Disney's live action remakes of animated films have been as successful for the studio overall as anything labeled Marvel or Star Wars. And with the next big remake Mulan set to debut only a couple months from now, we knew Disney wouldn't let a major promotional event like the Super Bowl go by without a mention. Today's big game brought us one more trailer for the film, and it gives one final look at what looks to be an exciting an action packed movie.
From the first look at Disney's upcoming Mulan remake it has been clear that this movie will be a bit different from its animated counterpart. While Disney's most successful remakes of the animated classics have remained fairly faithful to the originals, Mulan is making substantive changes. This one looks to be trading the musical elements and the comedic sidekicks for a much more dramatic tone and a serious focus on action. The look at what is Mulan's final trailer before the film's release next month reinforces all of those elements.
Director Niki Caro’s live-action Mulan truly has the heart of a warrior, as Liu Yifei’s interpretation of this classic Disney princess gets to engage in some gravity defying action. And this final trailer is a good indication of what to expect, as the scope of the new variant looks more like a film along the lines of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon than that of the animated original.
We also got our best look at the villain for the new Mulan, as Jason Scott Lee’s Bori Khan was revealed in the early moments of our latest look at this potential Disney blockbuster. Swearing vengeance in the name of his dead father, his collaboration with witch Xian Lang (Gong Li) is going to be the antagonizing force that pushes China into drafting any man they can get into serving the empire.
From that point on, you know how Mulan goes, as our titular heroine masquerades as the only son in her family, and trains to become swift as a raging fire and mysterious as the dark side of the moon. While this latest live-action revamp of a familiar Disney epic looks different enough that there will be some surprises, it feels so familiar we’re already anticipating the moment we start singing “Reflection” in our heads while watching it.
Though seeing as the film is not going to have musical numbers or Mushu the Dragon, it’s going to be a bit difficult not to keep track of those favorite moments that have been lost in the conversion. But with action this intense, and surprises waiting at every turn, this could be one of the best live-action remakes we’ve seen from Disney’s canon since The Jungle Book.
Mulan brings honor to the movies on March 27; but there’s still time to see some other exciting features at a theater near you. Check out our 2020 release schedule for more information.
