As with Butterfly Lovers Ma seems to be trying to tick too many boxes at once, without ever showing too much skill at melodrama. This turns out to be both the film't greatest strength and its one real weakness, as whilst it delivers a Mulan who is believable and whose relationships with the rest of the cast give her a certain amount of emotional grounding, on the downside, she does spend a fair amount of the running time moping around or crying - not exactly what some viewers expecting to see an all-action female warrior might have hoped for.Ĭertainly, the film does get pretty sappy in places, and as a result the pace is a bit variable, though it is at least never dull and there isn't too much in the way of needless comic relief, Jaycee Chan's bumbling soldier friend aside. Although the premise of her being mistaken for a man isn't particularly convincing, especially since she never makes much effort to hide her obvious femininity, she does manage to make her character convincing, not playing her as a straight warrior. The plot unsurprisingly revolves almost entirely around Hua Mulan and her development, and so Ma is fortunate to have a genuine star in Vicki Zhao, who effectively carries the film on her more than capable shoulders, turning in a performance that strikes just the right balance between tough and vulnerable. Obviously, the Mulan story is likely to be very familiar to most, though it has a classical rather than hackneyed air, with Ma covering the passing of time quite well and giving the proceedings a suitably epic feel. As the new ruthless leader of the Rouran (Hu Jin, recently in Bodyguards and Assassins) plans an invasion, the nation's need grows ever more desperate, and she does indeed find herself faced with increasingly hard decisions and personal sacrifices. As she finds success on the battlefield, she also develops an unsurprisingly strained romance with a fellow general (played by Aloys Chen, with whom Zhao starred in Painted Skin, who comes to realise that in order for her to fulfil her potential, her heart will have to be hardened to the horrors of war. Taking on the role of the titular Hua Mulan, she plays a young girl who disguises herself as a man to go to war in place of her ailing father, to defend the Wei people against the barbarian hordes of the Rouran. Here, Ma offers up a somewhat more grounded take, bringing in top actress and recent Red Cliff heroine Vicki Zhao as the fabled girl in general's clothing. The story has certain proved a favourite through the years, having been adapted many times in the past, even enjoying the dubious distinction of having been made into a cartoon over in Hollywood by Disney. And so up steps director Jingle Ma, known for commercial hits such as the recent Butterfly Lovers and Playboy Cops with a new, big budget, all star version of the legend of Mulan. Given the continuing popularity of the Chinese costume epic, it's pretty much inevitable that all manner of legends and enduring tales will be dusted off and brought to the screen as blockbusters. Mulan: Rise of a Warrior (2009) (Blu-ray + DVD) (US Version) 花木蘭 (2009) (Blu-ray + DVD) (美國版) 花木兰 (2009) (Blu-ray + DVD) (美国版) Mulan: Rise of a Warrior (2009) (Blu-ray + DVD) (US Version) Mulan: Rise of a Warrior (2009) (Blu-ray + DVD) (US Version)Ī - Americas (North, Central and South except French Guiana), Korea, Japan, South East Asia (including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan) What is it? Stephen Tung Wai provides the action direction for the film's impressive battle and combat scenes. The unique supporting cast also includes CJ7 child actress Xu Jiao, Korean-American Mando-pop singer Nicky Lee, and Russian singer Vitas. Hu Jun is charismatically over the top as the ruthless leader of the enemy army, and Jaycee Chan plays a free-spirited soldier. The legend of Mulan has been adapted into numerous small and big screen productions including a Disney movie.Īloys Chen, with whom Zhao paired in Painted Skin, plays the general who develops a strong camaraderie and ambiguous romance with Mulan. Faced with the dangers and heartaches of war, Mulan grows into a great warrior and general while working hard to keep her true identity a secret. Defying her father's wishes, Mulan risks death to answer the conscription call in his stead. After her turn as a willful warrior princess in Red Cliff, Vicki Zhao gender bends again as eponymous folk heroine Hua Mulan, the filial daughter who famously adopted male guise to take her elderly father's place in the battlefield. Directed by Jingle Ma ( Butterfly Lovers), the historical action epic Mulan earned its place in the 2009 year-end lineup of Chinese blockbusters with its adrenaline-pumping war scenes and strong star power.
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