Mulan (Live-Action)

[Sotiris]

It turns out Mulan only grossed $90 million on Premium Access in its first two weeks as opposed to the initial report of $261 million.

The “Mulan” release is said to have earned Disney around $90 million in its first two weeks on Disney+ via the surcharge but failed to bring in the number of subscribers the company wanted, per The Information.

Source: https://variety.com/vip/why-disney-is-r ... 234918707/

[Disney's Divinity]

I actually should be seeing the movie later tonight, along with Cats. Unfortunately someone I know wasn't informed enough not to spend money buying this wreck (they liked the original Mulan after all), but on the bright side now I can shred it in more detail. I just assumed it would be years before I eventually saw it on Freeform.

[Disney's Divinity]

I did like parts of this. I could see the dregs of a movie that would've actually been good. I feel like "Honor to Us All" is the song most missing from this actually... The introduction would've been so much stronger with that song during the moment Mulan's being prepared for the Matchmaker. They went through those early story beats way too fast to get to the soldier part of the film. I actually think "Reflection" would've worked best later in the film, in the scene where Mulan bathes. It follows the moment where she reprimands herself with "You must hide your chi!" It would've been interesting to have her singing the song to herself while she's in the water with the reflections of the moon all around. If this had been the usual case of new songs being added to the film the way the other '90s musical were properly treated, I think a reprise to "Honor to Us All" would've been a perfect way to end the film, actually. It would sort of subvert the first version where they say she can only bring honor by restraining herself into that mold, but she ends up bringing honor to them all by defeating the enemy at the end of the film. Especially since they had the Matchmaker present at her return here, it would've made a lot of sense. And I'd have liked Mulan to sing a version of "Loyal, Brave, and True" in the film, too, perhaps near the beginning when her father is telling her those words. Perhaps she could have sung it before she decides to take his place in the army, since the song ends on a sad note wondering what you are when you no longer have your father there to hold you up.

Overall, I felt like they copied Frozen a great deal with the changes to Mulan (the character). A girl with innate power who's told to conceal conceal conceal by her father. I find it weird how story choices seem to blend across all facets of the Disney company at this point. The remakes and the Disney animation studio don't have any involvement with one another. I don't watch all the Marvel films and none of the Star Wars ones, but I wouldn't be surprised if you see a lot of same ideas branching out over there as well (a female character with powers she must conceal, a female leader who must unite a divided world against an environmental threat of some kind). The addition of an unnecessary and pointless sister to Mulan falls in that same basket; a grandmother would've been much more satisfying (even if she was not comical). Or if they didn't even add any sister to "replace" the grandmother, the end result would've been the same. I didn't mind that the love interest was a fellow soldier rather than the general, but I don't get why he couldn't have still been called Shang? Or the enemy called Shan-Yu, for that matter. The change of Fa to Hua of course made sense; was there some historical reason for the other changes, too, though? Both the love interest's actor and the villain's actor were handsome... At least they got that right. Tbh, I thought the witch character was unnecessary, although I didn't hate it. Well, her outfit was hilariously bad, but I liked the idea of Shan-Yu's hawk being developed into a larger character and being in opposition to Mulan's phoenix aspect. Still, I think it would've been better without that character, if Shan-Yu had the chi powers instead and Mulan was the only one who could stop him.

From the bonus features, I found their comments about the original film a little insulting at times. The director came across kind of stuck up, tbh. I'm not sure what it is about the way she spoke that was off-putting. Anyway, the film wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be, but it wasn't great either. Mostly the whole thing felt very dire and boring at moments. I could mostly have gotten beyond Mushu and Cri-Kee's absence. It's the music absence that leaves the biggest dent in this remake, having seen it now and seeing how hollow it feels in the moments the music would've lifted it. It's quite disappointing to watch the bonus feature of Mulan's actress singing "Reflection" in another language. It sounded really pretty. Just a shame that these directors are so small-minded that they think a musical is innately inappropriate for a war story / setting. How idiotic.

