This Chinese war action drama shares a different perspective on the life of legendary Chinese woman warrior Hua Mulan. Legend has it that Mulan rose to power from a mere soldier to a favored general with her gender remaining  undetected by her peers and superiors. In this war movie Hua Mulan comes from humble beginnings as the daughter of a soldier who is aging and sickly. When the Rouran army starts attacking the great plains of the Chinese empire, Mulan takes the place of her father. Director Jingle Ma tries to paint Mulan not only as a brave unbending warrior but also as a legendary war hero with a soft heart for the people she cares about.  This attitude, however, does not fit in the army; and so, Wentai, one of her confidants and steady companion throughout her career in the military, sought to  device a way to toughen her woman’s heart. Her rise to the ranks was not welcomed by the other commanders in the army who sought to destroy her. Wentai saw this and so he made the ultimate sacrifice in order to save Mulan and her army. Their love for country and its people overtook their personal feelings for each other. In the end, choices had to be made for the sake of peace and for the prosperity of the people.It is rather disappointing that in this movie, mounted archers weren’t included whose characteristic presence is expected for a movie of this historical importance and magnitude.