What parents need to know about 'Mulan'

THE IMPERIAL CITY — Disney’s newest live-action remake, "Mulan," is now streaming on Disney+.

Many families are excited to see the action-adventure, but is it OK for the family? The movie is rated PG-13 and I know some parents are curious as to why. Luckily for you, I’ve already seen it and can give you a heads-up about the content of "Mulan."

This is not a review of the film — you can see what I thought about the movie in my article about whether the movie is worth an extra $30. This article is all about what you will see in the movie so you can make the decision about whether it’s right for your family. As always, I am not going to tell you whether "Mulan" is or is not appropriate for you or your family, only you can make that call. I’m just here to let you know what you can expect to see.

Here’s what parents need to know about "Mulan."

Sexuality

I don’t believe this is where "Mulan" got its PG-13 rating. There is no sex in the film — which shouldn’t come as a surprise — and romance is very low. Two characters touch hands at one point, but that’s where it ends.

There is a scene similar to one in the 1998 animated "Mulan." In that movie, Mulan desperately needs a bath and gets in the water while trying to keep her gender a secret. Then several of her fellow soldiers jump into the water, as well. Nothing is seen below the shoulders. The new live-action version is just as innocent and only involves Mulan and another male soldier, but there is nothing sexual to the scene and almost no skin is shown.

If you are OK with the scene from the original film, then this one shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. Some parents, however, may not be as comfortable because it’s with actual people and not cartoons.

Language

Bad language in "Mulan" is basically nonexistent. I’m trying to remember as best I can, but I can’t seem to recall any curse words — not even the ones considered by some as the "lesser" ones you hear in almost every movie these days.

When it comes to language, I can’t think of anything that would concern parents.

Violence

This is the area where "Mulan" earns the PG-13 rating. I wouldn’t say the movie is overly violent, but it has its share of violence.

The movie revolves around an invading army that takes over villages and strongholds, making sure to leave no survivors. The battle sequences include a lot of death but no blood. Lots of soldiers are killed in these scenes, mostly by spears, swords and other sharp objects. Again, there is no blood in the film, but there are a lot of death.

The fighting and battle scenes are nearly non-stop. While the violence is mild compared to most PG-13 films, I think the rating is earned.

Review: Is 'Mulan' worth the extra $30?

Now that "Mulan" is streaming you’re wondering if the movie is worth an additional $30, I’m here to tell you it is, kind of. Well, it depends. Let me explain.

Scary content

There are some elements of the film that could scare younger viewers. There is a supernatural character that could frighten some kids, and the main villain is a pretty bad dude who could spook kids.

Overall, the movie isn’t too scary, but it has a more serious tone than the original animated film, and seeing some of the killing and villains as a real-life person could be offputting for some kids.

Conclusion

"Mulan" is a pretty tame PG-13. Some parents may be uncomfortable with the violence, and some kids may be bothered with some of the characters and tone. I’d say for the most part, however, "Mulan" is a pretty safe bet for family movie night.

I watched it with my kids — ages 9, 7 and 4 — and they all did well and didn’t have any problems.

"Mulan" is rated PG-13 for sequences of violence.

Related topics