Mulan 2020 is not only the worst Disney remake but also the worst superhero origin story I’ve ever watched. I cannot comprehend how much Disney messed up with this film. I didn’t think it could get worse than the soulless Lion King or the hysterically awful Aladdin, but this movie did it. This movie has made me completely give up any hope that Disney will surpass the bare minimum when it comes to remakes. After all of these below-average films Disney has released with no charm whatsoever, this is the movie that broke me. I originally had a much longer review, but then I realized that I was giving so much energy and passion into a movie that had none at all. Reviewing this movie has exhausted and angered me. Now it’s time to talk about why this is easily one of the worst films Disney has ever made.
The cinematography is the only thing in this movie I would call average, but even then, it’s ruined by the horrendous editing, which manages to spoil every single scene in some way. The editing ruins the action (which already isn’t that strong) and makes it seem like huge important chunks are cut out of every scene. There are absolutely no stakes or emotional tension, partly due to the poorly developed unthreatening villains and lack of personality. The characters are so bland and uninteresting that I don’t remember any of their names except for Mulan, and she has the least personality out of them all. Her two emotions are a superhero and a blank face. That’s it. While Liu Yifei is terrible as Mulan, the script doesn’t help her either, as it gives her no opportunity to show even the slightest charisma or character.
Everything good about the original is stripped away, making Mulan and her scenes the biggest victims. When they decide to give Mulan chi-powers (although chi has nothing to do with being able to jump higher and kick arrows at your opponents), all of her scenes are way less impactful. The obstacle scene in the original, where she climbs the pole by using her intellect and proves herself to the General, is instead rewritten as a purely strength-based challenge. Mulan’s success is conveyed to us in a way where we can only assume she accomplishes her goal because of her chi-powers. Not to mention that the avalanche scene only works due to the incompetence of the villains vs the competence of Mulan. All the problems simply get resolved, and every victory is due to her chi-powers or the stupidity of the rest of the cast. She feels like the “chosen one”, and due to her inherent powers, it’s less like character growth and more like an unexplained birthright. Her superpowers allow everything to be handed to her, and she earns none of her victories. She never grows as a person or a warrior, she was simply born with it, as shown in the flashbacks. Every single time something bad happens it always appears to be the fault of the other characters. Mulan is so perfect throughout the entire movie that it’s impossible to even give the smallest rabbit shit about her character (yes I know they are called pellets).
The previous Disney remakes may have been bad, but at least they had something. Aladdin 2019 was terrible, but its incompetencies made the film enjoyable to watch and make fun of. I can admit that The Lion Sleeps Tonight in The Lion King 2019 is a good song and I enjoy listening to it. And even the 2017’s Beauty And The Beast’s rendition of Gaston was done very well. Despite not being good films, all these movies have something of value, something to enjoy, and something to revisit from time to time. Mulan 2020 has nothing. It was a decent looking movie with abysmal editing, a lack of memorable moments, soulless characters, and its very existence makes my blood boil. When you don’t compare it to the original, it is a completely boring and worthless film. When you do compare it, it is offensive and an absolute train-wreck which deprives us of everything good about the original and leaves the audience with one of the worst films of the decade. There’s no value or reason to watch it and is just completely hollow and empty. 1 out of 10, I believe that’s the lowest I’ve ever rated a film. And none of this is having to do with the fact that the lead supports the Hong Kong police, and that they filmed where a Muslim genocide is currently happening that is leading to the incarceration of millions of innocents. Mulan 2020, go fuck yourself.
Diary of a Screen Addict 