Mulan (2020) 5 Ways It Improves On The Original (& 5 Ways The Original Is Still Better)

Mulan (2020): 5 Ways It Improves On The Original (& 5 Ways The Original Is Still Better)

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Disney purists might be skeptical, but the 2020 Mulan improved on the original 1998 film; it also proved the animated film was better in other ways.

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Mulan (2020) 5 Ways It Improves On The Original (& 5 Ways The Original Is Still Better)

In recent years, Disney has released a boatload of live-action reworkings of their classic animated movies — from Cinderella to The Lion King — and they’ve been met with decidedly mixed critical reception.

After premiering their remake of Lady and the Tramp on Disney+ in November 2019, they decided to do the same with their PG-13 rated, big-budget version of Mulan in 2020. But the question is; does the new version improve on the original enough to be worth the premium fee, or would it just be better to watch the original on Disney+ for no extra charge?

10 Improves On: Faithfulness To The Source Material

Mulan (2020) 5 Ways It Improves On The Original (& 5 Ways The Original Is Still Better)

The 2020 version of Mulan made several changes to make it more faithful (at least than its animated predecessor) to the 6th-century porm Ballad of Mulan.

These included changing the villains from Huns to Rourans, removing the musical numbers and zany characters, and shifting the tone from lighthearted to more dramatic.

9 Doesn’t Improve On: Creativity

Mulan (2020) 5 Ways It Improves On The Original (& 5 Ways The Original Is Still Better)

While the new Mulan made a lot of changes to distinguish itself from the 1998 original, these changes actually make it play more like a standard wuxia war film than anything else.

Comparatively, the 1998 film, released during the Disney Renaissance, was about as unique and original as it gets, combining commentary on gender roles and the casualties of war with the traditional “Disney Princess” format to create something new and exciting for both kids and adults.

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8 Improves On: Epicness

Mulan (2020) 5 Ways It Improves On The Original (& 5 Ways The Original Is Still Better)

2020’s Mulan may be “just a war film,” but when a Disney adaptation can execute fight scenes at the same level as films like Dunkirk and 1917, they’ve got to be doing something right.

Whereas the old Mulan did have some amazing scenes boasting gorgeous animation, the new one is just more cinematic — not to mention more adult — and thusly more epic.

7 Doesn’t Improve On: Viewer Engagement

Mulan (2020) 5 Ways It Improves On The Original (& 5 Ways The Original Is Still Better)

With a runtime of two hours (more than half an hour longer than the 1998 version), 2020’s Mulan does tend to drag at times.

The original constantly engages the viewer because, thanks to its vibrant animation, there’s always something happening on screen. The remake? It can get dull at times.

6 Improves On: Masterful Fight Sequences

Mulan (2020) 5 Ways It Improves On The Original (& 5 Ways The Original Is Still Better)

The remake isn’t always a drag, however, and the excellent fight choreography is one of the times when it definitely keeps viewers glued to the screen. There’s a lot going on, but it’s easy to understand and visually stimulating to process because the film doesn’t try to go so quick that it becomes confusing or add so much that it becomes muddled.

Hollywood actioners fall into those sorts of mistakes all the time, but to its credit, Mulan doesn’t.

5 Doesn’t Improve On: Compelling Characters

Mulan (2020) 5 Ways It Improves On The Original (& 5 Ways The Original Is Still Better)

Admittedly, the characters in Disney’s 2020 Mulan are a little bit lacking compared to the original’s. With the exception of Mulan and Xian Lang, they aren’t really developed or given backstories, and the audience has almost no reason to feel an emotional attachment to any of them.

It’s not great when the animated characters feel more real than the live-action ones.

4 Improves On: A Three-Dimensional Villain

Mulan (2020) 5 Ways It Improves On The Original (& 5 Ways The Original Is Still Better)

That being said, the addition of Xian Lang is probably the best thing the new Mulan contributed to its established universe. The villian from 1998’s Mulan was Shan Yu, a vengeful Hun who’s scary at times, but can’t really compare to the sheer excellence of past Disney villains like Cruella De Vil, Count Frollo, or Ursula.

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Xian Lang’s character growth might be a little shoehorned in, but her great writing, combined with the fact that she’s played by Gong Li — one of the greatest actresses in China today — makes her at the very least one of the better live-action Disney villains in recent memory.

3 Doesn’t Improve On: Mulan’s Training Sequence

Mulan (2020) 5 Ways It Improves On The Original (& 5 Ways The Original Is Still Better)

The introduction of Chi into 2020’s Mulan was a decision that split both critics and audiences, as it makes Mulan’s fighting abilities seem like more of a superpower than anything else.

The remake at least includes a training scene, but it doesn’t showcase Mulan’s hard work nearly as well as the original’s “I’ll Make A Man Out Of You” montage does, thereby making her feel like a more weakly-written heroine.

2 Improves On: Handling Of Chinese Culture

Mulan (2020) 5 Ways It Improves On The Original (& 5 Ways The Original Is Still Better)

As much as it angered fans, removing Mushu was probably a step in the right direction. The original Mulan was released more than twenty years ago, and while its portrayal of Chinese culture seems well-intentioned, it’s also very shoddy at times.

The remake does a lot to improve this in terms of how the characters are written and portrayed.

1 Doesn’t Improve On: Memorability

Admittedly, the new version of Mulan makes quite a few improvements on its predecessor and serves as a good version of its legendary story for those not as inclined to sit through a kids’ movie.

Still, the original is almost definitely going to stay the more memorable Disney version due to its lasting impact; it’s very rare that a remake can surpass the original enough to become more culturally significant. It seems especially difficult in the case of something as beloved as Mulan.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/disney-mulan-better-version-1998-2020-comparison/

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