Headlines from China: First Reviews in, How Does Disney’s Long-Awaited ‘Mulan’ Hold Up?

First Reviews in, How Does Disney’s Long-Awaited ‘Mulan’ Hold Up? 

Disney’s wuxi remake of the legendary Chinese folklore tale “The Ballad of Mulan” finally met with the audience on Disney+ yesterday. Mulan gets the superhero-origin-story treatment in Niki Caro’s live-action remake, but the overall early-on reviews of the film has been mixed revolving around whether the film is a successful adaptation, and whether or not the leading actress Liu Yifei has delivered a convincing performance. Despite these criticism, one thing that everyone seems to agree on is the infinite visual feast that this $200 million-budgeted film is able to offer–which inevitably, makes the small screen viewing experience a much less ideal experience. Read more Mtime

77th Venice Film Festival Kicked Off With Strict Health Measures, One Chinese Film to Compete in Orizzonti Section of the Festival

The Venice Film Festival has opened with strict health and safety measures on September 3. During the screenings, press conferences and other indoor events, the wearing of a face mask is mandatory. Outdoors masks are not required. Ticket prices have been reduced by 50 percent and the organizers have installed additional screens. One Chinese language film “The Best Is Yet To Come”, from young director Wang Jing and produced by Chinese auteur Jia Zhangke, will be competing in the Orizzonti Award section of the Venice Film Festival. Read more Mtime