Many Americans are only familiar with the Chinese legend of Mulan because of the 1998 Disney animated movie. Set in the year 450 A.D., this Chinese live-action feature film stars Zhao Wei as Hua Mulan—headstrong daughter of a retired general—who disguises her gender in order to join the military. Over the years, Mulan proves herself to be among the finest soldiers in the land, eventually rising to the rank of general. Although her dedication to military duty is without question, Mulan's potential weakness lies in her unrequited love for fellow soldier Wentai (Chen Kun). Under the crisp direction of Jingle Ma, Mulan: Rise of a Warrior boasts rich production design and stunning battle sequences that recall the extravagant epics of old-school Hollywood. And while the beautiful Wei may not look like the stereotypical Chinese general (it is unintentionally amusing that no one can guess her real gender), she invests her performance with enormous energy. Delivering a satisfying action-adventure tale, this is recommended. (P. Hall)
Mulan: Rise of a Warrior
Funimation, 115 min., in Mandarin w/English subtitles, TV-MA, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $29.98 Volume 29, Issue 1
Mulan: Rise of a Warrior
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