RELATED: Mulan Works Best When She Isn't a Super-Soldier. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. She was clumsy and sought to finish her household chores by inventing contraptions to do t Mulan (1998) James Hong as Chi Fu. I understand this is done to pay homage to the wuxia style of martial arts films, but it ends up feeling like spectacle over character. She transcends what people tell her she should be and learns to be her true self. In the animated movie, Mulan demonstrates empathy towards her comrades, which helps her excel. Its like she wants to be discovered when in reality that would be the last thing shed want. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. RELATED:Mulan: The Actual Legend Behind Disney's Warrior Princess, Explained. How can they not see that this is not as good as the scrappy girl who figures it all out on her own (with some encouragement from a cricket and a lizard)? The dad also tells Mulan its time to hide her gift away, because chi is for warriors, not daughters. So, yeah, they gave Mulan a superpower. This is demonstrated by Mulan's rooftop-flipping, gutter sliding and parkour mastery as a young girl when she chases a chicken. She wasn't a born heroine. Aside from Yifei, the screenplay doesnt give the talented supporting cast much to do. Additionally, live-actionMulanalso perpetuates the harmful idea that femininity can never be a positive. Mulan (Yufei Liu) is a sort of magical chosen one because she has an abundance of chi. Shes not special because of her devotion to her family, or even her personality. It is the same suffix as in Tai Chi Chuan, only Chuan is an alternate spelling of Quan. In a story meant to empower women, Mulanis an outlier, not a role-model. This is demonstrated by Mulan's rooftop-flipping, gutter sliding and parkour mastery as a young girl when she chases a chicken. Actress Liu Yifei didnt help much playing Mulan without any charisma or personality (like Gal Gadot has in spades). Twitter @rachel_reviews. The two films do share similarities, with both Mulan and Wendy being born natural warriors. In Chinese culture, chi is the vital energy possessed by all living things. Chi is to kongfu as quantum is to sci-fi, just throw the word in when you cant explain something. Mulan takes a character whose courage and honor in the face of adversity made her a hero and gives her superpowers. Live-action Mulan falls into the common trap of the empowered woman: That she must be like a man to succeed. Mulan and the other soldiers are sent to the frontier. Its certainly not worth your $30 if youre asking me. Chi-Fu is tasked with upholding China's laws and values, both of which he is strictly loyal to. [REVIEW] Mulan: Super Chi or Super Lame? Unfortunately, the Mulan here is pretty bland. While Disney claims to wantMulan to be a historically accurate Chinese drama,it has turned chi into an East Asian version of the Force from Star Wars. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. A lot of people were very tough on the recent Frozen II, but in my opinion at least, they faced obstacles and had to make tough choices. A pendant for balance. This change completely destroys the emotion from the animated movie. Chi wasn'tpart of the 1998Mulan and it didn't need to be. And where they put that 200 millions dollars at? All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. Hua Mulan is one of the most legendary women of ancient China. It also is more respectful of Chinese culture whereas the 1998 animated film wasnt always the best (the ancestors? With it based on a true story with war-legend origins, Mulan seems like something that could convert well to live actions more realistic storytelling. To each his or her own, I suppose. KEEP READING:Mulan's China Controversy Has Created Problems for the Studio, Disney CFO Admits. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. She didn't excel because she had a mystical force to rely on; in the beginning, she frequently failed. Why's Mulan use for female agenda instead of actually making her grow as a character like in the animated film? Instead, its very meh, and I dont think anyone will remember it in two years, let alone 22 like the original animated film. More than a decade after Disney made a blockbuster animated film out of a folk tale about a young woman in ancient China who takes Rachel is the founder of the popular Hallmarkies Podcast, and the Rachel's Reviews podcast/youtube channel, which covers all things animated including a monthly Talking Disney and Obscure Animation show. Then as she trains and conquers the pole with the weights, she becomes strong and powerful. These cookies do not store any personal information. She is so powerful that They made her Asian Elsa. Mulan does something similar, especially given that the only other character who seems to be able to harness chi in a meaningful way is one of the films villains. She also has a dog named Little Brother. Chi Fu : [singing] I've a girl at home who's unlike any other Yao : [singing in whisper to Mulan] Yeah, the only girl who'd love him is his mother. This change is understandable, even commendable (we saw where singing got us in the live action Beauty and the Beast), but if the song isnt going to be used, the moment of introspection contained in the musical number needs to be replaced, and it wasnt. Chi-Fu is a member of the Emperor's council and adviser to Li Shang who refuses to allow the recruits to join the battle against the Huns and a character of the film, but unlike any who had still always been standing before him, he does not appear to be a hero and not a throughout the film. As the standard of the period, Mulan is urged to uphold her family honor by adhering to the status quo set for woman of the time. If Mulan channeled her chi, the Witch tells her, she could harness the same magic. In general, I haventbeen a big fan of these Disney live-action remakes, but occasionally they have a success such as Mary Poppins Returns or Petes Dragon (if you ask me at least). First off, the film looks beautiful. Disney's newest movie, Mulan, is the latest offering in the company's live-action remakes built to cash in on childhood nostalgia. The discipline is intended to encourage the confidence, strength, and grace of Mulan in modern-day practitioners and is only one of the many Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. I can't trust Hollywood or any movie studios to do any female leads because they forgot what makes a female lead great. No longer a regular girl, Mulan now has an Adding chi into the live-actionMulan rudely tramples over the original movie's beautiful story. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Ltd., Chinese actress Zhao Wei's character Mulan is seen in the film "Mulan." In the original film, Mulan is an ordinary girl that is forced out of love for her father to play the part of the warrior. The script might have been messy, but Id rather see that than a flawless heroine saving the day. She was cast out and ended up aligning herself with Bri Khan in order to find a world that accepted her for what she was. Thevibrant and spunky protagonist from the animated classic has been replaced with a wooden-faced and quiet warrior who was born with an extraordinary amount of chi. Well, now Ive seen the film (after delays and a $30 Disney Plus price tag!). Mulans story, and name, were also influential in the establishment of the martial art of Mulan Quan (also Mulan Hua Ja Quan) which combines tai chi with dance, Kung Fu, and other arts to create a unique form of self-defense and personal improvement. In this undated photo released on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2009, by MediAdvertising (H.K.) Her heroic actions were first recorded in ancient texts, retold in the famous poem Ballad of Mulan , and later popularized in the 1998 Walt Disney film Mulan.Today, her story continues to be told in schools across China. Unfortunately that is where my praise stops and my problems begin. [OFFICIAL TRAILER] Things Get Toothy in Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous! A little mysticism would be fine if they created a compelling character to use those powers. Look it up now! Its certainly not the worst of the live-action remakes (i.e., Alice in Wonderland, The Lion King, or Maleficent), but it could have been great. N'T trust Hollywood or any movie studios to do that would be the last thing she rather Greatest obstacle is to sci-fi, just throw the word in when can! The legend, Mulan, however, there is a silver lining it! From Yifei, the screenplay femininity is weak and must be like a man to succeed wants out life! 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