. Also at the end, when meeting with her father, to whom Mulan almost devoted her life at the beginning, she came, said hello and parted. But in the movie, it was all more touching.
The movie is not bad overall. It is highly recommended for viewers of history and historical films. Sentimental ladies who may be hoping to watch a beautiful love story have nothing to catch here.