Mulan (Live-Action)

[tu]

It's clear that this movie will have very little in common with Disney's Mulan. However, I'm not even sure it will resemble any of the different variations of the Mulan folktale that are out there. Some versions give her a little brother (hence Little Brother, the dog, in the Disney movie) but never a sister.

Actually in the original Chinese poem, she indeed has a sister .

[JeanGreyForever]

It's clear that this movie will have very little in common with Disney's Mulan. However, I'm not even sure it will resemble any of the different variations of the Mulan folktale that are out there. Some versions give her a little brother (hence Little Brother, the dog, in the Disney movie) but never a sister.

Actually in the original Chinese poem, she indeed has a sister .

Really? Do you have a link to this one. Because I've read several versions but never one with a sister.

[Disney's Divinity]

A witch? Well, I'm a little disappointed in all the changes, but the film very well could be good regardless. Perhaps a reason they went for a female villain is to give Mulan an antagonist that was a foil for her, but I did like Shan-Yu, personally. Magical characters are more fun in these kinds of stories.

Still, one of the most critical aspects of Mulan is the fact that she leaves the domestic sphere women were designated for by her culture to enter a world made exclusive to men? I wonder how that works when the chief villain is a woman now? And won't the villainess be more sympathetic considering she's at war with a patriarchal hierarchy that silences and oppresses its women? I wonder if the witch is the leader of a group or if she creates an army of magical beings, shadows, or something else?

[DisneyFan09]

A witch?? Really??

Sounds like this version is going to be more fantasy-oriented than the animated film was, where the magic rules only applied to the Ancestors and Mushu. But Yeah, I find this downgrade somewhat less compelling than the plot of the original movie, which already had a compelling plotline of the war and Mulan's own gender struggle towards it.

[D82]

It seems they're casting all of China's major stars. The only one who's left now is Jackie Chan. Maybe he will be still announced as Mulan's father or the voice of Mushu. Although the story of this version is going to be very different, so I doubt Mushu will be in it. I'm surprised Jet Li has been cast as the emperor and not in a role that requires using martial arts, which is what he usually does. But, who knows? Maybe the emperor also goes into battle in this version.

I don't mind the story changes, I actually prefer if it's a bit different, that will make the film more interesting to see, and we already have the original, but I'm surprised they're changing it so much, considering that the animated film already had quite a good story. In fact, I think it's one of the strongest points of the original. With all these changes I don't think the songs will fit in the story, so probably they won't be included.

[Sotiris]

It's clear that this movie will have very little in common with Disney's Mulan.

Exactly. What makes this Disney's Mulan and not just an adaptation from any other studio? They cut the songs, they removed Li Chang, added a sister, and replaced Shan Yu. I honestly don't mind changes, if they are for the better but none of these seem that way, in my book. Changing Mulan's love interest from a noble, yet flawed, captain who wants to make his father proud into an antagonistic, belligerent fellow soldier is not a positive change. Taking a cruel, blood-thirsty, warmonger, symbolic of toxic masculinity and violence, and turning him into a supernatural female villain is not a positive change. It undercuts both the realistic aspect of the brutality of war with the villain being magical and the theme of patriarchal oppression with her being female.

I would argue that even giving her a sister is not a good idea. Being the only child makes the
weight of responsibility and expectations much heavier and suffocating while not having anyone her own age to confide in and relate to intensifies Mulan's inner struggle, accentuates her journey of self-discovery and makes her decision to join the army much more understandable. I wonder if the decision to add a sister was due to Frozen's popularity.

Not happy with any of the changes, so far.

[Atlantica]

Hmm from all of these changes, it has nothing to do with the cartoon it seems ? I wonder why Disney are producing it, and not giving it to another of their studios.

I thought I heard the songs were being put back in after huge fan backlash, or is that not right ?

The changes may be for the better, but after what Sotiris so elegantly said, it seems doubtful. Due to having the Disney stamp, people will be immediately disappointed when they don't get Eddie Murphy voicing Mushu, the beautiful songs and epic score, a genuinely threatening and scary Disney villain, and the humour that is sprinkled over the film so beautifully. This sounds like a proper action movie / fantasy epic .... which I'm sure Mulan can be, but feels misleading to be slapped with the by-line of 'Disney's Mulan' .....

[Disney's Divinity]

I thought I heard the songs were being put back in after huge fan backlash, or is that not right ?

Well, they put out something saying it wasn't "written in stone" that the move wouldn't have songs from the animated film as a wink to the deleted song of the same name. Nothing was confirmed though.

I agree with you, Sotiris. It's hard to make sense of what their aim could be with some of these changes. I would be fine if Mulan didn't have a love interest and the songs being cut would be a shame, but nothing to write the film off for. But the addition of a sister and a female villain don't look like they would help the story in any way, even if female villains are generally more fun onscreen to me. If they were going to change the sex of any of the characters, making Mulan's teacher an ostracized woman would've made more sense for the story (as far as Mulan having a female role model), not the villain.

[D82]

I would argue that even giving her a sister is not a good idea. Being the only child makes the weight of responsibility and expectations much heavier and suffocating while not having anyone her own age to confide in and relate to intensifies Mulan's inner struggle, accentuates her journey of self-discovery and makes her decision to join the army much more understandable.

