ST. LOUIS — Niki Caro has carved a career out of underdog tales, from Charlize Theron's "North Country" to the underrated Kevin Costner's "McFarland USA," but none more powerful than 2002's "Whale Rider."
The critically acclaimed film, starring Keisha Castle-Hughes, told the tale of a young woman going against family restrictions and beliefs to be the chief and savior that her people need yet don't deserve. That would make Caro the perfect choice to bring Disney's "Mulan" to the big screen in a live action format.
A beloved story, one already told very well and soundly in the animated 1998 version directed by Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook. One that entails a young woman being told to settle down and not aspire for greater things. A maiden being relegated to a role that most Chinese women were set for life, Mulan (wonderfully realized by Yifei Liu) knew his village and its inhabitants needed a hero, especially with her ailing father (the great film veteran, Tzi Ma), unable to help the Chinese army.
So, she does what most women stuck in a patriarchal regime wouldn't do and poses as a man, training with the other recruits and keeping her secret, all the while finding adventure and romance along the ride. Mulan runs into resistance on a level even worse than the invading Hun army, led by Jason Scott Lee's Bori Khan. Can she overcome all the disbelief and doubt inside her our Kingdom, and save it all?
If you're a Disney fan at all, the answer is clear as day. No one walks into a "Mulan" movie expecting a surprise in the end, only that the ride is individually tailored to their viewing needs. My rule with remakes is that if you're going to do it, shake it up a bit and don't just recycle what other filmmakers and writers created before you. Instead of delivering a nuts and bolts rehash, Caro spins her own yarn here, which only brightens the material.
The action sequences are rousing, the visual aesthetic is gorgeous, and the connective tissue of the ageless tale is still intact. There's an emotional current inside this story that wasn't there with the other big release this weekend, Christopher Nolan's "Tenet." Completely different films, but proof that a protagonist to sympathize with or cheer for helps any extended adventure flick.
About an hour into Caro's "Mulan," I was swept off my feet and fully invested in the story. If you've seen "Wonder Woman" or any other underdog tale, you know how this goes. At first, she's quiet and following the rules of her family and ancestors. But then something occurs (A DRAFT FOR WAR!), and she must make a choice. There's doubt, setbacks, triumph, and all the jazz fit to send inside a classic tale. I'm not here for twists and revelations; just give me the emotion. "Mulan" succeeds there, which makes this live action revisiting a successful operation.
When you have Donnie Yen and Jet Li, a pair of martial arts legends, playing key roles, a lot can't go wrong. They add reverence and power to scenes that needed it, elevating the material in the process. Yen, so good in the underrated "Star Wars" origin tale, "Rogue One," is the stern unforgiving leader of the Chinese army, fearless but doomed all at once. Playing the respected emperor, Li gets to mix his well-known physical reputation with some stoic depth as an old soul trying to save her people and determine if change is an idea worth embracing.
All of it is sweeping, old fashioned, and entertaining. Easy on the eyes and something the older kids may appreciate more than younger ones. This is more of a "Mulan" for kids over the age of 10 instead of significantly under it. Unlike the 1998 version, this one deals with deeper themes than expected, which may throw off the kiddos expecting all color and flash. And that's fine. A mature "Mulan" is what Caro should have done if a remake would happen.
In the lead role, Liu is tremendous. She shows all the shades of the heroine's discovery, inner struggle, fight to break out of a stigma, and the ending thrills of battle. There isn't a false note in her performance. It was great to see Lee, who embodied Bruce Lee so well in "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story," play a magnetic bad guy. Li Gong's Xianniang was deliciously venomous and had a good arc that Liu played a big part in, which gave the finale some poignancy.
Did I love the movie? No. Being a casual and not addictive Disney fan, I won't venture into the street and tell you to stop everything and watch this film. The four screenwriters may have led to some haywire in the plot and how the film was told, which has angered some fans who adore the material and the original. But in the end, the movie came together and delivered the excitement that the film aimed for.
If a studio is going to drop $200 million on a remake, you bet there will be some changes. If not, why even attempt it? Every filmmaker should make a story their own while paying homage to the original.
Niki Caro did just that with "Mulan."
