‘Mulan’ (2020) Review
We know the new Mulan movie got a lot of criticism for a very valid reason, but Mulan was supposed to be a celebration of diversity. So, we watched anyway to see how the film compared to the classic cartoon favorite that every Asian-American kid must’ve watched growing up.
When a live-action Mulan film was first announced, it faced a daunting task; satisfy lifelong fans while simultaneously delivering a more accurate representation of Chinese culture. As more details emerged, audiences felt conflicted. While the original animated flick has its issues, the music was admittingly catchy and Mushu acted as a strong comedic relief when paired with more serious concepts like arranged marriage and a small semblance of Chinese culture (even if they were inaccurate).
Nonetheless, Mulan, flaws and all, still featured the first Asians I, and (I presume) many other Asian children, saw on screen. Even if it was animated. As an Asian-American woman today, with the knowledge that I have about Asian representation in film and TV, Mulan is the movie that started it all.
The original movie featured Ming-Na Wen (who comes back for a very short cameo) as Mulan disguising herself as a man to fight in the war in place of her ailing father. While the main concept of the story remains, the new film includes the concept of "chi" (or "qi"), a flow of energy that connects everything in the universe, used by soldiers (i.e. men). They've also enforced the values of loyalty, bravery, and truth, and it serves as the driving force behind Mulan's actions.
