Mulan (2020): The Most Putrid Disney Remake

Disney remade Mulan, but this time decided to make it really bad. It was a bold choice.
In short Mulan 2020 is not very good.
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Outro music by FizzyLazer: • Video

[@argkitsune]

Mulan in the original took the Lego set and said fuck the instructions. Mulan in the remake took the instructions and said fuck the Lego set.

[@drakebloodknight7981]

This is the best analogy I have read in a long, long time.

[@easyJat99]

This took me too many re reads to understand I'm slow

[@ilikemilk7833]

Seems about right

[@wburchell3468]

No, this movie just burnt both and got high on the Lego fumes.

[@autisticvenusaur]

Soviet Russia

[@kazekamiha]

Lesson of the Original: Tradition is a guide for the wise and a rule for fools. Lesson of the Remake: You can only be awesome if you're born that way.

[@funnyvideoguy3216]

Honestly that first quote is genius

[@cosmicspacething3474]

Yeah, I gotta remember that first quote to save for later. I’ve thought of it, but I never was able to put that idea into words like you just did.

[@kazekamiha]

@@cosmicspacething3474 Just a little thing I heard once.

[@sagebias2251]

Remember kids. Mulan's quality as a female protagonist is directly due to her being physically stronger.

[@fabiofuoco]

By natural instinct too, not by hard work

[@royal3809]

@@fabiofuoco nonono, because of her _chi_

[@TSH425]

@@fabiofuoco thats something i loved about the first movie she wasent magically good or strong right off the bat she had to learn and be creative to keep up with the men which only made people respect her more and more as she did things not using brute force but by creativity and knowledge but now its mary sue hur dur she was born like this i hate it here so much

[@childofchaos1645]

Disney - Making girls powerful by just giving it to them, instead of having to work for success

[@zoniannitrate2905]

@@childofchaos1645 no, no, no you just dont get it. they are empowering women by... um... telling them.... uh.... that they can only be as good as a man if they have superpowers?

[@margarethmichelina5146]

Disney: "We remove Mushu because it's not realistic for having a talking dragon based on real life movie. But, we changed it to a witch lady who can turn to be a bird."

[@jasonstellaris]

Lol

[@TheRoflcer]

1000 birds at that.

[@flowersky31__49]

"And we'll call her a witch, even though that's an extremely western concept and there are no witches /witch equivalents in Chinese mythology or the original ballad"

[@arandominternetuser4507]

Also Disney: *Mulan sprinting on a wall*

[@tiamystic]

Also Disney: Bring in a phoenix to the story even though it’s a Greek mythological creature.

[@FarragoTheFox]

This is basically the MORE👏FEMALE👏DRONE👏PILOTS👏 of movie plots.

[@OhNoBohNo]

China: Ha ha, dont worry everyone, we WILL let women fight in our military. Yay, us! *plays recorded applause track* Update: USA- Ha ha, dont worry everyone, we WILL let transgender people fight in our military. Yay, us! *plays recorded applause track*

[@IDFK531]

China will let women fight in their army as long as they were born with magic.

[@Debicus]

@@IDFK531 Truly progressive.

[@tlebron8426]

@@OhNoBohNo Too bad the tape sprung after 2 seconds of audio...

[@geekgirl_luv4262]

They completely ruined an amazing, strong female character that girls could actually look up to. Instead of sending the message to think outside the box and not be afraid to challenge outdated and arbitrary expectations and limitations, the new movie was essentially “she fight good because magic”, with a shit ton of propaganda thrown in for good measure

[@TheRealGuywithoutaMustache]

"A Disney remake of a classic film is bad?" "So people actually die when they are killed?"

[@austincantswim3383]

And the archer class is full of archers.

[@erikwallen6169]

Bro why are you everywhere

[@francescolombardi3438]

impossible! That's like saying Berserkers are able to go berserk!

[@boopysnoop9629]

i thought you had been killed by littlekingbot

[@zachh6214]

"Just because you're right doesn't mean you're correct"

[@elektra81516]

Original: "It's okay to break the rules and overcome social norms if it means you can save many lives by doing so" 2020: *OBEY OBEY OBEY OBEY OBEY OBEY OBEY OBEY*

[@simedinson984]

china payed for it so

[@SilvrSavior]

OBEY CHINA more like it

[@lizcollinson2692]

I see China being blamed for an authoritarian theme. Of course there are no other cultures closer to home that have been developing an authoritarian approach to thier citizens is there?

[@simedinson984]

@@lizcollinson2692 well Hollywood ain't scared of the one closer to home as it isn't as big of a market. Also any wedter government wouldn't cancel a movie in that country for not agreeing with the social norm

[@lizcollinson2692]

@@simedinson984 Hollywood isn't scared of any foreign market it rates the success of any film based on the US box Office results. World box Office they only see as a bonus. Because China doesn't respect intellectual property it will always be a minority market for Hollywood. They might care about cultural representation for AAPI not actual Asians.

[@appleslice4412]

Fun fact: this movie was so inaccurate to chinese culture that someone made a youtube channel just to point them out

[@a-raegun912]

Xiran Jay Zhao is her name. Check it out!

[@americankid7782]

hehe

[@mimic3646]

I forgot about that channel

[@wildfirefox1]

And I love her so much for it lol

[@galaxychill9578]

her name is Xiran Jay Zhao (oh cool they're both Jay's lol)

[@hectorbarrera8046]

The original wins by default, since they didn't use an area that's essentially a concentration camp for the Uyghurs population and didn't have an actress that supports that CCCP police over the Hong Kong population they brutalize. Dishonor on you Disney. Cow and all.

[@nachocheese2823]

The Chinese dub probably shows the camps, Disney doesnt just pander to minorities you know

[@hectorbarrera8046]

@@nachocheese2823 no it just tried pandering to China... and failing miserably.

[@nachocheese2823]

@@hectorbarrera8046 my comment was a joke

[@hectorbarrera8046]

@@nachocheese2823 oh. Sorry I'm bad understanding jokes

[@sofijamarkovic6856]

Its also weird they let all that happend consiedring they fire people who are found to be making bad tweets in the past but then they are ok with this shir

[@Naokarma]

The Mulan remake is just Disney saying "We don't have to try. We just want your money, and especially you, China." Words cannot express how happy I am that this movie failed miserably.

[@austincantswim3383]

The hilarious thing is the remake failed in China. Critically and financially(although it failed in that regard in general).

[@Dr.Oofers]

Guilherme Santos oh I think it got straight up banned. Not censored.

[@Kalleosini]

I feel like they've been saying it for years.

[@Naokarma]

@@Kalleosini I mean, yeah, but it's been a sidenote for a long time rather than their main statement.

[@houndofculann1793]

@@Naokarma they also did all the things they tried to woo the Chinese with so hilariously badly that the movie's actually pretty much insulting their culture instead of sucking up to it

[@Maeve-The-Brave]

"They decide to forgive her for... being a woman." Ah man, I love the Disney magic and fantasy in this! As if China would ever forgive any woman in real life for being a woman, haha, so magical!

[@fablesguykol3025]

Back than Mulan was real and she was heralded as a war hero in feudal China. However this is still a vastly inept and garbage shit show of a film.

[@Dandidoodles]

@@fablesguykol3025 "back then Mulan was real" is she not still real? She just dead now.

[@fablesguykol3025]

@@Dandidoodles I worked it oddly I admit (and just noticed my spelling error) but I meant she was an actual figure supposedly in Chinese history and not just a story.

[@kataklysmus7460]

@@fablesguykol3025 eeeeh not necessarily. both the movies were based on the ballad of mulan and most scholars believe it was just a story. it's just that the story didn't have any supernatural elements so it gave people the impression that it was real. but if you're interested in learning about an actual important female warrior, there's the princess pingyang, the daughter of the founder of the tang dynasty. she lead an army, she was basically one of the first generals of the tang dynasty. she brought other changes too, something along the lines of giving women more economic freedom, but i don't remember the details too well, so if you want to know more you'll have to find it yourself.

