Mulan

At its core, Caro's "Mulan" is quietly revolutionary, as it revels in the exhilarating sight of a young woman fighting for and earning her place in the world.

I can only describe Mulan as a visually spectacular disappointment. Void of any emotional resonance, the film eschews coherent storytelling for what amounts to an Orientalist war epic masquerading as a feminist win for Asians everywhere.

Its cast, its attitude, its overall eagerness to please -- all benefits, one would think -- don't add up to a good movie. They add up to a blueprint of the movie this ought to be.

While glorious to look at, the movie still feels slightly hollow. All the right pieces are there, but an emotional connection to the characters is lacking.

The combat set pieces are terrific, the scale of the storytelling is epic.

I'm as athletic as a bed sock but, for so many reasons, this movie made me want to do backflips.

It also does not help that Li is a legendary, iconic actor, and Yifei Liu, who plays Mulan, is not the best actor. She is not bad, but she is a wee bit wooden.

MULAN is a film best described as an “if only” production. If only the script had the input from actual Chinese people. If only it didn’t treat the culture, history, and mythology like a cheap prop.

Even though Niki Caro delivers the realistic, distinct take that was promised, its execution feels inferior to the original animated film in every single way. The 1998’s movie is far more epic and cinematic than its remake.

The critical differences in the movie change a lot of Mulan’s character traits, and it is evident that the writers missed the opportunity to make her special.