Mulan has been one of the most anticipated live action remakes of the Disney classics, and with good reason. Directed by Niki Caro and starring Liu Yifei, Jet Li and Gong Li, it’s a big budget, special effects rich, star-studded blockbuster. In our review, we praised it as “not only the best live-action Disney adaptation to date, but also a dazzling, moving, hair-prickling spectacle”. And now you can enjoy Mulan from the comfort of your own sofa (or bed – we’re not judging) when you unlock Disney+ Premier Access for an additional fee of £19.99.
Like the 1998 animated Disney favourite, this film follows the tale of Mulan (Liu Yifei), who disguises herself as man to take her the place of her father (Tzi Ma) in the army after the Emperor (Jet Li) conscripts one man from every family to fight against an invading army. In this retelling, we are introduced to two new baddies – Bori Khan (Jason Scott Lee) and the witch Xian Lang (Gong Li), who both come with back stories of hurt and vengeance.
One of the things that makes this film such a blockbuster is the extraordinary battle scenes. Specialist stunt teams were brought in from China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, New Zealand and Australia to train and choreograph the lead actors and an army of 100 extras. The team also studied numerous styles of martial arts, assigning armies and characters with their own forms of movement. Characters such as Mulan, Commander Tung and Xian Lang have a fighting style inspired by the grace and fluidity of Tai Chi and Wushu, whereas the Imperial Army were trained with an ancient military precision.
This sweeping film came to life across 20 locations in China, including Hubei province in central China, the so-called Singing Sand Dunes in the Mingsha Shan Desert in Xinjiang Province in the northwest, Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park in north central China, Flame Mountain in the north, Mazar Village and Dunhuang and Jiuquan in Gansu province in the northwest, as well as studios in Zhejiang province in eastern China. These expansive locations played home to pastel-coloured villages and epic battles as our heroine moves through her epic tale.
And now you can watch this cinematic spectacle from your own home. You can watch the live-action Mulan over and over again when you unlock Premier Access on Disney+ for an additional fee of £19.99. Subscription required.