My criticism of the tone is not enough to stop me from calling this a great film. This film is a cultural-reset in that it is a Chinese legend told in the format of Chinese-styled film, produced by Disney! Of course some corners had to be cut to make it less bleak, and that contrast can be off putting.īut given it is one of the first major motion pictures to attempt this collaboration, it has done well. But honestly, credit needs to be given where credit is due. It is very probable that the “Disney-ness” hindered “Mulan” from just being an amazing Chinese war film. There were moments where it felt very grim and it was jarring in contrast to the optimistic ending. It seems like the film was trying to make a Chinese martial arts war movie, but then censor it and Disney-fy it. I totally understand your confusion regarding the tone. It shows that Chinese culture, and Asian culture as a whole, is not some mythical foregin idea, but a real and present culture in our world. It was amazing to see traditional Chinese culture portrayed in such a serious way on such a large scale.Īs a Chinese-American, I have been waiting for this type of respectful, intelligent representation. Was it trying to remain a kid’s fairytale? Or have we shifted into a more adult, kick-ass version of Mulan?Ī: One thing I could not criticize at all was the production. On that note though, I truly couldn’t decipher the tone of this movie.
#Reflection mulan with lyrics movie
While it isn’t perfect nor anywhere close to ideal, this movie sets a precedent for Asian actors playing Asian main characters, rather than side pieces. Disney is no small indie brand trying to tell a Chinese legend. There have already been so many comments on this film (good and bad), but I would like to note how important this film is in the history of Asian representation. While I enjoyed the amazing costumes, makeup, and design, something didn’t sit right with me knowing the all-white production team behind the movie. Ultimately it is a story about a woman who is strong but not in the way that is acceptable to men and by extension, society.Į: Yes, and Mulan’s strength is what makes her a powerful symbol for this feminist revolution of storytelling. The themes that developed were far more complex and talk about women’s issues in a more outright way. The complexities behind the female villain, who is called a witch, reflect how female power isn’t always praised and revered, as the original cartoon would suggest.Ī: Yes I completely agree. The warrior energies that these women possess (their qi) don’t fit into the roles that society assigned to them. The power of these characters can’t be confined to the original white-washed cartoon versions. I really appreciated the amount of female voices, on both the protagonist and antagonist sides.
I can already predict that this style will rub Western audiences the wrong way.Į: I prepared for a nostalgic kick that Disney seems to be pushing with all of these live-action remakes, but I was pleasantly surprised. It was a Chinese-style action movie with Disney elements that told the story of Hua Mulan. But instead, I got an action-packed, wildly colorful war movie with ancestral phoenixes and hawk-like witches.Īdriane: Really? Oddly enough, I got exactly what I expected. I prepared for a semi-cartoonish, musical rendition of a Chinese poem. Here are their thoughts.Įmma: If you were expecting the 1998 version of Disney’s “Mulan,” you might be in for a surprise. Two of our Chinosity writers, Emma Federer and Adriane Kong, were eager to watch this remade film. Since COVID-19 made general movie-going a hazard, the movie was released on Disney+ on September 4th. The story has gone through some significant changes. Unlike the other remakes, this movie doesn’t copy the original shot by shot. Similar to the other remade Disney classics, “Mulan” was highly anticipated, with its increased production value and star-studded cast. The live-action remake of “Mulan” was meant to be the movie of the summer. Our opinions of “Mulan” do not reflect our stance on the Xinjiang controversy. In the review we focus on the story, technical themes and the movie’s impact on social issues we are familiar with. It was sung by Christina Aguilera, featuring Christina Aguilera.Disclaimer: This review was written prior to the news regarding “Mulan” being filmed in Xinjiang breaking. The Reflection song lyrics is written by Matthew Wilder & David Zippel in the year 1998.