【Text/Observer Network Lu Yuling】Affected by the new crown pneumonia epidemic, Disney's live-action movie "Mulan" has been postponed in China, and the schedule is undetermined. In the United States, however, they will still be released on March 27 as originally planned.
On the evening of March 9, local time, the film held a grand premiere ceremony in Hollywood, and the media word of mouth was initially lifted. How do they feel after looking at it?
The observer network queried a number of American industry insiders' brief comments and found that the overall evaluation was very good, from the film's action scenes, visual effects to Liu Yifei's performance, have been affirmed. Of course, there are also people who think that the film's villain is too weak, the style is chaotic, and may be moderate. However, none of the film critics mentioned "crossing" elements such as the Fujian Tulou, which had previously been complained about by Chinese netizens.
The images in this article are all from Twitter
Let's first take a look at what these reporters' praises have said specifically -
Insider reporter Christine Akuna:
"Is Mulan the first great superhero movie since the beginning of 2020? I think it is that Mulan can cross the roof, fly over the wall, bend the bow and shoot arrows, and is a powerful person. The movie reminds you to be true to your true self, and the little girls will worship Liu Yifei. This movie is absolutely great, it's different enough – great action scenes, but with the 'soul' of an original movie, it doesn't matter if it's not a musical, and if you're a fan of the animated version, there's a low-key homage to a lot of songs in the film, and you can't wait to brush it off. ”
Fandango film critic Eric Davis:
"Mulan is exciting, vibrant and emotional, but unlike the animated version, it's a completely new re-creation. Also, it's more mature than other Disney live-action movies, which is why I love it. The scene design and drama choreography are breathtaking, and the director and Liu Yifei are great! ”
Slashfilm founder Peter Shiretta:
"I didn't expect to like the live-action version of Mulan so much. Its scenes are spectacular, the play is gripping, and it strives to reach unexpected heights in depth and beauty. ”
Geeks Of Doom film critic Michael Lee:
"One of the best Disney classic animated adaptations of live-action films, the theme of female power and the classic scenes of the animated version have been contemporary adapted, so as to carry forward the animated version and "Mulan". At the same time, the photography and combat scenes stand out, and there is also a martial arts legacy. ”
The Geekly Show host Tania Rambo:
"Mulan is a warrior and a legend! I am very grateful for these wonderful heroine characters, and I will be proud to introduce this film to my daughter. ”
Collider reporter Wendy Sony:
"The lineup of Mulan is so strong! There are some echoes in the film that will make fans feel very intimate, and the photography is also very good and spectacular, and there are more magical elements that I did not expect. Overall a successful adaptation and a pleasure to watch! ”
Mashable Entertainment Reporter Angie Han:
"This is the best Disney remake live-action movie since Cinderella, and I haven't even let go of the ending song. Find new interpretations in a story we're all familiar with, with great action scenes, emotions and humor. Liu Yifei is amazing! ”
Mashable Entertainment Reporter Allison Foreman:
"The new version of "Mulan" abandons a lot of the old version of things, but also gives more new presentations. It's a great action scene, humorous, heart-wrenching story, interspersed with moments that pay homage to the 1998 animated version. By the way, the romantic chemistry in the film is very beautiful, like the kind of beauty that makes people shout 'kiss fast' in a quiet movie theater. ”
But on the other hand, some people think that movies are a bit out of line, and I am afraid that they will tend to be mediocre.
Screen Rant Feature Editor Mansour Mithevara:
"The film aspired to be a great film, but was unexpectedly stumbled upon by the adaptation of the animation. There are some flashing moments throughout the film, but the weakness of the villains and the incoherence of the action scenes lead to its mediocrity. The film is more adapted from Mulan Ci than the animation, which is a bold choice. Everything about Mulan herself is great, except that the other parts are not in harmony, it's like two movies synthesized into one, and it has to figure out which direction to choose, rather than both sides. ”
It can be seen that the overall evaluation of these film critics is still good. However, at present, the Freshness of Rotten Tomatoes and IMDB ratings of "Mulan" have not been opened, and the official long film reviews of the US media will be announced around March 23.
Liu Yifei at the premiere scene
According to industry insiders, "Mulan" is also Disney's first PG-13 work since the beginning of the animation adaptation. Although previous films such as "Aladdin", "Beauty and the Beast", and "Sleeping Curse" have all received good box office, it is inevitable that people will criticize the tone as childish.
This time, "Mulan" gave the audience a more mature feeling, not only removing the funny role of Mushu Dragon, but also not forcing the narrative through singing and dancing. In addition, the plot of the film is also very different, because they are not mainly based on the animated version, but "Mulan Ci".
An animated version of the Wooden Whiskers Dragon
However, for the effect of this adaptation, domestic audiences may not have the same view. THR reported that Disney previously held an internal test screening of a group of Chinese people, including Disney China executives, in the early version of "Mulan", there is a kissing scene between Mulan and Chen Honghui on the bridge, the director said that this scene is very beautiful, but the audience considered the background of the times, thinking that "it cannot be filmed like this, it feels inappropriate for Chinese audiences." Considering the Chinese market, Disney eventually deleted the scene.
You may also remember that when the trailer of "Mulan" was just announced, Liu Yifei's big wave hairstyle, Fujian Tulou and other elements full of "sense of crossing" also made a large number of Chinese netizens bluntly say that they could not watch it...
But now, the simultaneous release of "Mulan" in China and North America has become a zero probability event. The industry has predicted that "Mulan" will reach 1 billion to 1.5 billion yuan at the box office in China, which is conservatively estimated to lose 100 million to 200 million US dollars. In addition, since March 2, the film has been withdrawn and extended in Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other Asian regions, and it is difficult to say how much loss will be generated by the Asian market.
Even so, the predictions of major platforms for the North American box office are still generally optimistic, with dead line and THR both giving a North American opening score of $85 million. Forbes even mentioned in the report, "Mulan may not have to enter China, it is enough to make a splash." ”
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