By Ben Wright (@iamzavagno | www.xgeeks.co.uk)

Finally, the first full trailer for Mulan has arrived and it does not disappoint!

It’s felt like an age since that first teaser dropped back in July, so it’s good that we’ve finally got a proper trailer to get our teeth into. And if the final movie is as good as that trailer, Disney’s record of dud live-action remakes might be about to change!

I am a big fan of Asian cinema, having written many articles about it during my time an university. While there were one or two glimpses of that American texture, on the whole, it felt very authentic for a Hollywood adaption. I think the decision to not whitewash the movie remains the right call. I don’t need someone with a big name appeal shoehorned into the movie, not THIS movie. While there are no traditional A-listers amongst the cast, Donnie Yen, Gong Li, Tzi Ma, Rosalind Chao and Cheng Pei-Pei are phenomenal performers who I cannot wait to see on the big screen. As for Mulan, Liu Yifei looks really at home in the role and everything from that trailer hints that we might be on the verge of seeing a very special performance!

If you haven’t done so already, be sure to check the trailer below.

The film looks visually stunning and the peaceful colour tones really help boost the moments of intense bight colour. These moments jump out at you and instantly grab your attention. The scale of the movie feels truly epic and the score really drives home the visual elements. What I’m trying to say is, this is a fine-looking movie and it looks like we are in for a plethora of outstanding character performances!

As always, I have picked my top five scenes from the trailer to take a closer look.

5 Things From The Trailer:

Parkour!

Give me that wirework!

Watching Xian Lang’s warriors ride down towards the town was menacing enough, but for them to launch themselves from their horses and start wall running? NOW you have my attention! It set the tone for the rest of the action spots that followed, it’s going to be outlandish and larger than life, and I am all in for that!

Loyal, Brave And True

Wise words that set the narrative up perfectly!

The framing of this shot is really well executed and just visually builds upon the importance of the scene itself. The orange and red tones really pop and the reflection of Mulan’s face is another visual representation of the values she and her family hold dear. It is a wonderful shot and I hope there are many similar ones to follow in the final film!

Size Matters

Mulan needs to have a big film feel, the world needs to feel gigantic and be reflective of the sheer size of the war and conflict that has gripped the land. The visual effects look good, though there is still plenty of time for some of the shots to be touched up. The city reveal, in particular, is a great example that really shows out the scale of the film. Likewise, the countryside and mountain set pieces look just as spectacular!

The Don

Donnie Yen is the perfect choice for Commander Tung and I cannot wait to see him in the role. I will always support any film that Yen stars in, I’m a huge fan he’ll be such an incredible asset to the film. This is a short one, because, well… IT’S DONNIE YEN!!!

Strike A Pose

There we have it, the money shot, straight out of the original Disney animated movie!

I’ve already praised the colour palette of the film, and here is another example of the vibrant colour pops against the dull, darker tones within the movie. The film does an outstanding job balancing its colour tones and this shot is just one of many outstanding examples.

I’m ready for Mulan! It is just a shame we will have to wait until March 2020 before we get to see it!

What did you think of the first full trailer for Mulan? Let us know in the comments!