[Vlad]

I saw it a few days ago. I thought it was interesting, and one of the better remakes from Disney. I loved the art direction, and the fight sequences. I appreciate it that they didn't make it a musical, as it would have ruined it, but I also loved that they included melodies from the songs in the score. It kinda made me nostalgic, remembering how I used to watch the animation so often with my sister when we were kids. I loved the character of the witch, it was an interesting addition. But Jet Li's performance as the emperor was super bad, in my opinion, which is kinda surprising, because he's one of my favorite actors. But nothing was as bad as the villain. God, what an awful character. I admit it, Shan-Yu wasn't the most impressive of villains, but at least, he was menacing and the voice performance was fantastic.

But Mulan herself was awesome and so badass.

[Disney's Divinity]

Mulan has been shortlisted for a Razzie Award. The nominations will be announced on March 14. Mulan is facing some stiff competition. Fingers crossed it will make it through.

Worst Remake, Rip-Off or Sequel

365 Days (Rip-Off of Fifty Shades of Grey)
Barbie & Kendra Save the Tiger King
Barbie & Kendra Storm Area 51
Capone
Dolittle
Fantasy Island
Hubie Halloween (Rip-Off of Ernest Scared Stupid)
Iron Mask
Mulan
The Very Excellent Mr. Dundee
Wonder Woman 1984
The Wrong Missy (Rip-Off of The Hottie & the Nottie)

Source: https://awardswatch.com/sias-music-hill ... ie-awards/

I think Mulan stands a fighting chance. Fantasy Island is the only other one I've actually heard a lot of noise over how bad it was. With Mulan, I wouldn't under-estimate the audience's anger at being snowed by a film, expecting one thing and then getting something else entirely. Giving Mulan magical powers alone is one of the stupidest things ever.

[DisneyFan97]

The animated one was better

[Sotiris]

I think Mulan stands a fighting chance. Fantasy Island is the only other one I've actually heard a lot of noise over how bad it was. With Mulan, I wouldn't under-estimate the audience's anger at being snowed by a film, expecting one thing and then getting something else entirely. Giving Mulan magical powers alone is one of the stupidest things ever.

It didn't get nominated for a Razzie after all, but it was nominated for a BAFTA (Visual Effects) and two Oscars (Costume Design and Visual Effects) which I find ridiculous. It didn't deserve to be nominated in either category, in my opinion.

[Disney's Divinity]

Oh, well! It'll always be the Razzie winner in my heart! ... Part of me thinks that because Disney is such an enormous and powerful company now, there was no way one of their movies was going to be allowed to end up there.

[DisneyFan97]

The animated movie is much better

[Sotiris]

Take this with a grain of salt.

This is a rumor I didn't want to post on the site, but I was told Disney is looking at characters from 2020's Mulan for spin-offs specifically for Disney+. The first character brought up [is the Witch].

Source: https://twitter.com/SkylerShuler/status ... 6100912128

[Disney's Divinity]

They might've had characters to choose from if they hadn't cut out the grandmother, Mushu, and downsized the warriors. I could've seen a Disney+ show with the three warriors a la Gaston & LeFou if they had had more of the role. As it is, Mulan's love interest is the only one that I could see them doing much with.

[Disney's Divinity]

Mulan still isn't going to kill herself at the end like the legend, and if anything, it's more fantastical now with a phoenix as her family guardian and a witch as the villain.

At the end of the day, these remakes appeal most to people who loved the original. Significantly changing them in an attempt to cater to people who didn't is not only futile but also you risk alienating your core audience in the process.

I was just browsing through old Mulan threads. Reading this one from the beginning is quite a trip--I was rooting for a Mulan live-action film until they utterly ruined it with extreme changes--and I couldn't help but be struck by this post of yours from way, way, way back. No doubt it ended up being true.

They knocked out the audience who loved the original film and (as everyone said would be the case) failed to attract the people who hated it by altering it until it was recognizable all at the same time. They would've been better-served aiming themselves towards people who loved the original film. Isn't the love for the originals why a remake would be lucrative in the first place? Only Disney could manage to screw up something that should be very easy.

[Sotiris]

Chris Sanders talks about the remake.

