Why Mulan (2020) Makes KennieJD EXTREMELY Bothered | In Defense Of Ep 18

In this episode of In Defense Of, KennieJD explains the controversies and shortcomings of the 2020 Mulan reboot. After spending a decade in development, Disney released the live-action version of the 1998 animated film while movie theaters were shut down in the midst of the pandemic. Will Kennie rule Mulan innocent or find her guilty? Watch the full episode NOW to find out!
This is In Defense Of! Step into the courtroom of the Honorable Judge KennieJD, where she presents the cases of poorly-rated flicks and box-office bombs to determine whether or not they are truly guilty of the sentencing they received! Episodes release Thursdays at 2PM EST.
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[@MoreButter]

Which creator would you want to see guest appear on IDO? Reply to this comment with your picks! Follow our TikTok for more content! www.tiktok.com/@morebuttertv

[@8bitbarbie163]

I feel like Xiran Jay Zhou, Modern gurlz, or Mina Le would be great picks!

[@agutierrez4328]

FUNDIE FRIDAYS. Pick a shitty xtian movie and go for it

[@moriahamerson]

Ryan holllinger, Chris stuckmann, blush bunny, Jaime French

[@agutierrez4328]

@@moriahamerson Ooooh seconding Chris Stuckmann that would rule

[@moriahamerson]

@@agutierrez4328 a fellow snarker? :) Since kennie let slip they're a fan I can't stop thinking about the possibilities :D

[@marigabyteyssier2279]

They took out all the songs and Mushu in order to make the movie more "realistic", but still have a witch as the villain

[@TheGrossDemon]

Dont forget the Mulans drug trip Phoenix that did nothing and made no sense 💀 oh wait no it did do something, offend people

[@fallingstar_Yas]

@@TheGrossDemon damn makes me think why they didn’t do a dragon or another mythical creature from Chinese mythology that people worshipped

[@Genevieve1023]

And Chinese people don't even really believe in witches.

[@tatyana1230]

@@Genevieve1023 I knew there was a reason that addition made me want to turn the movie off. Mulan was one of my favorite movies growing up, still is so I had high expectations. But when I saw there was no Mushu… yet they had a random witch…? 🙄 Needless to say, I was eager for it to end. I only watched to see it through. Otherwise, it was not worth the hype/anticipation.

[@satanswifey_]

Also they gave Mulan superpowers (or Chi, as they called it) and she's running on the walls and kicking arrows midair. Cuz' all that sure is realistic.

[@bionic_bat]

Leaving out the sassy grandma was a federal crime.

[@asarishepard8171]

hahah i agree. sassy grandmas are loved by all.

[@JenniferBrigitteOpticalVortex]

The grandma, the cricket, and Mushu were the best parts of the movie

[@Glitterlover506]

Someone had to say it

[@dlilwon]

THEY ARE NOT IN IT?!!!! there is no bloody point in watching this then.

[@osmanyousif7849]

"Sign me up for the next war!"

[@dramonmaster222]

This movie is a prime example of how NOT to do a successful adaption of a popular kids movie. The irony being this was made for a Chinese audience and they HATED it.

[@shamidkpzd]

A lot of them said that they didn’t know why they chose the lead actress since they don’t think she can act.

[@xxoldmagicxx]

It was made to be “respectful to Chinese history and / traditions” or whatever.

[@nitrofairywing1541]

@@xxoldmagicxx And they clearly failed at doing that lol

[@cheriremily9360]

Why would they need this movie when they already have a Mulan movie that is not Disney. I highly recommend Mulan: Rise of a Warrior 2009.

[@thisasiankidistrashfordram374]

China's film industry has already made a few adaptations of "the Ballad of Fa Mulan". Based on the Lit/legend, NOT Disney kid's film. I've only seen 1 & it was 10× better than this. I'm not Chinese myself but having grown up in a neighboring country, I know they have way more historical & fictional strong females(Godesses, Empresses, military/political leaders, martial artists, writers, princesses, priestesses, warriors, generals, women who were all of the above, etc) to make C-dramas & movies about. So Chinese audiences didn't need or want this. I have nothing against the main actress or any of the actors. But even upon first viewing, it was obvious that Most of the filmmakers who wrote, directed, produced Disney's live-action Mulan weren't Chinese(or even Asian). Even if they were, they probably grew up in Western countries or somewhere far removed from their family's cultures.

[@Asma66979]

I like to pretend that this movie didn't happen mainly because it was so insulting that they took one of the most empowering movies for women and made it the exact opposite of that. With the new mulan not only having superpowers but also being more traditionally masculine than the original Mulan. Sending the very tired message of "you have to be a man in order to be strong" or you have to be "special and not like the other girls".

[@marystengell7122]

I agree, I think that was why I loved the original so much as a kid and the "Be a Man" montage was the best because she didn't rely on powers to become the best soldier. She relied on self-perseverance and trying again. The irony of the song is that the best soldier in the army is not a man at all.

