Mulan

"'Mulan' is not a live-action remake of the 1998 Disney animation, but rather a new story based on the legend of Mulan - a Chinese warrior who has become one of the most legendary women in the country. It's important to keep this in mind before starting to watch the production, which doesn't even seem like it was made by the Mickey Mouse studio. There are no songs and it's full of extremely well-produced action sequences. With a light touch of humor, 'Mulan' carries a serious tension and tone, focusing on details of Chinese culture - such as the presence of the phoenix. In China, birds are considered celestial messengers and in the story, the phoenix symbolizes female representation, while the dragon, present in the 1998 animation, is the male representation. The mythical bird also represents Mulan's bond with her father. The feature, which was directed by a woman, Niki Caro, has powerful moments about female strength. At the beginning, there is discomfort due to the conservatism present in Chinese culture, which is completely patriarchal, in which the woman must only fulfill her role as wife and Mulan shows herself against this, her thought becomes stronger throughout the movie and yields incredible scenes. In addition to the protagonist, another powerful woman is the other warrior, Xianniang, their connection in the story is a highlight of the film. Among the most recent live-actions released by Disney, 'Mulan' is one of the most powerful, especially for leaving the animation in the past, bringing a different narrative, although it has the same base that is the story of the Chinese warrior, and showing how resilient women are - and deserve respect."