Mulan movie: Story, characters, awards, ratings
Walt Disney produced Mulan (2020) a live adaptation of the 1998 animated musical Mulan movie. Mulan (1998) and Mulan (2020) are based on the Chinese legend, Hua Mulan. The debate on whether Hua Mulan is a fictional character or a real person has divided scholars. Hua Mulan was first mentioned in a folk song, Ballad of Mulan, before it graduated to become a screen and stage adaptation. Her story appeared in various forms of representation before Disney created its own.
The Mulan Disney character was first created in an animated movie in 1998 before being re-made into a live-action movie in 2020.
On March 9, 2020, Mulan did its world premiere in Hollywood at the Dolby Theatre. The movie was scheduled for a wide theatrical release in March 2020 but was cancelled due to COVID-19. The film was released for a premium fee by Disney+ on September 4, 2020, in selected countries.
The filming of the Mulan original live-action movie took place in two locations, China and New Zealand, from August to November 2018.
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Table of Content hide 1Storyline 2The Characters for Mulan (2020) 3Production 4Theatrical Release and Box Office 5RatingsStoryline
The movie is about Huan Mulan, the main character and protagonist of the film. She was compelled to get married but she wanted to be a warrior instead. The Emperor of China issued a conscripted decree ordering every family to volunteer one man to fight in the emperor’s army against invaders.
Since her family doesn’t have a male child and her father’s too weak to fight in a battle, she goes to the army’s camp disguising herself as a man. After a fight with a witch, she reveals her gender and uses her skill to release an avalanche on the invaders, killing them all. The commander expels her from the army for going against the traditions and law. She led an army to the emperor’s palace to rescue him from an attack. Mulan rescued the emperor and killed the invaders’ leader.
Mulan goes back to her family. The emperor sent an emissary under the order of Commander Tung to present Mulan with a new sword while making a personal request that she become a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Army.
The plot of the live-action adaptation is similar to the animated movie Mulan (1998). There are differences in names such as Rouran Army (Mulan 2020) – The Huns (Mulan 1998), Commander Tung (Mulan 2020) – Captain Li Shang (Mulan 1998), and Hua Mulan (Mulan 2020) – Fa Mulan (Mulan 1998). The Mulan cartoon included the use of “speaking” animals as characters, while the Mulan (2020) was strictly human performing. Mulan’s character ended her own life after a long life fight to defend her empire. She committed suicide because she did not want to be a concubine instead of marrying her fiance. Before her death, she writes to her fiance Xianniang about her decision, while she also recounts her life adventures.
The Characters for Mulan (2020)
- Mulan – The protagonist, defiles tradition by disguising himself as a man, saving the emperor from death. She is also a versatile character who can display her tenacity and strong will. Her other names are Treacherous Snake and Ping.
- Commander Tung – Mentor to Mulan and High-ranking officer in the Imperial army.
- Xianniang – A witch with shapeshifting abilities and ally of Bori Khan. She helped Böri Khan to gain access to the palace.
- Böri Khan – Rouran’s leader who wanted to avenge his father’s death.
- Chen Honghui – A recruit like Mulan who becomes Mulan’s friend and lover.
- The Emperor – Depicted as a wise and benevolent, prudent and upright person.
- Fa Zhou – Mulan’s father. He is a war veteran with a strict personality.
Mulan (1998) had additional characters like Grandmother Fa, Mulan’s grandmother. The names in Mulan (2020) differ from Mulan (1998). Commander Tung is Captain Li Shang in Mulan (1998) while the Rouran army was referred to as The Huns.
Mulan (2020) features actors such as Yifei Liu, Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Gong Li, etc. Mulan (1998) features voice casts for the animation like Eddie Murphy, Ming-Na Wen, Miguel Ferrer, BD Wong, June Foray, etc.
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Production
Mulan’s (2020) production began in August 2018 in China and New Zealand and ended in November 2018. The movie’s budget was $200 million due to the scale of the set. The film made about $70 million at the box office.
Theatrical Release and Box Office
Mulan grossed over $5.9 million from nine countries at the box office in its wide theatrical release. It made $1.2 million in Thailand and did about $700,000 in Singapore. The profit in these two countries made it the highest debut of 2020. The theatrical release in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia saw a profit of $800,000. The following week after its release on March 9, 2020, the movie made over $29.1 million from 17 countries, including Russia, South Africa, Ukraine, Serbia, and Hungary. Mulan (2020) grossed over $57 million internationally within three weeks.
It was nominated for Costume Design and Visual Effects at the 93rd Academy Awards and 26th Critics’ Choice Awards, Nomination for Best Special Visual Effects at the 74th British Academy Film Awards. The movie won Costume Designers Guild Award 2021 for Excellence in Fantasy Film. People’s Choice Award for The Action Movie of 2020. It also won two awards at Saturn Award for Best Action or Adventure Film and Best Costume Design.
Ratings
Mulan (2020) received unfavourable reviews after its release from fans of Mulan (1998) and Chinese critics.
Mulan was voted 73% on Rotten Tomatoes reports with a rating of 6.7/10. Rotten Tomatoes summarized critic read as, “A classic story could be told with greater depth, but the live-action adaptation of the Mulan musical animation is a visual story that serves as an update.”
In April 2020, it was reported that the sequel to Mulan (2020) was in development. The movie can be streamed on platforms like Apple Pay, Google Play and Disney+.
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