[@fablesguykol3025]

@@kataklysmus7460 i will check that out, thank you for the information.

[@huntsman9316]

I love how Mulan was still a newbie and had no fighting experience when she went to training camp. She’s not “the chosen one” who automatically gets combat powers when she’s born. That’s stupid

[@clintivanorsolino9518]

If that Mulan wasnt A Chosen one in the Live action remake, she would still Kick The Generals Ass After She becomes not-a-newbie. Walt Disney Where Are u?

[@tommyallen8780]

Mulan is god status these days xP my proof? She's playable in smite

[@mA-nd1xr]

Original's lesson: Don't discriminate other because of anything, because everyone can have potential and could even save your life This movie's lesson: Don't lie or be against the rules of your society, unless you have superpowers. Then it's ok

[@wander1139]

its even more ironic when the original came out they told them to shove it when they wanted to sensor the movie now there thanking them for doing it and letting them film near concentration camps

[@TheDanishGuyReviews]

The remake is very like the worst of American and China, huh?

[@drake1360]

It's almost like the new film was shot in, and approved by, a communist dictatorship that is trying to brainwash its citizens into blindly obeying the government.

[@kevinm5940]

@@drake1360 it's not even properly Communist. I certainly wouldn't call China a classless society.

[@AngelEmfrbl]

@@drake1360 no, it's pushing pro-female agendas that are currently ruining films. The original works because she wins despite the limitations of being a woman... This is just about making women look good. China is though worth a lot if money and Disney land in Asia is getting them hate. What they wanted was something they could sell to China and the west and they failed at both.

[@NukeOTron]

So... pretty much... 1998 Mulan: "How 'bout a girl who's got a brain, who always speaks her mind?" 2020 Mulan: "NAAAAAH!"

[@Michael-McCollum]

This is genius

[@ctons]

2020 Mulan: *senseless grunting*

[@baileyyh72]

Yeah :(

[@baileyyh72]

@@ctons aH oOh eEeÆ

[@netherot624]

Dont forget her spider powers

[@brittengbers9628]

When you said "Disnep" I died laughing. In Dutch, "Disnep" will be read as "Dit is nep", which means "This is fake", which I think is perfect 😂

[@jasonstellaris]

Achievement get: the translator

[@robbieaulia6462]

This explains the entire movie compared to the old one very well.

[@H0gwashing]

Disneph

[@themoocow7718]

That is pretty perfect.

[@TheGalaxyWings]

Backwards Gisney

[@PositiviteaTheFirst]

I wasn't aware that chi was basically the fucking Force.

[@MoostachedSaiyanPrince]

Nah, the Chi in this movie is "better" because The Force requires training even if it literally made your mother birth you with no father. If your Chi is strong enough, it makes you an automatically good martial artist and weapons expert, gives you super human strength, speed, and agility, and apparently lets you shape shift and discard the laws of physics by changing your mass and letting you split your mind between dozens of smaller forms simultaneously. Meanwhile everyone else are just normal people.

[@garrysucks4190]

Wow! I realized that with this statement, this movie parallels with Star Wars: The Force Awakens! Both protagonists are mary sues, and the worlds that had intricacy and detail built into it went to sweet FA and crumbled the instant these two appeared on the big screen.

[@MariOmor1]

@@MoostachedSaiyanPrince so kinda like the Ki from DBZ as well, but without the energy blasts

[@scottwhitman9868]

@@MoostachedSaiyanPrince “requires training” looks at rey

[@theuncalledfor]

@@scottwhitman9868 Rey doesn't exist, and neither do the movies in which she does.

[@Nick46289]

17:21 That's not her armor. That's her father's armor. Her father's armor that she stole and then threw in the dirt without a second thought. Yes, I am still upset how poorly her father is treated in this movie.

[@WhatAFatRat]

Just because she's a woman she took the stuff that is gonna protect her off?

[@GTAandApplechannel]

@@WhatAFatRat I know that anime girls get more powerful the less clothes they wear ( including armor )

[@StormgemThunder]

@@WhatAFatRat nonono, she realised the armour is useless compared to how powerful her plot armour is

[@fabiofuoco]

Oh you mean like actively revealing her secret to the military so that she and her father/family would have faced severe consequences? Yeah she doesn’t give a fuck about her family in this garbage movie.

[@cneofficial3958]

I'm defying my culture by being a woman soldier! So I'm throwing my protective armor to the ground and letting down my hair even though that is a huge danger and there is a reason all of the men had it up or cut to begin with, as enemies can grab it or it can get caught on something! Leaving my now armor less self exposed

[@nathangould9549]

i really like part from the animated when they are singing about how cool they are because they are in the military and how many women will fall for them when they get home, only to have a huge, shocking shift in tone when they just stumble into an entire burned village filled with dead bodies from soldiers who never made it home, its a shame that one of the most powerful moments in the movie was just another moment in the remake

[@calemr]

Can I just add to that: they are singing "A girl worth fighting for", and when they reach the burnt ruins, they find the doll of a little girl. A child, to avenge, and all the innocent women and children of China to protect. A girl worth fighting for.

[@ipreferalfredo9874]

Girl Worth Fighting For is one of the best, most jarring scenes in Disney, and I personally adore it.

[@nathangould9549]

@@ipreferalfredo9874 i don't think anyone was expecting them to just gleefully walk into a massacre after a standard Disney musical number

[@bleeters5984]

@@calemr See, this is how I knew the film was going to be garbage when news started to surface that the remake wasn't going to have any singing in it. A Girl Worth Fighting For is more than just a way to spend a few minutes in a jovial way that'll entertain kids. It's the goddamn turning point of the movie. There's a reason it's the last song in the film before the credits roll.

[@lizf440]

@@bleeters5984 I never realized it was the last song. And they don't even finish it right? Don't they stop mid line?

[@schwarzerritter5724]

This is like if Disney remade the Robin Hood animated movie and Robin can shoot arrows through massive brick walls, because his four humors are in perfect balance.

[@elleboman8465]

Not gonna lie, I would LOVE it if a story set in medieval Europe conflated magic of the witches-and-fairies variety with "traditional European medicine/philosophy". Imagine the wisest member of the party healing our hero's mortal wound by busting out a jar of leeches, to the sound of harps and angelic voices.

[@melanoc3tusii205]

@@elleboman8465 I mean, perhaps the Witcher?

[@JRexRegis]

And also he now steals from the poor and gives to the rich, because the king always gets his due.

[@JRexRegis]

@@melanoc3tusii205 eh, Witcher medicine is more advanced than the dark ages. It's all herbal remedies and hygiene, not sheep dung and leeches.

[@DiscoTimelordASD]

The furries would love this movie.

[@hadesgaudy5746]

It’s actually not surprising the movie flopped considering they charged 30 dollars for it along with already needing a Disney plus subscription what were they thinking

[@HarlanDaleAbsher]

It's almost like the movie industry doesn't know how to Market to people outside of shoving everyone into a dirty theater

[@FoxIord]

I would be shocked if this doesn't go down as one of the worst business decisions in cinema history.

[@Crash2453637]

paying for this is unconscionable when TPB exists

[@IchibanOjousama]

@@HarlanDaleAbsher you are dirty

[@MusicoftheDamned]

The idea that this abomination of a movie costs $30, presumably as an attempt to recoup costs for multiple people on one TV and for theaters still largely being closed, still makes more sense than the idea that *both* this movie and _Artemis Fowl_ were originally going to released in theaters by Disney in the final forms we got.

