Mosi Armstrong

This movie should have a subtitle, and that subtitle would be "Missed Opportunity." Barring the insult that is Disney asking its already-subscribed users (like myself) to fork over $30 to see this movie, there's a lot wrong with this whole situation. I won't divulge any plot points or story beats so don't worry about spoilers and I will try to be as objective as possible. There's not a musical note or number in sight. I've only recently started appreciating musicals recently, and knowing that the original was a musical (or at least had musical numbers in it) made it disappointing that this version didn't follow suit. Those of you expecting music will be let down. There's no Mushu. If you liked that character and the comedic stylings of Eddie Murphy and were looking forward to seeing (hearing) him again, you'll be let down. There's no lucky cricket, and we don't get a scene with the ancestors having a scrum to discuss the situation after Mulan runs away. The story is basically the same with some slight differences. You still get an invading force trying to take over the country and assassinate the emperor, but the details differ slightly. This time there's a little magic involved, and if you look carefully, you'll see an allusion to the original villain and his sidekick. This was clever and I admit it made me smile, but it wasn't enough to save this movie. There's a fair amount of battle violence but I never really feel afraid or anxious for the soldiers like I did in the animated version. Bori Khan wasn't as menacing as Shan Yu in my opinion and neither were his forces. Also, the other recruits that Mulan meets during training aren't as colorful, funny or engaging as their animated counterparts. Overall, this movie felt like a muddled mess: one story beat led to another and nothing was really epic or climactic. Even the last fight between Mulan and Bori Khan felt meh. There was no danger or a sense that the stakes were high. I didn't pay for Premier Access to this movie and I'm glad I didn't. I would have been livid because that would have been a waste of money. Overall, this was an unexciting, boring and formulaic attempt at remaking a classic. It felt like it was just a cash grab for Disney, and no real attempt was made to woo the original fans of this movie, who (let's face it) are the ones who would have grown up on the original and are now able to afford that $30 Disney was asking for. This film felt devoid of any of the charm and fun of the original and there doesn't feel like any attempt was made to tickle that nostalgia bone at all. Maybe this might appeal to some, but to anyone who has seen the original and is using that as a yardstick (who are we kidding, this is definitely the case), then the live-action remake will be severely disappointing.