A new TV spot has been released for Disney’s remake of Mulan and it continues to highlight the action-oriented focus of the movie.
Unlike so many of Disney’s cash-grab remakes, such as the soulless reiterations of Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King or failed attempted expansions like Aladdin, the new Mulan is more about highlighting the story of the warrior rather than diligently retreading the path already worn by the previous film.
The basic premise remains the same, though: in a time of war when the Emperor of China decrees one man from every household must join the army, a young woman, fearing for the safety of her aging and ailing father, disguises herself and joins in his stead. However, other elements of the animated movie such as the fast-talking, wisecracking guardian dragon Mushu who made the film so beloved with its young audience will not be featured in the remake, nor will any of the elaborate musical numbers traditional for the House of Mouse’s output.
There will doubtless still be liberties taken with the story for the sake of excitement and drama, since the original 6th century narrative poem on which the movie was based, the Ballad of Mulan, is not particularly long and its narrative is rather straightforward and simplistic for modern sensibilities. For example, Mulan’s comrades don’t even discover her secret until after the twelve-year war is over when she voluntarily reveals it to them.
A key difference is that in the original poem, Mulan begins the tale already an accomplished warrior, having been taught martial arts, sword fighting and archery from a young age. Given the focus on combat that this trailer and the others have been emphasizing, this is something the new Mulan will likely reinstate, and although it will most probably lead to tedious accusations of her being a Mary Sue, such whining rarely needs to be taken seriously.