Mulan Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs

2. It's A Little Bloated

Like the overwhelming majority of Disney's live-action remakes, Mulan isn't just a remake but an expansion of the original tale, and to that end clocks in at almost 30 minutes longer than its animated predecessor.

Though the film is hardly a slog, there isn't much in here which really justifies that near two-hour length, as even if you excuse the riveting third-act action sequences, there's a ton of generic waffle about warring clans and the importance of family.

It's all the more bizarre that Mulan is so much longer than its animated forebear given that all the songs have been stripped out.

While the first and third act clip along pacily enough, it's clear that some of the excess exposition and chit-chat from the middle-portion could've been trimmed down a bit.

There's no reason this thing had to be a second over 100 minutes long, basically.