Movie Reviews and GIVEAWAY: Mulan (1998) vs. Mulan (2020) - ends 11/22

*Disclosure: I received a digital copy of Mulan for this review. The opinions expressed here, however, are my own.

Recently I received a digital code of the new Mulan, which was released earlier this year on Disney+ but at a premium price for subscribers ($30). I had seen the older Mulan, from 1998, but not recently, so yesterday I watched both that version (on Disney+) as well as the new version.

Read on for my thoughts, and also enter to win a digital copy of the new Mulan movie!

Mulan (1998)

This is a beloved Disney movie, and I was curious to see if it would stand up to my memories of it. This one is a musical (the 2020 one is not) and also has some fun characters like Mushu, voiced by Eddie Murphy, and Cri-Kee, a "lucky cricket" belonging to Mulan. 

Overall, the songs here were great, including my favorite, a toe-tapper called "I'll Make a Man Out of You" (although prior to Googling, I thought the name was "Let's Get Down to Business," as that is a lyric in it as well). 

I really enjoyed this movie, as I did when I first saw it, I believe, and I would give it 4 stars out of 5 overall. It's currently streaming on Disney+. 

Mulan (2020)

Movie Reviews and GIVEAWAY: Mulan (1998) vs. Mulan (2020) - ends 11/22
So in case you've been living under a rock for the past 22 years, here's a Mulan synopsis (but for this version):

Acclaimed filmmaker Niki Caro brings the epic tale of China’s legendary warrior to life in Disney’s Mulan in which a fearless young woman risks everything out of love for her family and her country to become one of the greatest warriors China has ever known. When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation… and a proud father.

The main difference between this and the 1998 version is that this one is NOT a musical, which may turn off some hardcore Disney fans right from the beginning. 

That being said: I enjoyed this version almost as much as the 1998 version. It's VERY different—Mushu and also Mulan's love interest have been axed from the film, but it didn't make as much of an impact as you might think. The cricket also was axed, although there's a sly nod to it since one of Mulan's comrades in the army is named Cricket. The cinematography is GORGEOUS, so I wish I was able to see it in a movie theater. 

However, some scenes are very similar if not the exact same: when Mulan sneaks out in the middle of the night with her father's conscription notice, she leaves her hair clip on her bed in place of the notice, which is exactly what she did in the 1998 version.

This version also had a witch character, which was an interesting addition (and in my opinion, not entirely needed). 

Overall, I'd give this version 3.5 out of 5 stars, and it's still worth a watch, especially if you are a fan of the 1998 animated version. It will be available for "free" to Disney+ subscribers starting December 4th.


Other info:
  • You can now bring home both the animated original—new in 4K Ultra HD—and the live-action film. The films will also be available in a 2-movie collection, which will include the Blu-ray, DVD, and digital of both films. 
  • Animated Mulan: This Ultimate Collector’s Edition will also be released as an exclusive Best Buy SteelBook. The SteelBook artwork includes Mulan’s cherished sidekick Mushu and her trusted steed Khan.

GIVEAWAY:

One of my lucky readers will win a digital copy of the new version of Mulan! This can be redeemed at MoviesAnywhere.com, and you can watch it pretty much wherever you'd like (Fire Stick, Apple devices, etc. - I watched mine through Google Play Movies). 

Enter via the widget below. Giveaway will end on Sunday, November 22nd, at 11:59pm EST, and winner will be notified via email and have 24 hours to respond, or an alternate winner will be chosen.

Open to international, since this is a digital code!

Good luck!

Digital copy of Mulan (2020)

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