Mulan Legendary Warrior Review

Cast your mind back to the heady days of 1998 and you may remember Disney’s animated interpretation of a sixth century Chinese poem, Mulan. Just over a decade later, the poem has been reinterpreted once more, this time as a full-on, live action epic. Jingle Ma directs Zhao Wei (who has previously starred in Shaolin Soccer and Red Cliff and also boasts a pop career) as the titular heroine.

For those unfamiliar with the story, Mulan disguises herself as a man and enlists in the Chinese army to save her ailing father from going to war once more with the invading Rouran tribes. Being rather good in a scrap, Mulan quickly rises through the ranks and becomes a hero, though she must constantly hide her true identity, known only to childhood friend Tiger (Jaycee Chan, son of Jackie!) and young general Wentai (Chen Kun).

The film has clearly been made with a lot of care and attention to detail and the love of the source material is evident on screen. Jingle Ma has wisely chosen to shoot as many battle scenes with real people rather than CGI which looks all the more exciting and realistic. The score is good and the leads, though initially somewhat stoic, gradually reveal layers of compelling humanity. The battle scenes are directed well; Ma clearly has not been overwhelmed by the scale of his own production.

Whilst the film was rather enjoyable as a whole, it did at times take itself a little too seriously – despite its focus on the horror of warfare, a little more levity would not have gone amiss. Also, you will be required to suspend your disbelief somewhat: Zhao Wei does not look anything like a bloke, something that the other characters of course ignore. To give credit where it is due, Wei handles the role well, but it’s hard to believe the producers could not have found a more androgynous looking actress for the part.

Otherwise, Mulan Legendary Warrior is an impressive, if not stunning, slice of cinema which should sate the appetites of swords and sandals fans everywhere, especially those disappointed by the recent Robin Hood, which this film pretty much surpasses. For swords, horses and cross-dressing, look no further.

http://www.blogomatic3000.com/2010/07/04/dvd-review-mulan-legendary-warrior/