[@devilord3271]

So let me get this straight, a movie about a Chinese woman reject the norms of her authoritarian culture is changed in the remake to be about a Chinese woman begrudgingly rejecting the norms of her authoritarian culture and feels guilty about it the entire movie? GEE, I WONDER WHY THEY DECIDED TO DO THAT?

[@thareinpotuhera5255]

@Addison Tripp Not for this movie lol

[@seamusmckeon9109]

It’s almost like they don’t care about the original

[@ThatPash]

Yeah, you got a point. It's unfortunate

[@ravermader7035]

Are you Paul Joseph Watson?

[@catloaf-tt7fc]

Ah yes, the sweet yuan, the sweet sweet yuan.

[@bunnys9704]

If I might also add: One significant scene in the original is when the emperor (and all the people gathered at the palace) bow to Mulan for saving them. Its a recognition of her way of thinking, it symbolizes how they acknowledge the fact that she saved China through disregarding its traditional system of values. In the remake, however, Mulan is the one to bow to the emperor, basically saying "I am a good little soldier, I bow to the system, our traditions dont need to be challenged or critiqued" Other scene that I heard pointed out is how Mulan in the original uses her fan to disarm and eventually defeat the villain. It not only repeats her most characteristic trait of being clever and innovative, but, most importantly, it uses the fan - a symbol of femininity - to do so. Mulan doesnt need to be as physically strong as a man, doesnt need to kick arrows and overpower oponents with "chi" - she doesnt need to be "like a man". She is a woman and that is all she ever needs and more to kick ass and save her country.

[@andrewweilmuenster2043]

Theres a very simple explaination to why she has these incredible abilitys. "The dark side of the force is a pathway to many abilities some would consider to be unnatural"

[@kk_cats6072]

LMAO

[@drakebloodknight7981]

The deepest lore

[@sodiumfluoridel]

tbh I dont know why all the villagers didnt just escape from death. get gud amiright

[@dart4388]

@@sodiumfluoridel i escaped that too!

[@Light-at-Dawn]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@RapunzelRed]

The scene where they all dress up as woman to infiltrate the castle isn’t necessarily plausible to work irl, but it’s supposed to be another social commentary about how the men don’t see woman as a threat in this society and the irony that now her fellow soldiers are doing the same thing that Mulan did to infiltrate the palace.

[@enimo9241]

And it's also another example of Mulan's innovative problem solving

[@DoctorPhileasFragg]

@@enimo9241 Jay already acknowledged it as such an example, but he also said it was the weakest one.

[@itsme7336]

Also, when they appeared dressed as women was the exact same moment the words "be a man" sounded, I chuckle every time that scene appears

[@mahguvnah7403]

It's also because a man dressed as a woman is funny.

[@DeathKitta]

I thought it's to show that they respect woman and don't see disgusing in woman clothes as something humiliating or something.

[@lostcrusader8053]

As a little red dragon once said, “DISHONOR ON YOU!! DISHONOR ON YOUR (CASH)COW!!”

[@justthereed5593]

People need to give the jungle book remake some credit it actually tried to take the source material and build off of it and improve it. I think it’s underrated

[@soldier9618]

Yea I liked it

[@zenu8830]

@S W I thought aladdin was pretty good.Especially how they gave Jasmine a new approach and not manage to fuck up her entire character for some feminism propaganda that is not even true feminism

[@princeapoopoo5787]

I think that's why I actually tolerated Cinderella too. It's more forgettable than bad, but at least they did some things that I think would have improved upon the original.

[@singenstattatmen5096]

And it had a much better ending than the original, in my opinion! I much prefer Mogli to stand strong and lead the wolf pack rather than leaving his entire life and family behind after one glimpse of some human girl. Remake Mogli even took himself out of the equasion - aka away from the pack - to protect them when he realized his presence put them in danger. Wow.

[@raidabi-thegooppagappa]

@S W also the cinderella one i appreciate that cinderella stayed the same as she was in the animated version but was given a bit more of a complex personality instead of becoming iron girl and destroying her stepmother with a gauntlet

[@LegendaryDorkKnight]

They literally changed the moral of the story from "Find new innovative ways to do things if they traditional way doesn't work for you" to "Women can do anything if they have magic powers."

[@Materminds187]

Everyone is disobedient when they’re kids. How is that scene supposed to tell people how she acts now?

[@Bandajify]

me, terrified to be misbehaving as a kid: oh

[@Materminds187]

Just Joking Still, people can change a lot from when they’re kids to how old Mulan is in the movie

[@jamstonjulian6947]

@@hystericalJ No it isn't. All kids misbehave at some point.

[@jamstonjulian6947]

@@hystericalJ Yes. Are we arguing semantics now?

[@Materminds187]

Just Joking .....Do you? I was just saying that pretty much everyone ACTS disobedient when they’re kids

[@WeekendWarrior1]

What? A Disney remake is bad? No way....like no way

[@bacreative4]

But Peterpan still an awesome movie i think

[@azrulnajmi4062]

ehrm . lion king is quite bad bud not horrendously bad as this one.

[@cneofficial3958]

@@azrulnajmi4062 lion king was bad but in the words of scahffrilas productions that movie had moments that gave it even the smallest ounce of worth, while this movie is worthless. It only subtracts

[@logeyperogi1805]

Live action Jungle Book was nice :(

[@farronkeeps9598]

I think the idea behind the everyone dressing up as women was supposed to symbolize both Mulan, and her fellow squadmates embracing their inner femininity, as opposed to the earlier parts of the original film, where Mulan was trying to learn how to be a man. So I like to read it as Mulan reconciling and embracing both her masculine and feminine sides.

[@BiggieTrismegistus]

That and it just makes sense that guards may react differently to a group of women than they would to a bunch of men who just smashed their way into a building.

[@maniachazbin]

Jay: Trebuchets are only used against castles, big things that don't move Howls moving castle: allow me to introduce myself

[@amberhernandez]

Howl's moving I'll miss him

[@Nionivek]

"Chi is only for warriors, not women"... Uuuuuhhh... I've never ever EVER heard of that. In fact isn't one type of Chi female aligned? I am starting to see why China hated the live action.

[@PlatinumAltaria]

All living things are meant to have qi, it's like saying "souls are for warriors only."

[@odinsrensen7460]

How the hell did they make this whole movie without one of the Chinese involved pointing this out to the director?

[@Nionivek]

@@odinsrensen7460 What is funny is that they were REQUIRED to have someone from China working on this project.

[@odinsrensen7460]

@@Nionivek Oh right, the CCP. And the CCP were more concerned with the politics than the actual culture of their nation. I guess we really shouldn't be surprised, it's right there in the name, the second initial...

[@dodojesus4529]

Sexism makes no sense in a world with magic such as this. If chi allows a five year old to do such ridiculus thing the only ones in the army would be chi users no matter the sex. The culture would be so drastically different it would be unrecognizable to any of us

[@Katyamuffin]

Also, is nobody gonna talk about the horrible clunky reference to the original Ballad of Mulan the movie painfully shoved in because they thought they were clever?

[@calemr]

You mean the one where they got the quote wrong and twisted the meaning from "I don't know if the two equals were male or female, I could not tell." To "MAN AND WOMAN SAME."?

[@Dr.Oofers]

Don’t forget blatantly adding in lines from the songs like “I don’t care what she looks like, just what she cooks like.”

[@gracekim25]

@@calemr what?!

[@calemr]

@@gracekim25 The quoted portion of the original poem in the live action movie. They say it as (And forgive me if I'm not perfectly 1 to 1 on this quote, it's been a little while) "I saw 2 rabbits running side by side, I think one was a boy one was a girl.". While every translation I've ever seen is close to this example I took from wikisource: "The buck bounds here and there, Whilst the doe has narrow eyes. But when the two rabbits run side by side, How can you tell the female from the male?" It's saying that when they run (A metaphor for being a soldier) you cannot tell if there is a female among them or not because you cannot see any of the identifying marks. Not that there absolutely were a male and a female and they were both running equally.

