Mulan (2020)

WORK – L « Middle Empire »

A courageous young woman gives up everything for the love of her family and her country, and then becomes the greatest warrior China has ever known.

Visually neat and full of battles, this wu xia pian mainstream but no less epic adapts much better the original poem than the 1998 cartoon. And if it remains wasted of good feelings in addition to being quite cold, this live-action remake that frees itself because of its model (no fantasy or musical scene) serves us a great, resolutely modern show carried by a true feminist heroine!

IMAGE – Majestic China

Already excellent in Blu-ray, the image of the 4K Ultra HD comes out winning without forcing too much.

It should also be said that with flattering digital cleanliness, incredible textures, superior sharpness (while it is only a DI 2K), a much more abundant picturesque colorimetric palette (starting with Mulan's red tunic and blue sky), otherwise deeper contrasts (it is very visible during the moonlight bath) and brighter light sources (lenterns, sun, reflections on water, etc.), this UHD HDR10 transfer presents itself as the emissary of the beauties from Asia!

SON – Silence, we no longer sing!

Generously spatialised (see the richness of the rear scene) even though the frontal axis remains a priority, the Atmos soundtrack (exclusive to the VO) benefits from an increase in height (the Phoenix, the clouds of flying animals and voices) which significantly enhances the realism of the scenes. But to better transport us, the dynamics and the basses would have deserved a surplus of punch. A (bad) habit in the « small » and the fact that it is necessary to push the volume well beyond the reference level to enjoy it properly.

Therefore, it is not forbidden to turn to the VF encoded in Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 which is finally provided with a completely different dimension.

CONCLUSION – Portrait of a young girl on fire

Aesthetic delight of all time, this family entertainment seems much better « armed » (image is just splendid) once in possession of the Ultra HD Blu-ray!