In the live action film, young Mulan was a martial arts expert. She was like flying on rooftops and doing tumbles and fighting and the villagers were like "Mulan you mustn't do this". They stepped into the exact thing that we avoided. We got it right. The moment I heard they were doing a Mulan movie I thought I'll bet you anything that they're going to take the easy route and go like "See? She's a warrior. She was born a warrior and she's never going to get a chance...Oh, my gosh! She got a chance!" So, when she left to save her father... Was she leaving to save her father or was she leaving because she was finally going to get out of this village that was keeping her down? That was the problem. I think they made an error. They were like all excited about "Yeah, she's going to be a warrior!" they weren't thinking clearly. I think they were like leaning into, not easy things, but...In our society we're all like "Oh, women shouldn't be treated like they are second-class citizens. Don't put them in a box" and I totally get that, but in this movie, in this story, she should be relatively okay with being in that box and trying really hard, so that when her father is in trouble and she needs to leave, it's a sacrifice, it's a risk. If you're a ninja and a martial arts expert, going to war is not a risk. Sure, as a woman if she gets caught she'd be in trouble, but the reasons that she's going are now cloudy.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B98c2ZkWT9Y

[Farerb]

He's absolutely right. He reminded me of one time I tried to rewatch this movie again and turned it off after she did acrobatics as a young girl in the prologue. So ridiculous.

[PatchofBlue]

Has ANYONE from the cast or crew of these remakes had anything nice to say about any of the remakes?

(To be clear, I think Sanders is correct here.)

[Farerb]

Has ANYONE from the cast or crew of these remakes had anything nice to say about any of the remakes?

(To be clear, I think Sanders is correct here.)

The cast is usually supportive (otherwise they would seem bitter). The filmmakers are usually less enthusiastic.

[The Disneynerd]

Chris Sanders clearly knows how to build likeable protagonists, his Statement is 100% justified. The New Mulan was a total Mary Sue...
As he said Characters should make sacrifices outside their comfort zone with risks, this Mulan just did a decision which was a total win win situation

[PatchofBlue]

Has ANYONE from the cast or crew of these remakes had anything nice to say about any of the remakes?

(To be clear, I think Sanders is correct here.)

The cast is usually supportive (otherwise they would seem bitter). The filmmakers are usually less enthusiastic.

My wording was really clumsy. I ought to have said cast or crew from any of the original animated films.

Serves me right for posting after being on my feet all day.

[Thumper_93]

Chris Sanders clearly knows how to build likeable protagonists, his Statement is 100% justified. The New Mulan was a total Mary Sue...
As he said Characters should make sacrifices outside their comfort zone with risks, this Mulan just did a decision which was a total win win situation

The only scene where she seems to have some kind of sacrifice is when she's making the training and it was not believable at all because she's like a marcial art's professional before that.

[Disney's Divinity]

I'm not sure I completely agree with him. He is right that they got this film wrong by amping up her being a natural-born warrior, but in the original, Mulan doesn't make a "sacrifice" by going in her father's place either (except in the sense all soldiers are risking a sacrifice of their own life to protect others). She didn't like or fit into the life in which she was born into in the original either; she struggles to do so without ever succeeding and acknowledges that her true self only upsets her family who want her to be something else.

If anything, the original Mulan is completely selfless and self-effacing in going in her father's place, unlike in the remake. She already feels a failure at the point of the decision scene in the original and likely thinks they aren't losing anything by her going in his place--if anything, they're being rid of the "disgrace" she feels she is to them. She simply does it because she loves him (and her mother, considering her mother crying is what clenches it for her) and knows he has zero chance of survival the way he is. Her turning out to shine as a warrior is a surprise to her as much as anyone else, and you can see that her self-worth comes unexpectedly from the experience by the dialogue she has with Mushu after being discovered. The Mulan at the beginning knows she doesn't fit in where she is and feels like a disappointment for not being able to, but she never had a concrete longing other than a desire for freedom from expectations she can't fulfill and love from her family for simply being who she is. That's why the ending scene of her return is so tear-inducing--she brings back all the things her family always wanted from her (honor, etc.) hoping it would be enough for them not to be angry at her for refusing to "know her place" (as Fa Zhou's last words to her had been), not knowing that her leaving and her own example of self-sacrificing love for them had made them very aware they did love her for her own sake rather than simply as an object to build respect and esteem for the family name, with them having been terrified she may die and all.