Mulan (2009 film)

Mulan: Rise of a Warrior, also known as Mulan: Legendary Warrior, is a 2009 Chinese action war film starring Zhao Wei as the titular protagonist. The director, Jingle Ma, explained that the film is vastly different from the 1998 Walt Disney animated film and stated, "Zhao Wei's appearance is closer to that in my imagination". Zhao Wei was cast by Ma as Hua Mulan over actresses Zhang Ziyi, Michelle Yeoh, and Liu Yifei, who were all considered for the role.

Plot
In 450 A.D., the ruling Chinese dynasty is under constant threat from the Rouran tribes. The Chinese army conducts a nationwide draft. A retired soldier named Hua Hu insists on enlisting again to serve his country. Mulan (Zhao Wei), his young daughter, is quite intelligent and skilled in various martial arts. But because she is a woman, she cannot enlist. Mulan tricks her father, steals his armor and weapon, disguises herself as a boy and enters the Wei army in her father's place.

Through the harsh military training, Mulan proves to be quite courageous, quick-thinking, and unstoppable, always helping others fend off the army bullies. She gains the attention of Wentai (Chen Kun), the battalion's Sub Commander. They soon befriend and develop a mutual fondness and liking for one another.

One night, when Wentai is taking a bath in a hot spring, he accidentally runs into Mulan. After a brief skirmish, Mulan escapes without exposing her identity. However, Wentai becomes determined to uncover the woman hiding among the troops. To make things worse, the army bully loses a jade pendant and a strip-search is ordered. Terrified to reveal herself as a woman and tarnish her father's reputation, Mulan admits that she committed the theft.

In prison, she tells Wentai the truth and he promises to keep her secret until the very end. When the Rourans launch a surprise attack, Wentai releases Mulan from jail, but Mulan stays back to fight. Her life is spared and she is also promoted to be a female sub-commander.

Unhappy that the Rouran tribes have not joined forces to create a powerful army to fight against the Wei forces, the greedy Prince Mudan murders his own father to seize the throne for himself.

Mulan's troops then fight strongly against the Rourans, but many, including Mulan, are injured in a volley of arrow fire. Suddenly, a huge dust storm known as the Poison Dragon appears, and everyone on the battlefield is consumed by it. When they regain consciousness, Mulan is reunited with Wentai and she orders a retreat back into the closed canyon. Mudan wants to see how Mulan copes without any provisions and sets up a siege at the entrance of the canyon. Mulan is very sick, but is kept alive by Wentai, who gives her his own blood to drink as the provisions of water have run out.

When Mulan realizes that the Commander-in-Chief isn't bringing his troops and they have been left to die, she prepares her troops to fight to the death for their country. Wentai goes to the front line and announces he is the 7th Prince of Wei, and offers to be taken prisoner in return for Mulan and her soldiers' freedom. Mudan takes him as prisoner and delivers provisions and medical supplies to Mulan and her troops.

Mulan changes her military uniform to that of a Rouran woman's to save Wentai. Talking to the Rouran princess, she reveals her gender as a woman and tells her that she would help her fulfill her dream to stop the war and have peace. Mulan saves Wentai with the help of the princess and returns to the Wei capital, where she at last reveals herself as a woman. As Mulan asks to only return to her village to take care of her ill father, the emperor announces the engagement of the Rouran Princess and Wentai to bring peace to the two empires. Back at Mulan's hometown, Wentai visits her to ask her to runaway with him, but Mulan chooses the country of China over their purely deep, close romantic relationship. He respects her decision, and the two share a long passionate embrace before Wentai departs.

Cast

 * Zhao Wei as Hua Mulan
 * Xu Jiao as young Hua Mulan
 * Chen Kun as Wentai
 * Hu Jun as Mendu
 * Jaycee Chan as Fei Xiaohu
 * Nicky Lee as Hu Kui
 * Liu Yuxin as the Rouran princess
 * Yu Rongguang as Hua Hu
 * Vitas as Gude
 * Sun Zhou as the Wei emperor

This was the second collaboration between Beijing Film Academy classmates Zhao Wei and Chen Kun after Painted Skin.

Reception
On the film's opening day Beijing Screen, the Chinese government recognized Mulan: In 2011, Mulan earned the 9th Henan province governmental award - movie category of Achieving Five Top Project Prize

Home media
In the United Kingdom, it was 2020's third-best-selling foreign language film on physical home video formats (below Parasite and Weathering with You).

Theme song
The end theme song performed by Stefanie Sun, "Mulan Qing" (木蘭情; "Mulan Love") was composed by Lee Shih Shiong with lyrics by Kevin Yee. It was nominated for Best Original Song at the 29th Hong Kong Film Awards. Vitas covered it in English as "Beneath the Glory".

An insert song, "Mulan Xing" (木蘭星; "Mulan Star"), was performed by Jane Zhang.