[@emilyau8023]

They also ruined the chance to show the amazing Chinese artistry of film making

[@samf.s8786]

That part after she gets left behind by her own troops in the snow and she talks to Mushu always gets me. When she goes back at the end to talk to her father and he tells her that it's an honor just to be her dad, that's just Disney magic on screen. I am so happy I watched this one as a kid, it was just on a whole other level. Because with Hercules, "love makes you a god" is too romantic of a notion for it to have resonated with me as a child. With Beauty and The Beast it's "pretty AF" and I can't say that the main message about beauty being not skin deep and that it's in the eye of the beholder was anything new to me as a kid. But Mulan, man! That was the stuff .. Be a man should be a national anthem somewhere, that song is GUUUUUUD. And Lee Zhang, yeah he's bi which I didn't think was weird when I watched him as a kid. I was surprised to learn later on that the cross dressing protagonist was common in Shojo manga, it just always reminded me of this movie when I watched stuff like Ouran highschool host club.

[@mharlon09.]

When she took out her armour while she was heading into battle was SO beyond me😅😂😂 I just couldn't help to laugh. Girl came cartwheeling over a horse to save China.

[@grapeshot]

The person that made this movie said they wasn't trying to make a superhero movie but that's exactly what she turned the main character into.

[@serenityq26]

nah. its very wuxia. if ya know ya know

[@grapeshot]

@@serenityq26 yeah I saw a lot of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon influence.

[@RosalinaRobertson]

Anyone else kinda think Mulan seemed like a Mary Sue since she was a gifted young girl and didn’t work as hard as the original movie?

[@music_YT2023]

@@serenityq26 I wouldn't have minded the wuxia elements if they had also kept Mulan's intelligence and wit. Instead, both her quick mind and empathy were stolen from her in the live action adaptation and replaced with a hollow shell.

[@tmntaddict]

Director: "Mulan is not a superhero." Audience: "That was a fuckin' lie."

[@tmntaddict]

Viewers: "Your live-action remakes are terrible." Disney: "We're writing The Fox & the Hound, Bambi, The Sword in the Stone..."

[@xwinwinwinx]

They remade Lady and the Tramp recently. I didnt like it. It fell flat for me and lacked the emotional impact/connection the animated one has.

[@tmntaddict]

@@xwinwinwinx UGH. 😫

[@krystalhuntress6795]

The best thing to come out of this move was the large amount of Chinese ppl who review/analyze film tearing it to shreds

[@bishielurfer]

I'm so sad they didn't keep at least "A Girl Worth Fighting For." Singing songs in the military is very common so it wouldn't have been out of place, and the mood whiplash between them singing and then abruptly cutting off when they find the other soldiers massacred was always one of the more powerful moments for me. It's a real reminder that, despite this being an animated movie with lots of silly moments, they _are_ in a war. Horrific things are happening and they are facing very real threats, very _human_ threats. Everyone remembers the funny moments and the songs from the animated movie, but I really love some of the dramatic moments and the subtle facial expressions of some of the characters. Like holy crap the scene where she cuts her hair is one of my favourite montages, and the song there is so good. And her father running into the rain when they realize she's gone and just the simple exchange of "You must go after her. She could be killed!" "If I reveal her....she will be." Just so good.

[@letyoufindme]

The reason they got rid of Mushu is because tester Chinese audiences thought the talking dragon element was weird and the humor didn't transfer over. The directors said they were going for a more natural and realistic version (which, is also why they got rid of the lucky cricket, think it was a rock or something?). But, then they went and added Wuxia, gave Mulan superpowers and added a witch, which, makes their reason for taking out Cricket and Mushu nonsensical. *The Chinese audience is also why there wasn't a hair cutting scene

[@lunacouer]

Which all ended up making it bomb in China too, lol. Too many cooks in the kitchen and they didn't even ask the author of the recipe if they had all the right ingredients.

[@julie91295]

Honestly I wouldn't have minded that they go the wuxia route. I think it could be pretty sick but they botch the execution big time. They screw up the character building is just meh. You can do a wuxia movie and still have humor and good character arc. They lost touch of what mulan is supposed to be about. it's just an expensive mess

[@letyoufindme]

@@lunacouer I think it's really hard to please both Chinese and Western audiences at the same time, ESPECIALLY when the topic is Eastern focused. It's hard to thread the needle, but even harder when you have white people literally in charge of a Chinese narrative. It would have made more sense to have a Chinese director, cinematographer, etc. Also, I think the movie should have been all in Mandarin, dub whoever necessary, because the English..... Liu Yifei even said she was uncomfortable with the English Too many demographics to please+wrong people in charge+ politics= bomb

[@letyoufindme]

@@julie91295 Wuxia elements used in basically every Chinese historical drama that has a fight scene, I wouldn't have minded either. Mulan (98) a regular girl who works hard, beats all odds, becomes better and works harder than everyone. Mulan (2020) she has superpowers, she has to hide how easy everything is for her They just did everything wrong. 😖 Budget 200 million, Box Office 70 million. All because they couldn't decide who they wanted to please, so they pleased no one.

