Action choreographer on Hero, House Of Flying Daggers, The Warlords and far too many others to mention, Tony Ching Siu-tung is back in the director’s chair for the first time in five years – but is this the triumphant return we were hoping for…? (more…)
Just another early 80s wire-fu movie – or at least it would be if not for the performances of leads Tony Leung and Michelle Yeoh and some fine action from Ching Siu-tung… (more…)
Gosh! Has someone got it in for Disney or what? No sooner does Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo finally get a UK release, loosely based on the same Hans Christian Anderson that gave us The Little Mermaid, than a live-action version of the Chinese legend that inspired their film Mulan gets a UK release too.
(Okay, so Pixar/Disney chief John Lasseter executively produced the English version… you’re not gonna tell me he didn’t have fun with that?)
This new live-action version stars the lovely Vicky Zhao in the lead – an actress who I’m never really convinced by in period settings, but always keen to give a chance – with co-stars Jaycee Chan and Jun Hu, and directed by cinematographer turned director Jingle Ma, responsible for the highly enjoyable Tokyo Raiders and the highly rubbish follow-up Seoul Raiders.
Will it be any good? Let’s hope so… these historical dramas seem so hit-and-miss nowadays. (And we’ll let you know soon…!)
AN EPIC, LIVE-ACTION RETELLING OF THE STORY OF THE LEGENDARY CHINESE FOLK HEROINE.
“Braveheart” meets “An Empress And The Warriors” in Mulan, a lavish, live-action period epic that breathes vibrant new life into the inspirational Chinese legend made internationally famous by Disney’s classic 1998 animated feature of the same name.
Directed by Jingle Ma (Seoul Raiders, Silver Hawk, Tokyo Raiders) and starring Vicki Zhao (Red Cliff, 14 Blades, Shaolin Soccer) and Jaycee Chan (Twins Effect 2, Invisible Target), the son of martial arts legend Jackie Chan, Mulan is an extravagant, action-packed spectacle that tells a story of unequalled heroism and undying love set against the thrilling backdrop of a bloody war fought between rival warrior tribes and dynasties.
When the emperor issues a decree that all families in the Northern Province must defend their homeland against the barbarian Rouran hordes, Mulan, a young girl from a military family without a male heir, disguises herself as a male soldier and enlists in the army rather than expose her aging father to the horrors of the battlefield.
As the conflict develops and the invading armies close in, Mulan’s remarkable courage and insights into the art of war see her elevated through the ranks until she is promoted to the position of general, establishing herself as a true military leader willing to sacrifice everything to defend her nation and bring honour to her family. Her only weakness is her affection for one of her comrades, Wentei (Chen Kun), a fellow general who realises that their mutual emotional attachment could lead to their downfall on the battlefield.
Awe-inspiring, compelling and filled with astonishing action-sequences, Mulan is both a moving romance and an exhilarating and brutal action-adventure of epic proportions.
Mulan (cert. 15) will be released as a two disc Ultimate Edition DVD (£17.99) and as a single disc Ultimate Edition Blu-ray (£24.99) by Cine Asia on 21st June 2010. Special Features include: ‘Making Of’ featurette; ‘Behind The Scenes’ featurette; interview gallery; Dolby Digital Mandarin 2.0 and 5.1 audio options (DVD); TS HD Master Audio Japanese 5.1 and Dolby Digital Mandarin 2.0 audio options (Blu-ray); English subtitles; original trailer.
