In the era of CGI, technology is more advanced than ever and many studios are taking advantage of this. For example, within the past decade, Disney has been working on making some of their animated classics into live-action films. So far, some movies that they have transformed include Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella and The Jungle Book. Recently, the live-action version of an old classic, Mulan, was released on Sept. 4, 2020, in the US. It was distributed by Walt Disney Studio Motion Pictures. Many were upset that while this movie can be found on Disney+ it is only available with Premier access for $30.

Mulan is about a young Chinese woman who grew up wanting to be a warrior. However, due to societal norms it was very frowned upon and was not the typical duty of a woman. The typical duty of a woman was to bring honor to their families, but many people noticed Mulan had a strong chi. A strong chi is essentially a strong soul, but it was usually only found in warriors or soldiers which was a man’s job. One day, imperial guards are sent to draft one man from every family to go and fight in the war. In her family, this would be her father. She realizes she cannot let her father go because she knows she would not be able to survive if he went. She decides to take his place and to dress up as a man to go fight in the war for him. The movie focuses on her journey of fighting in the war while trying to keep her secret. It goes over her successes but also her struggles, failures, and challenges. By the end of the movie, Mulan is the first female soldier to ever be accepted as a warrior.

The movie inspired many girls to stray away from their gender norms or what was expected of them from society. There were also a few minor differences between the animated and live-action version, but overall shared the same message and plot. Some changes include the removal of songs in order to try to be more respectful of Chinese culture. I would rate this movie a 9/10 because it was very impactful and had an incredibly talented cast. The actors played their roles with so much passion and the movie gave a positive and encouraging message. The movie sends strong messages about the importance of female empowerment. This is a very important message to put out in the world, especially for many young girls who this movie is targeted towards. Although one issue with this movie is that it is not easy to access for everyone. Many people have debated whether or not spending $30 along with the fee of Disney+ to watch this movie is worth it, but that does not take away from the fact that this movie is undeniably well crafted and entertaining. Overall, Disney may have changed a few things but did not diminish any of the factors that made the original movie. Mulan is so great. There need to be more movies that send out great messages, while being entertaining and heartwarming.