Disney's live-action remakes have been a mixed bag, but early reviews suggest <em>Mulan</em>, which will hit cinemas this month, is a sensitive and strong version of the original 1998 adaptation of a Chinese folk tale. Interestingly, New Zealand director Niki Caro, who was behind the lens on <em>Mulan</em>, is only the second woman to direct a Disney outing with a $100 million (Dh367m)-plus budget, following Ava DuVernay's 2018 <em>A Wrinkle in Time</em>. The film was given the full red carpet treatment on Monday night at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, with Ming-Na Wen – who voiced the 1998 title character – wearing Mark Zunino, Jaimie Alexander choosing Maria Lucia Hohan and Christina Aguilera opting for Galia Lahav. Aguilera was on the red carpet because she is the voice behind the movie's song <em>Loyal, Brave, True.</em> Meanwhile, Auli'i Cravalho wore Lebanese label Azzi & Osta and Fola Evans Akingbola looked striking in Tadashi Shoji. But the real showstopper was Liu Yifei's full-princess-mode Elie Saab: With the red carpet ceremony it seems unlikely that the film's release will be postponed, despite the latest <a href="https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/film/coronavirus-james-bond-film-delayed-amid-worldwide-event-cancellations-1.988277"><em>James Bond </em></a>being pushed to November. In a nod to the original animated version, photos have been circulating on social media showing Ming-Na Wen on both the 1998 and 2020 <em>Mulan </em>red carpets: Early reactions to the female-centric film have been for the most part positive:
