Disney recently released the live action movie, Mulan on Disney+. After waiting for so long, many were initially very excited. However, the live action remake was in many ways disappointing. A classic movie remake manages to create such an uproar and now stands for something horrible.
A large group of people are boycotting the new Mulan movie because of the contradiction between female actress, Liu Yifei and the character Mulan. From the original, animated version, Mulan is known for being “loyal, brave, and true.” However, Liu Yifei has publicly announced her support for the police brutality from the Hong Kong police on many platforms, one being Twitter. “I support the Hong Kong police,” tweeted Liu Yifei. “You can all attack me now. What a shame for Hong Kong.”
There is also talk about Disney’s missed opportunity to include LGBTQ+ representation in the film, through the character Li Shang. In the original 1989 version of Mulan, Li Shang is never introduced as a bisexual, but it is no secret that he is attracted to Mulan when she is representing herself as a male. The LGBTQ+ community thinks of Li Shang as a bisexual icon. However, producer Jason Reed stated that the #MeToo movement was the reason to not include the character altogether. Aside from the LGBTQ+ representation, the character of Li Shang showed how soldier men were able to show affection and have desires and problems.
A variety of people were very disappointed to find out that the movie Mulan didn’t include the classic songs or everyone’s favorite dragon friend, Mushu. Disney claims the reason behind these specific decisions was to prevent dishonoring or disrespecting Chinese culture. This is ironic considering that the original movie did just that very proudly.
After many trending hashtags on many platforms about boycotting the new Mulan movie, Disney seems fine with the controversy and has not given a comment. Disney is “very pleased,” said Chief Financial Officer Christine McCarthy. About 200 million dollars went into making this controversial movie, which is $17 million more than the Aladdin live action remake.
Because of the coronavirus, Mulan was not released in many theaters worldwide. On top of that, many people boycotted the movie. As a consequence, the movie has only made 42 million dollars so far, while Aladdin earned over $1.05 billion in theatres. Should Disney really be popping the champagne?
The original Mulan will always be iconic and a big part of our childhood, whereas the remake is considered disappointing. When you consider the absence of the exemplary music and our dear friend Mushu,the missed opportunity for LGBTQ+ representation, and the unfortunate casting decisions, the new Mulan has given Disney a new face.
Many people believe that, as a free country, we are allowed to have our own opinions. However, an opinion is whether or not you think pineapple goes on pizza, not whether or not police brutality is okay.
Disney may say they have their own reasons for their decisions, but in reality they are just excuses. One thing we can all agree on is that the original movie is, and always will be, unforgettable.
