Yakira Jackson

When Mulan was first announced with an all-Asian cast, I was excited and hoping this movie would be fantastic! After watching it twice with family and friends, I’ve come to a conclusion. If you’re looking for an Aladdin or Beauty and the Beast— or Junglebook remake, this is going to disappoint you. Severely. Now this movie will entertain you, and if you don’t care about depth and character development you’ll find the film enjoyable. But honestly, Disney missed the mark here to make this a well rounded story. For starters, there was no singing, which gave the original life. That could be permissible if there was a breath taking soundtrack to go along with this remake, but the music was generally cold and forgettable. The characters didn’t have chemistry with each other. Mulan was dull, and barely had a personality that would endear us to her. Not to mention, her war friends were useless— and to say they were friends is generous. It was more so... coworkers who you don’t get a drink with OR talk to during office hours. The relationships are cold. In addition, the villain was well casted, but nowhere near as vile as the original. In fact, the villain had an understandable reason for his attacks, so much so it’s hard to see why we shoot root for Mulan or the emperor. Disney, please. Don’t over think your next remakes, follow the formula that works.