[@TheAdarkerglow]

@@calemr What really strikes me as odd is that, as I recall the line right now, I think she sort of contradicts, in that she seems to know they're male and female, but also says she can't tell them apart, because they truncated it so heavily. But yes, they take it that extra step from, "the differences are fewer than the similarities" to "they're exactly the same."

[@atlasbread]

Disney: **takes one look at the original storyline** "Well, this is useless."

[@mooseygoosey9720]

**us to the remake** "Less than worthless my boy!" (Yea I know the first person didn't exactly quote it or probably try to. But I wanted to.)

[@Soroboruo]

I think you're overestimating how many times Disney looked at the original storyline.

[@atlasbread]

@@Soroboruo And yet they still came up with this garbage.

[@47ratsinahoodie]

I think it's more Disney: *looks at the classics* Also Disney: I can milk you

[@wildfirefox1]

Gods, I love the original way they showed Mulan as a very intelligent and innovative woman who was still very clumsy and unsure of herself as well. She wrote notes to not forget her lines that she smudged. The entire scene with the Matchmaker. She constantly stumbled and stuttered and tripped over things. She had to work harder than the men to get strong because she probably had never done hard, physical work like that before. Like, she was human and she improved! It was amazing

[@adamdq8162]

Why don't people just watch Kung Fu panda instead. There's like three of them and they're all better than this.

[@austincantswim3383]

They even did a such a good job at representing Chinese culture and mythical history that even the Chinese government was impressed/jealous.

[@adamdq8162]

@@austincantswim3383 right??😂

[@daystillnight]

Is the third one good? Only one I haven’t yet seen

[@kimifw58]

Because Kung Fu Panda is DreamWorks, and DreamWorks isn't Disney. Yet.

[@luthientinuviel3883]

@@daystillnight its pretty good, I def enjoyed it.

[@thinkwithurdipstick]

It’s not exactly that she doesn’t care for tradition, she clearly does because she wants nothing more than to bring honor to the family, but she also struggles to fit into the traditional roles set out for her. The initial conflict of the movie centers around her efforts to respect tradition and her family but her own personal quirks get in the way. However, she does place the wellbeing of her family over tradition by taking her father’s place when the time comes. I guess my whole point is that she cares about tradition, but she’s willing to bend or break the rules to protect the people she loves. Also I’m talking about the animated one because, let’s be honest, it’s really the only one worth talking about.

[@cameronroy2129]

I think a message of individualism over social norms and stereotypes of what you should be is more in line with what the story is trying to tell. Thats how I see it besides the obvious theme of girls can do what boys can but might have to work a bit harder to accomplish it. I can still see the view that Jay has if you tone it down slightly in that you can go against tradition and achieve better results even though I dont think the film might be trying to directly say that I don't think it would disagree with that view of the film The new one is just that she's born better than everyone else like hitting the genetic lottery and it was either that or being born into royalty with the chances she hit.

[@willw5868]

She still values tradition, but it seems she values her family and doing the right thing a lot more.

[@Bandajify]

I understood is as more "goes against the established ways of doing things" the tradition thing was just bad phrasing

[@cameronroy2129]

@@Bandajify yeah because part of the reason she does what she does is actually the contradiction of two different kinds of tradition. Filial Piety and traditional ways to act at that time and for a women at that time.

[@gracekim25]

Agreed

[@Satherian]

"You disregarded our ideals and, in doing so, saved us." Yeah, no way would a movie with that message fly in current-day China

[@StrayCatboy]

you are just being racist.

[@ViperOnRR]

"I'm a strong, independent woman who don't need no armour"

[@liamroutledge4439]

I believe erik from internet comment etiquitte said it best "I pirated this movie for free and i still want my money back"

[@MiloMurphysLaw]

Disney should pay everyone who ever heard of the movie $37 to apologize for making it. Edit: now that they’re raising the price of Disney+ they should have to pay everyone $38

[@rastaramune7893]

@@MiloMurphysLaw Agreed. I watched the movie in this random indie site, and I feel offended as if I did pay for it.

[@MrNoLen5]

I believe Mulan has the highest kill count of any Disney character lol To all you "Thanos" comments. No, he's not a Disney Character. He's a Mavel Character. Yes Mavel is owned by Disney, that doesn't mean those Character are specifically Disney. That's like calling a Gatorade a Pepsi, just because Pepsi owns. You don't hear people calling a Red Gatorade, a Red Pepsi. And it's like if I buy a piece of original art, and place it next to my work of art, and calling it mine, just becauseI own it now. Please if you know of a strictly Disney character, tell me. But if you bring up star wars or mavel or anything else other than Disney, I'm not replying anymore lol

[@kingduck3076]

Have you seen the film theory kill count?

[@MrNoLen5]

I think so, not sure. Love Matt Patt tho

[@kendrajade6688]

The guy who pushed the button in Starkiller Base?

[@MrNoLen5]

@@kendrajade6688 eh Disney didn't create Star Wars, and its not a cartoon. Also they messed up Starkiller. He was one of my favorite character in Star Wars

[@josephdavis9234]

Depends on what qualifies as a character. The Leviathan from Atlantis was pretty deadly.

[@alde7377]

My favorite part is when she gets shot with an arrow but the binding on her breasts were so thick that it saved her. The irony is so thick on that scene that I can't believe it was a conscious decision that the writers and everyone else working on the movie went with.

[@MajiggerRose]

As a 28 year old who grew up with the animated Disney Mulan (I actually saw it in theaters), I found it so wholesome and awesome to hear about the younger generation loving it as much as I did the first time. Hell, you even brought up things I never even thought of, like the details and significance of how they establish Mulan in the first scene. Great work!

[@1210620]

The huns also reflected a collapse of the same oppressive cultural system. What I personally liked is that while Mulan defied the cultural norms, she never shamed or attacked them for doing so. In the end she wished to return to her village and when she met her father, she presented the sword and bowed in traditional Chinese custom showing a respect for that which she fought for.

[@hobodog7758]

And then you get that beautiful moment when the father throws that shit away and just hugs his daughter. More concerned with her wellbeing than the honor she brought.

[@1210620]

@@hobodog7758 That was a great moment, but I actually think that that could have gone either way. I think that it would have been equally as impact Ful if she stuck to his tradition and bowed to her and kind of showed acceptance. Contrarily if she spent the whole movie disparaging the cultures or the individuals who partake in that culture, I don't think she would have been as sympathetic.

[@ruedelta]

@@1210620 There is a lot more to unpack, but the short and simple is that the original ballad of Mulan _is_ about filial piety and loyalty, but that a woman can do it too. The original cartoon was an orientalist, Westernized take on it with a largely anti-Chinese culture, pro-Westernization message attached to it. That is why he hugs her in the end, because the point the movie wants to drive home is that "Chinese culture is old and best forgotten, embrace proper problem solving aka Western ideals like hugs."

[@1210620]

@@ruedelta That's more of a "critical race theory" thought process. If you want to see that, that's on you. [Not a big fan] Personally, if it was against Chinese culture, she wouldn't have beaten Fang with the Chinese skills she learned in the Chinese army, created a sympathetic enemy in the Monguls trying to defeat the Chinese culture or made wu shu a foreigner mocking the culture instead of being from the culture but sounding western for western audiences.

[@ruedelta]

@@1210620 Well you have to look at what they chose to omit from the original work and what they added in. They removed the filial piety side and instead made it more about going against inflexible social standards, when in fact in the ballad she does nothing to challenge these standards whatsoever. Combined with the more orientalist reimagining of Chinese cultural standards and it's not that hard to get that gut feeling of being patronized if you're a Chinese viewer.

[@CharleyA73]

I'll Make a Man out of You is hands-down the best Disney song of all time and I will die on this hill

[@ethandalton6480]

I get chills every time it gets to the part when Mulan is climbing the pole

[@GoblinKnightLeo]

It's definitely Top #3. The other two songs are both in _A Goofy Movie._

[@UnintelligibleYT]

I have not watched Mulan and I don't really like much of Disney, but it is one of the few songs that I'll sing to myself sometimes. It's just so good.

[@clam6254]

reflection as well it’s a tie for me

[@thinkwithurdipstick]

@@GoblinKnightLeo a man of culture I see

[@endergeek236]

This movie in a nutshell: Hey, remember the point of Mulan's character? Me neither!

[@khairulhafiz2002]

"This one spark joy." *Mulan 1998* "This one does not spark joy... and it's trashy." *Mulan 2020*

[@thedarkjw6219]

You should have the description on the bottom of the date

[@klop4228]

Mulan 2020 "This one actively destroys joy"

[@amberhernandez]

Reading a Marie Kondo meme in 2023 hurts my soul a little. I feel _old_

[@StupidWeb]

"We've seen her do one thing" I never realised exactly how terrificly constructed that opening MINUTE is

[@noticeable_difference7340]

most good movies do that; movies are meant to be meticulously crafted so that no shot is wasted and the theme is continuously reinforced

[@StupidWeb]

@@noticeable_difference7340 I know, but it's just crazy how well that goal can be achieved

[@princeapoopoo5787]

Especially because the scene is *humorous* and her dog was considered one of the Disney Mascot™ characters that kind of can feel cash grabby if not done well. As a kid you're just "haha dog go brr haha look how her dad is so calm while wicked hijinks happen" These things never made me give this scene much thought (outside of the good animation because I am a ho for good animation)

[@cashnelson2306]

Now wait til you see.... other movies! 😳

[@StupidWeb]

@@cashnelson2306 again, I'm just astounded how well constructed that opening minute is, considering so many other movies that have absolutely terrible openings/character establishing scenes

[@theaverageDon]

The best thing about the portrayal of Mulan fighting in the army is that it illustrates realism in that she doesn't win through brute strength but ingenuity and finesse. Hence the needless creation of a magic system in the live action remake

[@devildeer292]

So basically, modern Hollywood writers are too stupid to solve problems through cunning and intelligence and need some kind of way for the hero/heroine to just beat the problem to death.

[@ombricshalazar3869]

@SOFIA LEE (Student) bro wdym she's the rock next to the fat guy? can you imagine the muscle power needed to move around with the same agility when he's so fat? or hell, just moving all that flesh around at all. plus the armor. and the trekking around. hell, i'd say the plump guy is the fittest one in the battalion.

[@Sines314]

@@ombricshalazar3869 Agreed. He seems to be in the realm of sumo wrestles whose fat hides their shocking amount of muscles. Also the guy isn't just big because he's fat. The guy is also huge besides that fat. He is fat. But he is also actually big-boned.

[@xd_mystyyyyy]

“You lost $140M. You got lambasted by everyone. You destroyed Disney even more!” “and..” “You made good youtubers make good videos about you.”

[@Sines314]

Modern Disney in a nutshell. I've had a LOT more fun watching people roast them than actually watching them these last few years. The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker alone have produced enough lengthy reaction videos to constitute a couple of seasons of a pretty good TV show.

[@thecripplingestofdepressio2686]

Always a silver lining, I guess. Watching people tear apart modern day disney is quickly becoming my favourite past time.

[@freman007]

As another reviewer pointed out, men also wore their hair long in that period, so letting her hair down wouldn't make much difference, and dropping armour seems somewhat counterproductive since it doesn't matter if you're male or female, having a layer of steel between your soft squishy bits and those sharp pointy things that they're throwing at you is a good thing.

[@BiggieTrismegistus]

Not having long flowing hair in battle is just a good idea too. Anything an opponent can grab and hold (especially on your head) is to be avoided.

[@shutuptravis5609]

Disney: (makes a film that no one wanted and is actually kinda racist) Nobody: Disney: WhAt’s WrONg wItH YoU PeoPlE

[@fyre_hazaard6083]

Disney: *makes a highly offensive character that the chinese got really pissed about* Also Disney: yeah we removed Mushu because he isnt realistic

[@ArnLPs]

When did Disney complain about people complaining about this movie? I feel like even if they think this didn't bring in enough money they will just say that it's Coronas fault. Which I would actually agree with, because I feel like it would have made a profit otherwise. The people who watch these remakes just don't put out an extra buck to watch them, they watched these remakes because they wanted to spend a day in the theater (probably with friends) and didn't really care. This is not a win against Disney.

[@willw5868]

I know nothing about this film, what was racist about it? I thought they like directly worked with the Chinese or smthn

[@ArnLPs]

@@willw5868 Chinese people actually thought Mulan was white in the movie. By the way, a movie really loved in China was Kung Fu Panda. Which I would personally prefer over any Disney animated or remade movie.

[@markmclarnon7035]

@@willw5868 no no no they used Chinese slave labour to build the sets common misconception

[@GoblinKnightLeo]

On the subject of climbing the pole during military training - I always assumed that Mulan's solution was the _intended_ solution, and Li Shang the drill instructor simply wanted the soldiers to figure it out for themselves as part of their training. It simply made too much sense for me to think it was just an innovation.

[@thinkwithurdipstick]

“This represents discipline. And this represents strength. You need both to reach the arrow.” I think that pretty much implies that he meant for them to use the weights to reach the arrow, much like mulan did

[@godspeed2272]

@@thinkwithurdipstick yeah I believe it was intentional

[@AmayaBloblaya]

I think the point was to get innovation. Mulan still innovated to climb the pole, but yes Shang was trying to train the soldiers to think and problem solve.

[@GoblinKnightLeo]

@@AmayaBloblaya Again, I think it was the intended solution, so it wouldn't count as an innovation. As an earlier comment noted, Shang said the soldiers _needed_ the weights in order to reach the arrow - not merely that they had to have them in order for success to count - implying the weights themselves, rather than the concepts they represented, were the key to success. An intended solution cannot be an innovation - although it certainly could be an inducement to innovate from Shang to his recruits.

[@hobodog7758]

I do find it interesting how in the challenge strength and discipline are represented as things weighing you down. Perhaps it is ment to convey the importance of how these virtues are used.

[@awkwardllama0509]

Original Mulan: Deep character development and earns everything she gains. Remake Mulan: Perfect abilities from birth and is magic.

[@LeeGMa]

The thing I love about original Mulan is that she isn't your run of the mill SUPER STRONG and SILENT woman type character. She is kind, creative and selfless. She uses her brain unlike her Remake version being like "I'm gonna do cartwheels and parkour 100 times while fighting an army of trained soldiers"

[@patrickmalone566]

Gotta say, I never really saw the original as a "REJECT TRADITION, EMBRACE MODERNITY" kind of movie. I always saw it as a "be true to yourself" kind of movie. I would cite that because Mulan excels when she makes use of her own abilities and thinking, rather than strictly adhering to what's expected of her. While that doesn't necessarily exclude the "reject tradition" argument, if the movie was about that, I don't think she would have returned to her family at the end. She embraces parts of tradition, like an extreme value of honor, praying to her ancestors for help, and even participating in the matchmaking. She doesn't even express dissatisfaction at being a part of the matchmaking ceremony, it just involves her acting like someone she isn't and she therefore fails. She wins by being herself, not by rejecting tradition. Also the end credits song is "True To Your Heart." I do love your work though. Been a long time viewer and, from the bottom of my heart, geode. Looking forward to more of your stuff.

