Released: November 2009(China)
Director: Jingle Ma, Wei Dong
Rated TV-MA
Run Time: 115 Minutes
Distributor: Giant Ape Media
Genre: Action/Adventure
Cast:
Zhao Wei: Hua Mulan
Kun Chen: Wentai
Jaycee Chan: Fei Xiaohu
Jun Hu: Modu
Angel Liu: Princess of Rouran
Adapting stories from the ancient world is nothing new. Film-makers have been doing it for decades with varying degrees of success. The 50’s gave us one of the greatest Biblical epics of all time: The Ten Commandments. Stories from other ancient civilizations have also been adapted to the big screen. A lot of Greek stories have been adapted like Clash of the Titans, Hercules, and The Odyssey just to name a few. There have been multiple films based on the oldest known piece of British literature: Beowulf. A lot of these stories tend to be fictitious in nature, but there is always a degree of truth to these stories. China is no stranger when it comes to these kinds of stories. In fact, I would argue that some of the best stories come from the Far East. A lot of these stories involve certain philosophies and how to live in that particular world. One of the most interesting stories to come out of China in the past 2000 years is that of Hua Mulan. Most people would recognize that name from the Disney animated film, Mulan. However, the version that I’m reviewing today is the film that was released back in 2009: Mulan: Rise of a Warrior.
Rise of A Warrior tells the story of Hua Mulan, a young peasant girl from the Northern Wei Dynasty in China. When government officials come to conscript the men in her village, Mulan secretly takes the place of her ailing father. Pretending to be a boy, Mulan heads off to join the army in battling the invading Rouran army from the north. Despite secretly a woman, Mulan proves that she is a capable warrior and over 12 years, rises to the rank of general. The story of Mulan is an extraordinary one, especially when you consider the time in which the original poem was written. 1500 years ago in China, women were expected to be faithful and obedient in accordance with the Chinese rules of propriety. Obviously, there are times throughout Chinese history when that wasn’t the case. Now, Mulan, as far as I’ve researched, isn’t a real person. Rather, Mulan began as a poem, whose origins are lost to time. From what I’ve been able to piece together, Mulan may have actually been inspired by a number of women who defied society in order to serve their country. That’s part of what makes Mulan such a fascinating and incredible story. This is a very progressive kind of story that’s set in a very conservative civilization and yet, it remains to this day one of the most inspirational and important stories ever told. This movie differs wildly from Disney’s animated feature in that it’s handled in a realistic manner. There’s no talking dragons or any cutesy humor or awkward situations. That’s a good thing. Despite the level of violence and action in this film, it’s a very compelling narrative about a woman who wants to honor her father and her country, even if it means defying her father’s wishes and societal norms. There are a lot of lessons to be learned from stories like these.
The acting in Mulan: Rise of A Warrior is amazing. While many of the actors in the film do a fantastic job, including Jackie Chan’s son, Jaycee, the real star of the show is Zhao Wei. Playing the main character, Zhao carries this film entirely on her shoulders. That can’t be an easy burden, considering how important the character is to the Chinese people. There are moments where she comes across as a total bad-ass, but some of her finer moments are when she’s conflicted and outright vulnerable as a person. Zhao delivers such an incredibly grounded and sympathetic performance. You are with her every step of the way. While I don’t think he has the charisma and talent that his father does, Jaycee Chan delivers a pretty good performance as Fei Xiaohu, a character that grew up with Mulan and knows her secret. Kun Chen plays Wentai, the son of the emperor, who also discovers Mulan’s secret. The chemistry between Zhao and Kun feels natural and there times when you really want to see these two end up together.
The action in Mulan: Rise of A Warrior takes a very different approach as opposed to other films in this genre. Instead of the high-flying wire-aided action that we’ve seen from a lot of films of this type over the past several decades, Mulan takes a more realistic approach to combat. There is very little wire-work to be found here. Most of the action is grounded and brutal. You’re dealing with swords, cavalry, spears, and bows and arrows. Yeah, there is some kung-fu, but it’s not the fancy type. It’s very direct and to the point. Most importantly, the action in this film is framed almost perfectly, as you can see everything. It’s also important that most of the actors seem to do their own fighting and stunts except for some of the more dangerous moments. It’s very refreshing to see a version of Mulan that’s grounded in some kind of reality. The costumes and design are very reminiscent of the time period that they are trying to convey. There’s not a whole lot of bright colors here, and I actually appreciate that.
I find Mulan compelling as a film and as a story because it shows the even in the 5th century, certain writers were trying to have their characters break out of the roles that society had in place for them, and there’s a lot of empowerment in that. In fact, for women and young women in general, Mulan proves that you don’t always have to be what society wants you to be, yet still provides a path for you to honor your family and country. The strength of a female character, in my opinion, doesn’t come from physical strength, but rather the courage to fight for what she believes to be right, even if it comes at a price. I also really like the fact that the character wasn’t sexualized in any form. The point of her pretending to be a boy was to avoid that and in the context of the story, it really works. Not every woman in a film like this has to be just a pretty face. Even 1500 years later, the story of Hua Mulan is still very relevant.
Now, one of the reasons that I decided to review this version of Mulan, is that I recently saw a teaser trailer for Disney’s live-action remake of their animated film of the same name. In my opinion, it looks fantastic, but it definitely carries a Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon vibe. That’s not really a bad thing. It’s funny: A lot of people, especially in the west, still seem to think that Hua Mulan was a princess, when in truth, she was anything but. Even in the animated film, she defied the typical damsel-in-distress trope and literally brought the fight to her enemies. While there have been many strong female characters in cinema, like Princess Leia and Ellen Ripley, I feel that the character of Hua Mulan deserves to be on that list. Mulan: Rise of A Warrior is an absolutely fantastic film that takes a different approach than Disney, which works in its favor. With strong characters and even better acting, Rise of A Warrior is a must-see for any fan of Eastern cinema.
My Final Recommendation: Thank god there’s no talking dragon. 9.5/10