Given that the sister seems to be more or less the same age as Mulan, maybe they want to make her the “perfect” one, who is more feminine and good at the traditions and all that stuff, and that will accentuate Mulan’s feeling of not being good enough and her need to prove her worth. But, even if that’s the case, this character still seems completely unnecessary to me. I would’ve preferred they had given her a little brother than a sister. And though I said I didn’t mind the story changes they’re making, after reading your thoughts on them, I realized they don’t seem to be the best ones they could've made, but we’ll see. Maybe they have a way of making those elements work.

[Sotiris]

If they were going to change the sex of any of the characters, making Mulan's teacher an ostracized woman would've made more sense for the story (as far as Mulan having a female role model), not the villain.

That's a good idea. I would totally be on board with that.

Given that the sister seems to be more or less the same age as Mulan, maybe they want to make her the “perfect” one, who is more feminine and good at the traditions and all that stuff.

But that would make their relationship competitive and fraught. It would pit the two sisters against each other and I don't think that's something they'd want to highlight even if they have them mend their relationship by the end.

[JeanGreyForever]

With the release date having been pushed back so many times, plus all these changes, it makes me wonder if production for this film is going well or not. It seems like they're struggling to set on a tone.

[Sotiris]

^It certainly seems so. The thing is Mulan is one of the easiest Disney properties to adapt in live-action. I don't understand why they're having such a problem with it. The animated movie works really well both in terms of plot and characterization. No one expects (or wants) them to reinvent the wheel but simply expand on an already good story. The groundwork is laid for them. It would require a special kind of incompetence to screw this one up.

[unprincess]

I dunno, maybe all the changes are them trying to appease to Chinese tastes? Not that the changes will make it a bad film though, that remains to be seen. I'll just be very disappointed if there isn't some kind of dragon in this.

[PatrickvD]

The reason it's taking so much time is because they want the impossible, a movie that will satisfy the Chinese audience as well as the fans of the original animated film.

They can't have their cake and eat it too. But with movies easily crossing $500 million in China these days, Disney certainly is trying.

But it will fail. With no music, I'm not interested. While I'm sure the Chinese might not be that into a remake of the animated film. Which has always been seen as too Western an interpretation of their story.

I don't think it can be done the way Disney wants. The only thing I can think of that would work is if Disney does keep the music, but shoot all dialogue + singing scenes twice, once in Mandarin and once in English, to create two versions of the film. This was a common practice in the very early days of sound movies, or 'talkies'. It would give China a "Chinese Disney feature", with their own movie stars, while the Western audience gets it nostalgia boost.

But that's probably too complex and risqué. Or too out of the box.

But whatever Disney is going for now, I'm not feeling it.

[estefan]

Controversial Opinion: I don't care for many of the Mulan songs. "Reflection" is great and "I Will Make a Man Out of You" is a fun, upbeat song, but for the most part, I find the songs to be rather underwhelming. "A Girl Worth Fighting For" might be my least favourite song in a Disney animated feature.

So I'm okay with Disney's live-action Mulan removing the songs. The only reason Mulan probably even has songs is because it was expected at the time of the Renaisance. I think making it into a big action spectacle and war movie, sans songs, makes the most sense. Though I can also see Disney being tempted to add the songs, after the massive success of "Beauty and the Beast."

[PatrickvD]

I really adore Mulan’s soundtrack. Honor To Us All is one of my favorite Disney songs. Though I think Reflection works best in its full version it’s still a beautiful song..

I can see How people don’t care much for it, but it’s one of my favorite Disney soundtracks.

[Sotiris]

I love Mulan's soundtrack too. Not just the songs, but the score as well. Honor to Us All, Reflection, and I'll Make a Man Out of You are iconic. I don't care for A Girl Worth Fighting For or True to Your Heart but still consider the soundtrack a success. I also love the cut song Written in Stone and I hope against all hope it'll be included in the live-action movie. While it was written for when Mulan decides to join the army, it could really work at the point where she's discovered and abandoned in the mountains and questions whether to go back home and assume her previous life or go after Shan Yu. The lyrics would just need some tweaking. Then they'd only need to write one or two new songs and they'd have a bomb-ass musical.

[Disney's Divinity]

Thinking about the score made me realize how disappointed I'll be if they don't use the score from the animated film for the pivotal moment of her cutting her hair and taking her father's sword.

I'll be seeing this even if the music is not in the film. I just don't get the purpose of cutting it, really. "Reflection" and "I'll Make a Man Out of You" are well-regarded songs not just with Disney fans. IMaMOoY seems particularly popular with casual viewers of the film. "Honor to Us All" is my personal favorite from the soundtrack.

[JeanGreyForever]

I love Reflection and Written in Stone, as well as Honor To Us All. I think I'll Make a Man Out of You is highly overrated, especially with millennials. I personally don't think Mulan requires songs at all. They don't fit a war movie which is why even the animated film barely had songs and as someone else said, the only reason it probably had songs was because it came out in the 90s. I wouldn't rank it as a musical at all, especially compared to all the other films from the Disney Renaissance. It's possible the reason songs have been removed (so far) is to reflect Chinese sensibilities.

[Sotiris]

I personally don't think Mulan requires songs at all. They don't fit a war movie which is why even the animated film barely had songs.

It featured five original songs like most of Disney's musicals. I wouldn't call that barely having songs. And no movie "requires" songs. It's an optional creative approach like any other. Any story, regardless of subject matter or tone can become a musical. The history of musical theater has long proven that.