There are not a lot of historical evidences to support the idea that Mulan really did exist aside from Chinese poetry and folk songs - this movie is merely an adaptation, a director/writer’s own version of the epic.

Zhao Wei played a balanced character who made mistakes due to her clouded judgments, but she also fought to redeem herself and become a better front-runner and altogether a very strong female lead.

Mulan examines a name tag of a fallen soldier.ĭirector Ma presented to us a Mulan who was not just a warrior, but one who was a leader careworn and vulnerable in war-front. You can shorten/remove a few scenes, turn the audio off, and Mulan: Rise of A Warrior can and will still make you feel a wave of emotions just by watching it. The color-grading gives an endearing mood that one might call it melancholic. The cinematography of the movie is also notable. Director Ma Jingle gives us an honest sense of equilibrium by carefully and artfully melding history and culture, action, drama, and romance in one. It fixated less on the combat, unlike other historical Chinese war films. The direction of this movie is focused on the character development of Mulan as she struggles between giving up or to continue fighting. She and Wentai would later be promoted to become generals themselves. Instead of escaping, Mulan stayed to fight, eventually killing the enemy’s general. But Wentai released her when the Rouran nomads ambushed their camp. Wentai would soon find out Mulan’s secret a strip-search was ordered and she admitted to a crime she did not commit to avoid revealing that she was a woman. A fighter since she was a small girl, her feminine features betrayed her as she impressed her fellow soldiers with her skills in martial arts, one of them was Vice Commander Wentai (Chen). Having women in camp was an offense that warrants death. When Mulan (Zhao) joined the military, she was immediately recognized by her childhood friend, Fei Xiaohu (Chan) who keeps her identity a secret so that she will not be punished. While there were no talking dragons and happy-singing involved, the 2-hour-long film holds a certain musicality to it: the ringing of swords as they clash, the melody of the soldiers’ cries for victory and freedom, and the bittersweet harmony as the Rouran and Wei states settled an agreement. The legendary heroine in this movie, just like the Disney one, disguises herself as a man to join the Wei army that she may take her ailing father’s duty. Starring Zhao Wei, Chen Kun, and Jaycee Chan, Mulan: Rise of A Warrior’s plot is almost just like the animated Disney adaptation that we all know and love but at the same time very distinct.

Mulan rise of a warrior review