Disney’s live-action Mulan was released on Sept. 4, and the new take on the classic story includes a few changes. That’s the point of a remake, right? While not having certain characters and adding in new ones, as well as tweaking main events, is all well and good, part of what made us fall in love with the original film was its incredible soundtrack. So, is the new film be a musical? Not exactly.
Though the new film doesn’t have actual musical moments, like a synchronized performance to “I’ll Make a Man Out of You,” you do hear some iconic tracks. The live-action adaptation weaves the popular songs into the film by playing instrumental versions in certain scenes. If the only reason you were looking forward to the reboot is for the music, this will no doubt come as a disappointment, but rest assured that director Niki Caro brings something original rather than a shot-for-shot remake the way other live-action reboots have been thus far.
However, don’t rule out musical surprises entirely! In addition to Christina Aguilera’s new song “Loyal Brave True,” the end credits also feature her updated version of “Reflection” as well as a Mandarin version of the tune sung by the star of the film, Liu Yifei.