[@SelphieFairy]

Agree. Tbh, it bothered me a lot that he kept harping that the theme of the movie was about rejecting tradition. If you're going by traditional Chinese interpretation, the original Ballad of Mulan has nothing to do with being progressive. Hello, it's an old legend they teach little kids lmao. Now obviously, we're talking about an American film made by an American company, so they're going to put more of a western interpretation on the ballad. BUT that said, even in the Disney film, Mulan never went to war because of PROGRESS, she did it because she cared about her father, and more importantly, she was looking for a way to be a good daughter while being herself. There is one important scene in the animated film everyone always seems to gloss over, and that's after Mulan was left behind by the rest of the soldiers and she's sitting in the snow with Mushu. She says that when she ran away and took her father's place she was actually doing it selfishly. She wanted to see something worthwhile when she looked in the mirror. That right there imo is the true theme of the film. Mulan was running around trying different things to make her family proud. She tried being a perfect bride, but she failed at that. She tried being a good soldier, but she also failed at that. But the solution all along was that she just needed to be herself. And when she saves China, she isn't dressed as a bride or a soldier, but as herself. She goes home, tries to bring her father these gifts that should bring her family honor, but her dad rejects them. Instead, her fathers explains he loved her and cherished her all along just as she was. (,:

[@geekgirl_luv4262]

Its both; it’s about being true to yourself, even if that doesn’t match what tradition expects you to be.

[@patrickmalone566]

I don't know, I still really feel like commentary on tradition is only really one you can make through implication and interpretation. "Be yourself" is very explicit.

[@electricfeverx976]

After watching Accented Cinema it is true that Jay completely missed the mark on what Mulan was about. The movie was about being true to yourself, as stated in the song reflection, not "be progressive and reject tradition".

[@user-qv4ip5if9x]

@@electricfeverx976 stuff can be two things though, and while Mulan is indeed mainly about being true to oneself, it’s just as valid to interpret it as a rejection of tradition. Although in Mulan’s case, that interpretation would have to be tweaked to reject harmful/bad/insert-negative-adjective traditions, since as the original commenter stated Mulan still embraces and follows certain aspects of tradition.

[@towelclipz]

You planking just looks like you laying on the floor, depressed, and I find that funny for some reason

[@teabook4]

yes person

[@Oodelally]

Why can’t Disney films just be charming hand drawn stories anymore? They looked splendidly beautiful!

[@silverscorpio24]

1998 Mulan wasn't a born warrior, or with the Force. She went to war because she loved her father and didn't want him to die. She took a HUGE risk (her life) by becoming a soldier. 2020 Mulan simply rebels against the rules and "shows the boys she can kick ass!" And she didn't really risk anything since she was naturally gifted at everything.

[@sterling7]

Original Mulan: In war and in life, innovative thinking, determination, and courage are more important than dumb brute strength. Remake Mulan: We can dumb brute strength as well as anyone!

[@fabiofuoco]

And effortlessly so!

[@dhararry7929]

Dumb brute strength and a corrupt, authorotarian cultre/society.

[@kaizermierkrazy6886]

Running away: death Lying: kicked out. *I see nothing wrong here, sir.*

[@kingduck3076]

If it was the other way around it would be like the law that said: is you try to kill yourself you will be hanged

[@NgocAnh-ef5gr]

In the animation she didn’t get killed because she’s saved the general’s life and he’s owned her his life, so it’s like one life for one life, but however I don’t know how didn’t she get killed for lying, because.... well I don’t wanna watch that shit, only review videos make fun about how bad it is lol

[@robonator2945]

I dont have anything to say, thats just a good joke.

[@couchpotato4928]

Took me a minute lol

[@haebi_]

E

[@Luna-if3hy]

"I actually fucking adore this film" I felt that. Ommphf. Mulan is one of my fav disney movies 💞

[@pokezillaprime2932]

Which, one. The original or the trash one.

[@danielhounshell2526]

The idea of dressing them as women seemed to be more so to prevent the soldiers from notifying Shan Yu, thus endangering the emperor. Her solution to the door being difficult to break down was to have them climb up a pillar into a window instead, which actually makes more sense for a small force like the one that she was leading. That door was built to handle a siege, it could hold for quite a long while.

[@codemanthe2nd343]

Oof, animated Mulan is so expressive in comparison to the new actor.

[@peeblekitty5780]

I love how they put a joke in there about how the makeup Mulan wears to the Woman Test(tm) makes all her expressions indistinguishable from one another. Like no girl that's not the makeup you just don't make any expressions for the entire film

[@trygveplaustrum4634]

Mulan 2020, to Mulan 1998: *I'll make a joke out of you!*

[@juniperrodley9843]

SOMEHOW I'LL MAKE A MESS OUT OF YOUUU

[@joshuafallgren8498]

Let’s get down to business to defeat our reputation

[@juniperrodley9843]

@@joshuafallgren8498 Let's get down to business to defeat ourselves

[@GingerPeacenik]

I worked on many of the “Disney Classic films” back in the late 1980s and 1990s (yes, I’m old), and I’ve yet to watch any of the remakes. We worked bloody hard to craft the originals, and now Disney brass thinks that they need an update and just aren’t good enough for modern audiences? Fuck that!!

[@Kali-bs7oj]

That you for doing your part in all of our childhoods mate

[@nothingnewromantics]

You're missing the worst flaw of the live action remake: IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY SONGS

[@Sines314]

Yah, I was already inclined to distrust it, but I did want to see it, because Mulan is my favorite Disney movie. Then I heard they didn't even include "Make a man out of you" and I decided "Not even worth pirating."

[@princeapoopoo5787]

I don't know about that ... I feel like including songs would have made it worse. Hurrah for live action Disney films with horrible autotuned singing!!!

[@xragdoll5662]

Neither did Cinderella (2015) which is HOW IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE. It’s what made that live action GOOD. They just had the songs in the credits to give way for actual story. Putting songs in the movies is LAZY.

[@xragdoll5662]

@@Sines314aww, were you one of the people that was sad mushu wasn’t in it? 100%

[@nonya_bidness]

something i really appreciated about the original was that Mulan liked the society she lived in for the most part. she broke the rules exclusively because she was trying to help in the way she new best and there was nothing adversarial about it. despite its flaws her society wasn't her enemy. going back to the chicken scene, she's just trying to complete her chores, like you said. in Newlan however, she's screwing around for kicks. the former is an example of a valid approach that might lead one to re-evaluate the intrinsic value of whatever tradition is in question. the latter is just screwing around.

[@YaBoiDoi]

Tru. Newlan is very bad.

[@dhararry7929]

Basically, she likes the society she's in but has no problem abandoning it's values if she thinks there's a better solution

[@Dreigonix]

This honestly makes me wonder if the people responsible for the remake had even _heard_ of Mulan.

[@kaykutcher2103]

They heard about its box office that's for sure. Also in regards to the legend itself NOPE.

[@Im_A_Nerd]

they have, just that now disney only cares about appealing to as many people as possible, no matter what gets fucked and sacrificed

[@not-sodeadinside7237]

i think they heard "mulan" and said "sounds chinese, ok thanks guys that's all we need"

[@bookfish]

Seeing the film I doubt they even heard of "filmmaking" tbh. It's riddled with errors in almost every conceivable way. In the first year of any film school they teach you how to look out for and how to avoid these mistakes, and jet here they are in a big budget disney movie. Almost look like they threw huge amount of cash and expensive equipment to a bunch of random people from the street (I'll not say interns, because inters could do a better job than this) and told them to make a movie.

