Does anyone else remember the last time Disney made an original live action film? I’m thinking about considering Christopher Robin, or The Nutcracker and the Four Realms out of kindness, but other than that, I’m drawing a blank.
Well that’s because the House of Mouse has been busy converting its fantastic movie studio into a recycling center. Yes, a recycling center – where classic films of our childhood are gobbled, mangled, polished and pushed out to theaters for a round of nostalgia-based cash grabbing. No, these (with the exception of Dumbo) aren’t particularly bad films, given the fantastic storytelling patterns within the Disney catalogue, but they feel, at least to me, uninspired.
With that said, this new Mulan doesn’t sound like a terrible idea and now that the first trailer’s hit the web, we Disney fans can hatch our initial impressions of the project. And frankly, we’re pretty impressed so far. Though this is only the first we’re seeing from the upcoming remake, it looks as if the Mouse House is onto another winner here with what seems to be a mostly faithful adaptation (though there are a few changes being made) that promises a thrilling adventure which should excite fans of all ages.
In fact, for the most part, Mulan looks like it contains a better recipe for success – at least from a critical perspective (when aren’t these things financial hits?) than its predecessors. With the exception of Mushu, the 1998 animated classic was based very much in the real world, focusing on themes of gender roles, female empowerment, and the social patriarchy, and it appears as if this remake will continue on in much the same vein.
All things considered, then, we’re certainly feeling optimistic about this one and we’ll no doubt get to see a lot more of it before it hits theaters next year, on March 27th.