Does it bring honour to us all? Last night in Hollywood, Disney finally pulled back the curtain on Mulan, its much-discussed and sometimes controversial live-action remake of the 1998 animated film. Director Niki Caro removed that film’s musical numbers in favour of a mythical, but more straightforward, period war drama with a cast that includes Jet Li, Donnie Yen, Gong Li, Jason Scott Lee, and Liu Yifei as the title character.
So, what did attendees of the premiere think? Well, we’ve rounded up several of the social media reactions, which range from over the moon to grounded and realistic. Here goes.
The cast of Mulan is fantastic in the film. There are lots of little moments that nods to the animated that’ll make the fans happy. Very beautiful & epic cinematography. It had more fantastical elements than I expected. Overall, a great re-telling of the animated and very fun ????????
— Wendy Lee Szany (@WendyLeeSzany) March 10, 2020
#Mulan is the best of the Disney live-action remakes since Cinderella — I didn’t even miss the songs. Finds new notes in a story we already know while delivering gorgeous action, heart, and humor. Liu Yifei is ????????????
— Angie J. Han (@ajhan) March 10, 2020
Disney’s Mulan remake leaves a lot behind, but offers much more in its absence. Plenty of 1998 throwbacks pepper a story full of incredible action, humor, and heart.
Oh, and the romantic chemistry gets STEAMY. Like chanting “kiss” in a silent theater steamy.#Mulan2020 #mulan pic.twitter.com/soILc7OdTm
— Alison Foreman (@alfaforeman) March 10, 2020
#Mulan is absolutely fantastic. Different enough with great action scenes, but with the heart of the original film. It doesn’t even matter that it’s not a musical. If you’re a fan of the animated, there are subtle nods to many of the songs. Can’t wait to see this again.
— Kirsten (@KirstenAcuna) March 10, 2020
Wow. Just wow. Disney’s Mulan is not only visually stunning, it is absolutely magical. I laughed, I cried, and I loved every second of it. I cannot wait to take my girls to see it. Talk about girl power. WOW. #Mulan
— Mama’s Geeky – Tessa Smith (@MamasGeeky) March 10, 2020
#Mulan is a gorgeous film that pays homage to the ballad of its origin, and Yifei Liu gives a fantastic performance.
Songs and Mushu are missed, but other adaptation changes serve the story well and fit the tone. (PS. Yoson An is a great not-Shang & the love story still works.) pic.twitter.com/3ICOKKL2jb— The Overwhelmed Tatiana (@myrcellasear) March 10, 2020
I’ve seen MULAN twice now and I must say it is grrrreat. Easily Disney’s best live action reboot. I think it’s also Disney’s first battle epic? It is beautiful & absorbing & rich & empowering. The cast is excellent and Niki Caro’s direction is just breathtaking.
— Kevin Polowy (@djkevlar) March 10, 2020
#Mulan is exciting, vibrant, emotional, and different from the animated version. It’s definitely its own thing, which I dug – a more mature Disney film, featuring stunning production design & fight choreography. Director Niki Caro & star Liu Yifei are the big stand-outs, imo pic.twitter.com/p6IEQUDNBu
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) March 10, 2020
I’m very surprised at how much I liked the live action #Mulan movie. It’s so majestic, the action is thrilling, it aims for a level of sophistication and beauty you don’t expect.
(I was never a huge fan of the animated film, I think I’ve only seen it once. So no attachments)
— Peter Sciretta (@PeterSciretta) March 10, 2020
#Mulan is one of the best live-action adaptation of a Disney animated classic. It honors the 1998 film and the ballad by modernizing themes of female empowerment and iconic scenes, while also standing out w/ great cinematography & battle sequences are reminiscent of Wuxia epics. pic.twitter.com/2DUjzX1M1h
— Michael Lee (@IamMichaelJLee) March 10, 2020
There’s a great film yearning to break out in #Mulan, but it’s surprisingly bogged down by adapting the animation. It has its moments, but the poor villains and inconsistent action quality results in a mediocre movie. pic.twitter.com/2iZ3wZYOts
— Mansoor Mithaiwala (@MansoorAYM) March 10, 2020
Wow! @DisneysMulan was everything I hoped it would be and more! They were able to bring new elements to life while maintaining the classic nostalgia we all know & love. Wow. Just incredible! ???? Thanks @DolbyCinema for inviting me. #Mulan pic.twitter.com/BwPVV1m1LP
— Katie Wilson (@thekatiewilson) March 10, 2020
#Mulan is good, polished and absolutely worth seeing. Alas, it’s also respectful to a fault. It doesn’t truly cut loose until the climax. Jason Scott Lee is great, but everyone else seems afraid to offend. Lacks the gonzo energy of THE GREAT WALL or MALEFICENT MISTRESS OF EVIL. pic.twitter.com/FOEBhwJphO
— Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) March 10, 2020
I too was at the premiere of Mulan last night and I’m more in line with that last tweet from Scott Mendelson of Forbes. I tweeted: “Saw Mulan tonight and it’s solid. Great performances, exciting action, and a strong message help boost a slightly disjointed story that’s a little too by the numbers, even if you don’t know the animated film. The VFX are spotty too but ultimately, its heart should win you over.”
Gizmodo will have a full review of Mulan as we get closer to its release on March 26.