[@Ealsante]

"She's a Chinese girl who fights in a war." "Cool. Is there kungfu?" "There could be kungfu, I guess!" "Super. I'll write up the script by tomorrow." -- Mulan remake script pitch meeting, most likely.

[@TailcoatGames]

The stupidest part of the avalanche scene in the new movie is the fact that the rurans hit every other trebuchet shit perfectly then the second they aim at Milan’s fake army they miss by thousands of feet

[@animationolives9285]

15:14 I love how soulessly he said "nya "

[@SpudChickenSaltedChips]

Ah yes, Mulan: The Four Frames of the Emperor's Ass and Nothing Else: Director's Cut

[@fionnaitsradag5152]

LOL! 😂

[@baba_tdog1071]

"I've never seen mulan before" BRuh WHAT stop the cap right now

[@stigmaoftherose]

He hasn't seen any film before.

[@DiZtheJedi]

Yeah, this is sort of a Jay Exci thing. He hasn't even seen Lord of the Rings, despite a large internet community he's a part of, the EFAP podcast, pressuring him for nearly two years now to do so. It's become something of a meme, alongside #KickJay

[@marvalice3455]

Jay doesn't watch movies

[@silverfox8209]

@@DiZtheJedi Don't forget The Lion King

[@DiZtheJedi]

@@silverfox8209 Yeah well, listing all of the movies Jay hasn't seen is a monumental task, and I do have a life. I mean, I'm an introvert gamer who is laid off because of Covid, but I still have things to do... there must be something I can do.

[@insulttothehumanrace3807]

A couple other minor things to add to your points: While Mulan going off to replace her father is indeed diminished by her being the most qualified fighter in the province from the age of 6, her characterization beforehand weakens that moment as well. The original Mulan wanted to be a good daughter to her family and honor her culture (something you flubbed in your video, but others have discussed that better), not be a fighter. When she goes to replace her father in the army, she's risking her own life and the life and honor she wanted to have, out of love and duty to her family; that's what makes that scene so impactful. In the remake, honoring her culture and doing well by her family isn't what Mulan wants; it's something she has to put ahead of what she wants, which is to be a super awesome chi warrior. Her replacing her father in the army does not have nearly as much of an impact here because we know that she wants the chance to run away and be a warrior, a chance she sees in her father's closet... And the "devastation of the enemy" scene works so well in the original for two additional reasons: 1. The mood whiplash from the "Girl Worth Fighting For" song, sung by characters who have been shown and throughout the movie and (presumably) the audience has become attached to; them and Mulan seeing the horror of the Huns and what they're facing really nails that scene in, plus Mushu realizing the danger he's selfishly thrust Mulan into. 2. While we've seen the Huns be violent before, it was against weak foes (the few guards on the wall, a background village, the two scouts); seeing them utterly wipe out General Li's force really drove in how much of a danger the Huns were. In the bad one... 1. The lack of light-hearted fun, or even high emotional moments in general, as well as no characterization for anyone but Mulan, and even that's botched... it just doesn't hit nearly as hard here. 2. You already hit: we've been seeing the threat Khan and Xian are, so this sort of sight is expected. No impact. ... Point is, the remake got nothing right.

[@ProfessorHeavy1]

9:15 is like one of those "close your eyes and let your imagination go wild" things, until you hear the evil growl, and at that point no amount of imagination can explain that.

[@jeangentry6656]

I'd say the scene where M ulan uses the dog to spread the chicken feed is more symbolic of her being a free thinker/thinking outside the box than her disregarding tradition or being a cultural rebel. She never outright "rejected" the gendered expectations of her culture. She was just as eager as any other woman to do well during the matchmaker meeting (Honor to Us All) and was heartbroken when she failed it (Reflection). M ulan took on a role forbidden to her to save her father from certain death, not to rebel against society.

[@stoneymahoney9106]

This. Mulan doesn't consider herself bound by the same rules and limitations she is expected to adhere to, allowing her greater agency in the face of adversity - tie this into her investment her relationships, first with her family then later with her army comrades, and you've basically got the driving force behind Mulan's entire character arc, and what a character she is!

[@JacobPDeIiNoNi]

I agree that it's more symbolic of her being a free thinker with that scene, but she definitely still rebels against her culture. That's the point of Reflection as a song... "When will my reflection show who I am inside" basically saying, "when will I be able to be my true self unbound by cultural expectations I need to put on for the people around me?" The whole song is talking about how the reflection she sees is the image society expects of her rather than her true self. The reason she's heartbroken in reflection isn't that she intrinsically cared about the matchmaker exam, it's that her society externally forced her to care about this or else she hurts her family's reputation. Which, given how Mulan is shown to care greatly about her family, is what she is actually sad about, letting them down (as evidenced by the lyric, "If I were truly to be myself, I would break my family's heart." Also, with your point about Mulan doing this to save her father from death, while that was the original point of her going to war I'd like to point out the middle of "I'll make a man out of you." In the middle of the song Shang says directly to Mulan "You're unsuited for the rage of war, so pack up, go home, you're through. How could I make a man out of you?" And it's immediately after this she doesn't do any of that but instead stays and climbs the pole nobody else could. Now, this is just my interpretation, but I think this was a turning point for her character. At first joining the war was motivated by saving her father, but as far as that goes, she's already accomplished it. He didn't go to the war. But when told to leave, does she? No, she doesn't go back to her old life of conformity. She decides to not only stay, but to prove them wrong by immediately doing something none of the others could do, climbing the pole. And she does this by rejecting the cultural values imposed on her as a woman (such as not joining the army) even when her father is out of the picture. But importantly, not by adopting the cultural values that are associated with men. No, she does it as an individual, using her own wits and creativity to accomplish the goal rather than what the soldiers expected which was probably some sort of "manly" strength to climb it (the point of the song "I'll make a man out of you.") It's really genius juxtaposition on multiple levels IMO. So all that said, yes she is absolutely a free thinker, but I mean just look at the lyrics to reflection. She absolutely rejects cultural expectations... She just can't externally show it, especially at the beginning. From my interpretation of the movie anyway, if you don't agree with those character motivations that's fine

[@GaryGyarados]

Something I, just now, realized is that if Fa Zhou had gone to war he would not have been in Shang's army because Zhou was a veteran; he would have accompanied Shang's father to the mountain pass.

[@Sines314]

Given that he's an elderly man of high status, with a significant injury, he might not have been directly in the army at all. If the Emperors personal aide is familiar enough with the Fa family that he'll express surprise that he hadn't heard they had a son, they wouldn't just throw the head of that family (lacking a male heir) to their death. Granted, he still might have died. But they wouldn't have thrown him into the front lines.

[@khairulhafiz2002]

"How many cuts do you want in this live action remake?" Mulan 2020: Yes.

[@krytonson]

The remake screams I’m 14 and this is deep

[@kk_cats6072]

I'm 13. And this movie sucks.

[@KageMinowara]

The fact that there is no tiny dragon voiced by Eddie Murphy automatically makes the remake worse the original, even before you go into everything else that's wrong with it.

[@RedmoonStudiosYT]

“I found one of my favorite movies in the process” Jay considering you’ve only watched like six movies, it’s also one of your most disliked.

[@ShibuNub3305]

*7

[@Tree_-wp5zn]

Watch lotr already!

[@blueblade6174]

Is that a new running gag? That Jay's only seen 6/7 movies? Not sure when that became a thing.

[@Tree_-wp5zn]

@@blueblade6174 efap and he has only seen like 7 movies none of them are lotr.

[@blueblade6174]

Honestly, I haven't seen Lord of the Rings either yet, lol.

