Though the film has been surrounded by controversy for a while, Disney's live-action adaptation of Mulan is finally going to hit theaters next month. In time with the Super Bowl, we have the release of the final trailer of the movie, and it let's go of all nostalgia to tease us this gigantic war epic.
While the earlier trailers had given us some teasers of the familiar music, I don't really hear any of it in this preview. What's more, we get a lot of emphasis on what makes this movie different from the original animated version. For one, it looks like there are going to be several more war locations, and instead of just Shan Yu being the main villain, the main baddie looks to be a witch called Xian Lang.
I'll be honest, I have always been pessimistic about the release of this movie, ever since the rumors of the changes started coming out. While I can forgive the musical soundtrack being dropped, I felt like the ‘battle of the sexes' message of the original is kind of lost. In the cartoon, Mulan gets ahead of everyone else with her smarts, not because she's a "fierce warrior". Here she fights just as hard, if not better, than all the men. I just think there's something stronger about the message of women using what they have to get ahead; she doesn't have to act like a man to prove that she's ‘better.'
Then again, I'm just basing my pessimism off trailers and rumors, so hopefully, the film proves me wrong.
When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential.
Mulan hits theaters March 27.
Read Also: New Mulan Character Posters Feature Donnie Yen's Commander Tung and Gong Li's Evil Witch
Explore new topics and discover content that's right for you!
Disney