It looks like Mulan is doing exactly what she said she’d do all the way back in the original 1998 Disney film: bringing honor to us all.
The first critic reactions to the live-action version of Mulan are here, and it seems that viewers who have had an early shot at seeing the film have left the theater very impressed.
This vision of Mulan, it’s very important to remember, is a much different beast than the original animated movie. It’s no longer a musical for one thing, but more of a nod to classic wuxia films, with Liu Yifei taking the lead as the titular heroine Hua Mulan. Mulan must disguise herself as a man in order to keep her father, who isn’t fit for rejoining the military, from being conscripted once more as China faces one of its greatest threats yet.
Here’s what those who have seen the film have to say about Disney’s latest live-action project, so you can get an idea of whether it’s a movie you should add to your day-one list.
Fandango’s Erik Davis called the movie “exciting, vibrant, emotional, and different from the animated version.”
Insider’s Kirsten Acuna called it “absolutely fantastic,” praising the “subtle nods” to some of the original’s songs.
Mashable’s Alison Foreman praised the film for “bringing new elements to life while maintaining the classic nostalgia we all know & love.”
Slashfilm’s Peter Sciretta called the film “majestic” with “thrilling action.”
Yahoo! Entertainment’s Kevin Polowy named the movie the best live action Disney reboot.
Blogger Wendy Lee Szany called the cast “fantastic” and praised the choreography.
If you can’t wait to see for yourself how the new version stacks up to the original musical classic, you only have to wait until the end of the month. You can catch Mulan in theaters on March 27, 2020.
