Disney’s Mulan has received mixed reviews, with many critics saying it should have been screened in cinemas.

The live-action remake of the animated 1998 film was originally due to be released in March, but was delayed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

As a result, it has now been made available to rent in the UK for £19.99 on streaming service Disney+.

“Why on earth didn’t Disney put this on the big screen?” asked Robbie Collin in The Telegraph.

He described it as a “visually stunning but heartless movie,” adding that “its big-bucks effects are lost” on the small screen.

“There isn’t a scene, or perhaps even shot, in [director] Niki Caro’s film which doesn’t deserve to be seen at a considerably larger than living room scale,” he said.

Empire’s Beth Webb agreed the small screen does a “disservice” to the film, adding that its bypassing of cinemas feels like a “crying shame”.

But she praised the film itself, writing: “Mulan is not only the best live-action Disney adaptation to date, but also a dazzling, moving, hair-prickling spectacle.”

Caro previously helmed Whale Rider and The Zookeeper’s Wife before signing up to direct Mulan, which stars Liu Yifei in the lead role.

When Caro was announced as Mulan’s director in 2017, commentators noted she was only the fifth female in history to direct a film with a budget of more than $100m (£75m).

But some critics suggested the film’s big budget hasn’t resulted in a successful film.