[@stacie1595]

Finally!!!! Im so glad you talked about how the original movie is about Mulan being helpful and innovative. Shes motivated by her love for her family but uses her creativity to find solutions to problems she cant just coquer with physical strength or traditional methods! Also, i think the remake was incredibly stupid to cut Shang. He wasnt just a love interest, he was Mulan's mirror. He also had the expectations of society upon him and a legacy to protect, one that earned him unwarranted respect and ire from other men in the military. He's the one that learns from Mulan the most! By the end, he comes to embrace that new way of thinking and lets go of some of the rigid expectations for himself.

[@CaptainSkinnySK]

Person: “why is Mulan a good movie?” Jay: “they effectively establish Mulans creative thinking and personality in the beginning of the movie” Me: “i’Ll MaKe A mAn OuT oF yOu!”

[@ARandomSpace]

Google Translate: "hUmaN! we HaVe a hIgH wAteR pRoperLy!"

[@galaxychill9578]

are you perhaps trans? /hj

[@amberhernandez]

​@@ARandomSpaceIt's over, human! I have the high water!

[@silverfox8209]

I'm beginig to think that Disney is making their remakes bad on purpose so people appreciate the originals more. PS. Great video Jay, now go watch The Lion King

[@ArnLPs]

Exactly what I am thinking (Especially since their old classics where often already ruining perfectly good stories. How many people will actually talk about the book, when they say "the original Junglebook". And that one even has the word "book" in the title.)

[@kendyer8761]

Ah yes, the lion king, quite possibly the most overrated film of all time. Certainly the most overrated disney film of all time.

[@gracekim25]

@@ArnLPs um correction: ADAPTION. Please get the naming right🤦‍♀️ they don’t own the stop of Cinderella etc, they just adapted it

[@gracekim25]

@@ArnLPs OR they’re remaking them to keep the company alive and don’t seem to know where to do next with animated movies given it’s mostly Pixar or sequels getting produced

[@ArnLPs]

@@gracekim25 Where did I get the naming wrong? I didn't name the thing they did, I described it.

[@lonewolf2000100]

I remember watching the original as a little girl and how it really kinda shaped my mind. I was born in a very conservative and traditional southern family and seeing a disney princess (all of whom I as a young girl adored) succeed because of her hard work while challenging cultural norms hit me on such a personal level and it upsets me that irl Mulan movie is basically like she’s powerful cause she’s chi sensitive or some shit ruins the message of the movie IMO; for me, Mulan was about succeeding through hard work and doing what you do because it’s right not because it’s easy.

[@Macapta]

It finally dawned on me. This movie doesn’t want to be Mulan, it wants to be The Incredibles.

[@PanzerIVAE]

"Society. Bottom Text. UwU. Nyaa" -Jay Exci, 2020

[@ferhog7705]

"Loyal, brave, and true" are the 3 virtues? Please. Any person of culture knows the 3 virtues are unity, duty, and destiny, as bestowed by the great spirit Mata Nui.

[@enumaelish9193]

Everybody knows the virtues are honor, family, tradition.... and donuts.

[@Yal_Rathol]

let me tell you the tale......of the bionicle.

[@kentifer007]

You mean Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness?

[@hudsonk1racer]

this one knows the REAL story in need of telling

[@gjk-arts5855]

@@kentifer007 we fought for these ideals, we shouldn't settle for less These are wise words, enterprising men wrote em Don’t act surprised guys cuz I wrote em- (-Hamilton fan)

[@ScootsLounge]

one of my favorite parts of Mulan is that she was no different from any other dude (aside from the obvious) and was able to succeed by thinking of a different way. she didn't need super powers to get the arrow from the top of that log, she used her wits and determination.

[@PeregrinePilgrimage]

what an insight! you're the first person I've ever seen who's said that the point is about progress and not about women. very very clever of you! an ACTUAL fresh take on the original!

[@JayExci]

thank you 😊

[@moren8689]

Movie: matchmaking scene Jay: WOMAN TEST

[@moonynight6374]

The original Mulan is the best Discney Movie ever and no one can take that opinion away from me Sadly her remake is currently the worst Disney Movie, I was actually kinda looking forward to it and I don't think I was ever as dissapointed as after watching that train wreck

[@samboujaiteh3331]

You forgot about the Rescuers: Down Under

[@trequor]

I'm tempted to agree with you... it's just that (almost) all of the Renaissance films are so good!

[@elbucho8867]

Moony Night have you seen Treasure planet?

[@CyberSpider35]

It has strong compeptator for this title - Artemis Faul.

[@midgetwthahacksaw]

Mulan, Treasure Planet, Atlantis, Rescuers Down Under, and Emperor's New Groove arey top five. Best writing, best plot, and best characters. Hands down.

[@Selrisitai]

One thing I'd add is that the movie does _not_ demonize the cultural expectations. Even Mulan herself doesn't necessarily think these social expectations are _bad,_ it's just that she sucks at them, and I suspect that eventually, if the story were to fast-forward a few years, she would indeed become a somewhat traditional-albeit I'm sure a little quirky-wife. That's what makes this so powerful. She's not a sassy woman who don't need no man. She's an awkward but clever girl who necessity propelled into using her unique aspects. I don't think "progress" is the proper takeaway.

[@seanmcneil349]

I also adore that fan support is presumably 100% of your income and your literal last words in this video are “please don’t feel obligated” in reference to your means of living as to not cause discomfort in your fan base, and “thank you” to show appreciation for people just being present. You deserve better, Jay.

[@theactualTVB]

God this live-action remake is so bad I’m more comfortable appreciating the DTV sequel Mulan II than I do with this remake. Not a good sign either. It’s funny that I avoided Disney live-action remakes after Maleficent.

[@PittsburghSonido]

Disney will never make a decent live-action remake.

[@wafflekiller5148]

@@PittsburghSonido some may say never say never, but yeah they never will

[@MegaSoulHero]

The current Disney execs really need to switch places with Chadwick Boseman.

[@MistHarbinger]

I didn't mind Maleficent too much. It certainly wasn't good, but by changing the focus of the story and blatantly not adhering to the original, you could argue they were just retelling a simplistic classic story in a different way. Mulan 2020 tried to bank on the success of the original and insisted they were making it "better" while making an awful product. That's just so much worse. Also, fuck China and their concentration camps.

[@theactualTVB]

@@PittsburghSonido expect a live-action remake of Brandy and Mr. Whiskers in 2036.

[@Aracknaphobia]

Tradition:no you can’t go to war! Your a women Mulan:hahaha soldier go brrrrrr

[@amatueraceva1319]

"Someone should have warned me about this film." *shows a clip from mulan singing reflections*

[@lukes8557]

The only Disney remake I actually liked was Aladin and that was mostly because of Will Smith

[@jackpijjin4088]

Tbf add Will "Fresh Prince" Smith to anything and the quality goes up

[@L16htW4rr10r]

Hell yeahhh.

[@asylumskp4391]

@@jackpijjin4088 Will Smith as Mulan. I need it.

[@lvlHive]

Mulan then: Free thinking Resourceful Hero. Mulan 2020: I am starwars woman. Force powers much wow.

[@PlatinumAltaria]

What a seamless and invisible transition to you whinging about Rey.

[@lvlHive]

@@PlatinumAltaria I have no opinions on Rey since i havent watched the new Brand of starwars movies.

[@PlatinumAltaria]

@Phimosis Jones Because that's what's happening, lol.

[@pgplaysvidya]

"chi" (or ki, whatever) in the 2020 movie is more similar to jedi force powers than what it really means.

[@RoronoaZoro-ur6hr]

I’d say that the Chi/Ki were more similar to the spiritual power up system like in Dragon Ball-Dragon Ball Super, but your analogy of Chi/Ki being more similar to the Jedi powers in the Prequels and the Expanded Universe makes more logical sense than what I thought that the Chi/Ki was being used in the remake was.

[@kalebtewodros]

Even the force in the worst of the EU had better rules