5 Reasons Why Mulan Is Worth $30
The girls and I watched Mulan three times over the weekend, and seeing it more than once helped us get our money's worth. But there are several other things that make it worth the splurge.
At different times over the weekend, seven people were able to watch Mulan at my house, and if we had gone to the theater three times that might have cost close to three hundred bucks. The $29.99 price tag is the steepest one yet for a streaming movie, but it's still less than we would have paid at the theater. Disney did the math and made the most of the sweet spot.
5 Reasons Mulan Is Worth $30
1. Disney Plus subscribers can watch Mulan over and over. Paying for a movie at a theater is a one-and-done deal, but with Mulan on Disney Plus, subscribers get premium access leaves the movie on the watch list to view as many times as we like.
2. Big groups can watch for a flat fee. I watched it twice, the kids watched it three times, and three other relatives popped in at different times to watch it too. The multiple viewings have our cost down to three or four bucks per person so far, and if dogs and cats counted we'd have that down to about a dollar a head. We have plans for more screenings this week with leftover pizza, and by the time we finished with it, each viewing will probably cost us fifty cents.
3. The movie is empowering. It's Hua Mulan's journey toward self-discovery. She takes a calculated risk to join the Chinese army undercover as a boy and then finds the most satisfaction comes when she's able to be honest with herself and her fellow military members. And she kicks some serious butt. She's a hero, and stories like this don't come around very often.
4. You're seeing the movie before everyone else. Mulan will be available to regular Disney Plus subscribers in three months, but those who pay $29.99 now don't have to wait.
5. It's one of the highest budget films in Hollywood to be directed by a female filmmaker. Niki Caro is one of only four female filmmakers to direct a movie with a budget of over $100 million. She told Vanity Fair she wanted to help kick the door open so other women could follow. As a mom of three daughters, I want to vote for that.
Oh, and the snacks. We bought an enormous bag of popcorn at our favorite wholesale store for $6.99, and that lasted through two showings, and we had ginger ale and iced coffees that didn't cost more than the food. And I ate an apple during one screening and they never sell those at the theater. Snack freedom is good.
There is one disappointing thing about the new live-action Mulan, and that's the absence of Mushu, the lovable talking dragon that brought laughs in the 1998 animated version. The 2020 Mulan isn't going to be remembered for being light-hearted or fun, but it probably will be remembered for being important.
And that's probably Disney's goal.