SCREENCRUNCH: The Most Interesting Parts of Disney’s New ‘Mulan’

There were many political disputes, boycotts, cancellations, and international debates on social media that led to the recent premiere of Disney’s live-action remake of Mulan. With the movie ahead of time with a little reaction from Liu YifeiAlleged support for Hong Kong police amid alleged human rights violations committed against protesters in the region, many viewers see a failure of the remake, no matter how hard Disney tried to save it.

But let’s look at the movie on its own merits. Here are the most interesting parts of the Disney news. Mulan that many might have missed.

*Oh, many spoilers ahead *

It’s a little more chinese

Compared to the 1998 release, the new Mulan It got rid of a lot of things (besides the musical side) and replaced them with new additions, from elements and themes to characters, that brought the film closer to Asian culture. For one thing, Mulan’s faithful companion in 1998, who also served as the film’s comic relief, was replaced by a phoenix. The phoenix in Chinese culture represents female leadership and balance in the universe. The silent phoenix in the film, in addition to being a symbol closer to its Chinese origins, gives the film a more serious flair.

Mulan also has more powers in this movie, not because she fell into a sea of ​​toxic nuclear waste, but because of the ever so reliable “spending”(氣). For those who are not familiar spending it is basically an internally flowing energy that provides vitality and strength in life. She initially keeps it to herself, but soon wears it and reveals it to her commanding general. The scenes that portray Mulan spending It also looks like something from one of those classic Cantonese kung fu movies.

Shape-shifting characters

In terms of casting, perhaps the fact that experienced Chinese actors Jet Li, Donnie yenand Gong Li playing important characters in the movie makes it really exciting. Each one is doing very well in their roles.

Another notable aspect is the changes in the characters. Li Shang from the cartoon version splits into two new characters for this live remake. Donnie Yen plays the role of Commander Tung, and Yoson An like Honghui. Producer Jason reid He says it was inappropriate for Commander Tung and Mulan to be lovers in the remake, so Honghui was the best choice, putting him as a fellow soldier. The Witch of Xianniang is a sorceress capable of transforming into birds and taking control of others. She replaces the 1998 Shan Yu hawk, and her character emphasizes how women in China were viewed as unfit for positions of power and control. chi.

Disney also turned the famous cricket Cri-Kee into a human character named Cricket (played by Jun Yu). Cricket is seen by his mother as a good luck charm and is sent to join the army alongside Mulan and Honghui.

Mulan presented by Mulan

Yes, that is correct. Mulan introduces Mulan in this movie. Ming-Na Wen Who voiced Mulan in the 1998 film has a cameo in the 2020 remake. Many wish his screen time had been longer, and others even suggest a more involved role. But we get what we get, and Mulan’s voice actress appears in the film as the anonymous “dear guest” who introduces Yifei’s Mulan to the emperor.

Values ​​over romance

The 1998 Disney animation is a musical that establishes the romance between Hua Mulan and Li Shang in the context of the war between the Huns and China. This years Mulan is a live adaptation of the narrative poem Ballad of mulan, so he got rid of the romance and emphasized more the so-called Pillars of Virtue: Loyalty, Courage, Truthfulness and Devotion to the Family, each of which is engraved on the sword that passed to Mulan at the end of the film.

One scene from the animation that you won’t find in the new movie is Mulan cutting her hair with her father’s sword. Western cultures may interpret that you are cutting connections with family, but it is a completely different story in Chinese culture. As the Confucian saying goes Filial piety classic He says: “Every part of your body is given by your parents, therefore, you must not harm yourself in any way.” In the new film, which focuses more on family and the notion of serving the nation with honor, Mulan keeps her hair long. This generates a stronger impact, not only for the empowerment of women, but also in teaching the values ​​of family and respect of East Asia.

In the new film, which focuses more on family and the notion of serving the nation with honor, Mulan keeps her hair long. This generates a stronger impact, not only for the empowerment of women, but also in teaching the values ​​of family and respect of East Asia.

In today’s increasingly relativistic world that leaves cultural values ​​somewhat in the way, it’s refreshing to see a movie that reminds us that we must go back to our families and stick with the values ​​that make us incredibly human.

There are more hidden gems and interesting parts that you can see in Mulan, but we’ll let you find out. One thing Disney could have done to complete the cultural immersion was, perhaps, have the movie entirely in Chinese. As well as making it more authentic, it could have made better use of the actors, most of whom had Chinese heritage in one way or another, rather than making them sound like ABC (American-born Chinese) or ABG (Asian Bad Girl). .

Mulan It definitely has its moments but there is also room for improvement. We give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Author’s note: From someone who has a close relationship and extreme love for the people of Hong Kong, I could say that canceling the film is a sweet gesture from the rest of the world to support protesters in the region. Not being able to see the new MulanHowever, it serves as a missed opportunity to see a work of art, another perspective on Asian and Chinese culture, and a unique representation of the centuries-old ballad.