“Mulan,” the $30 live-action movie, was released on Sept. 4 on the platform Disney+. Prior to its release, audiences from around the world were eager to know how it would compare to the 1998 animated version that touched the hearts of millions with its tale of honor, truth and bravery.
The fully Asian-American cast only added to the excitement by bringing long-awaited representation on television. Little did they know that over the course of fewer than four days since release, it would receive a 51% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a massive wave of disappointment to all the fans of the original animated “Mulan,” and a trending #boycottmulan on Twitter.
One of the principal causes for all the negativity skewed toward this movie is the plot.
The original animated story follows a strong, independent woman, Hua Mulan, whose adventurous spirit is held back by societal norms. When her disabled father is called to go to war, she knows he will not be able to return. In order to save her father’s life, she breaks tradition, disguises herself as a male and joins the army in place of her father. She befriends Yao, Ling, Chien Po and others who all help her grow and discover her identity. In the end, she saves China in a valiant battle against the Huns, gaining honor from the world—and most importantly, from her father.
However, in the live-action version, instead of using physical strength and determination to overcome her challenges and amateurism, Mulan harnesses “chi” energy that gives her almost superhuman abilities. This movie also takes out characters, including the universally-loved grandmother, Mushu and Cricket who all offered comic relief to the otherwise war-heavy movie.
And although Yao, Ling and Chien Po are included in the live-action movie, the three are barely developed and have a total of five lines throughout the whole movie. Instead of well-developed characters, the producers present the audience with an unexpected sister for Mulan and a guardian phoenix who do not have significant roles in the plot.
Antagonist Xian Lang has also been highly controversial because of how unrelated she is to the original movie. Ironically, she is the only character who truly expresses emotion. She confesses about her inner conflict of being accepted as a woman with a strong “chi.” This provides the viewers with a sense of sympathy and allows them to connect with her.
The main premise of Mulan being an empowering female role model is barely noticeable and is rather developed through Lang. But whether or not the audience liked the addition of the character is highly contestable.
Not only are there changes to the characters, but also some iconic and pivotal scenes are scrapped. In the animated movie, Mulan cuts her hair short when she is about to leave home and join the Army. That scene symbolizes sacrifice and a new identity of Ping (herself as a man). This scene is removed in the live-action.
Another aspect that is disregarded in the live-action is Mulan’s bond with her father; it was her source of motivation and, originally, a substantial piece to the story. The animators made sure to establish this relationship of love by interactions, from her father comparing her to blossoming flowers to Mulan going to war to save his life.
Despite that, this live-action simply portrays the father advising her to hide her skills and talent because she is a woman. There is no emotion or deeper level of relationship established, and this ends up being a recurring pattern with almost all the characters, including Mulan.
Lastly, it is important to address that the movie itself is not what caused the #boycottmulan movement. It was actually the credits.
As the paragraphs of white text flowed down the page, many noticed that segments of the movie were filmed in Northwest China. According to BBC, around 1 million Muslim Uighurs are being detained by the Chinese government in camps in this region. They are allegedly being held against their will and killed and tortured solely because they are Muslim. Disney authorizing the filming of “Mulan” in that region resulted in a massive outcry from the people, hence #boycottmulan emerged at a large cost to Disney.
In this adaptation, viewers expect to be enthralled in the familiar world of father-daughter bonding, humor and layered, well-loved characters. Instead, many are feeling like they have been greeted by a completely different story under the same title. While the changed plot and characters contribute, it is a lack of political sensitivity by Disney that fully accounts for the controversy.
Article by Inaya Siddiqi of Clarksburg High School
Graphic by Charles Wang of Walter Johnson High School
Photos courtesy of The Walt Disney Company