[@julie91295]

@@letyoufindme exactly. As a long time cdrama watcher, i physically hurt to watch. You can still have her build her "power"/her chi basically through hard work and intense training. That what every wuxia drama does. Ppl train for decades in wuxia dramas and movies for their "power" it will still maintain the spirit of a woman who suffer through hell and beat every man in her ranks to rise above and save her country. As supposed to oh shes just magical, she just needed to be "true to herself" la la la. Literally surface level imitation of Wuxia with none of the depth and character building. All the paid off but none of the build up. It's humorless, boring and dull. They manage to insult both wuxia drama fan and mulan fan in me. Like i'm all for mixing genre when it's done right. Bringing Wuxia style drama to the mainstream could have been so cool if it's done properly but NOPE. Shang Chi is a great example of wuxia elements play perfectly into the original comic work (wrote by a white dude in the 80s) to truly enhance and add authenticity to the end result. Mulan had the advantage of the ancient china setting on top of that to make it fit even better but they crapped all over the original material and the wuxia genre in general....

[@ShanaJahsintaWalters]

I love Kennie's reaction when she realized that not only was Jet Li in this movie, but he was actually the king.

[@elektraeriseros]

Sideway's and Xiran Jay Zhao's breakdowns of this movie were more entertaining and moving than the live action adaptation itself 😭 Im glad to see Kennie's take on it!

[@fa1ruz]

I repeat sideway’s video at least once a month

[@benhollweg5687]

I heard they removed the dragon because they didn't want to make it a musical and more of a life action serious movie. Daddy general was removed because of historical accuracy or changed. But then they added a stupid witch and then the movie didn't even do the one thing right that the OG did. NOT SHAME THE SISTER FOR WANTING TO GET MARRIED & be a CLASSICAL Stereotypical housewife!!!

[@nitrofairywing1541]

Like even with that they still failed, like they still failed so badly, how does one go a bit closer to the source material and STILL FAIL?

[@Mickeii617]

That's something that starting to annoy me about Disney movies like I'm all for women empowerment. However, I'm also a sucker for a good romance and Disney as of late has been slacking with the romance in their movies.. Call me what you want but I just want a Disney love princess movies... The "wOke" cartoons were really cool in the beginning but now I'm just over them.

[@ThexDynastxQueen]

With how much they still got wrong historically and how China hated it, it makes me think the CCP just told Disney some BS, took the money and ran. _"Yeah, we love strong independent witches who don't need no man. Nah, it's dishonorable for women to move their faces. We hate musicals and certainly haven't been making them for longer than the US has even existed, no."_ 😅

[@goaway3.017]

Why is everyone forgetting about the dumbass Phoenix that shows up! They said they didn't want it to be 'magical' they wanted it 'realistic' but yet added this Phoenix mirage thing??? On top of a witch?!! Like wtf!

[@serenityq26]

the movie should have been in chinese with a chinese director cause yifei can act. she needed to be in her native language with a director who speaks her native tongue so she could be fully comfortable. they picked her mostly for her popularity but if you see her in forbidden kingdom, so young 2, the assassins, and once upon a time show she can do emotions/different faces. also you can see that in interviews. could also be that her interpertation of the character is "im super serious. this is war time"

[@celinahatton2653]

Did you watch A Dream of Splendor? It's her first drama since 2006. She was fabulous.

[@kelbh]

there already is a live action version of mulan that's in chinese, and it's a great movie - we did not need this mulan at all lol

[@audyshtpostshere4708]

@@kelbh i thought i wouldnt like the romance of the 2009 adaptation but chen kun stole my heart 💔 plus he was AMAZING in the rise of phoenixes

[@asarishepard8171]

she had resting b face the whole time here :P

[@ninarances9074]

That's what I was thinking. I thought Liu Yifei has always been a stoic faced actress, but after watching a clip from a Chinese film she was in (I forgot which one) I remember thinking "Oh, she's actually a good actress, how come she wasn't this good in 'Mulan'?" I was thinking it's probably her not speaking her native language. I don't think her English in "Mulan (2020)" is bad, but I could see how not speaking your native language can somewhat affect one's own acting.

[@charlirogers6235]

I just finished "Ms. Marvel" with my husband. Not only is the respect and appreciation for the culture clear in the casting, location, costumes, props, and music (OMG the music tho!!!), you really see the intent in the credits. The people that made this movie were the people this movie was about. They got nothing wrong because it was their culture. This movie was so respectful of Muslim culture. It was so refreshing! I felt watching this, how I felt watching Black Panther, it just felt like a celebration of a people. I cannot imagine how it felt watching it as a Muslim child or a Middle Eastern child, cuz it made my heart sing. It doesn't need to be hard, just hire Chinese people to tell a Chinese story, and give them the power to make the decisions, and then respect and support those decisions. Mulan got so much wrong, storytelling wise and cultural wise. I would have loved to hear classic Mulan songs sung in two languages or song by popular Chinese singers. Who takes Mulan and makes it into a boring historical drama? Fail.

[@supremetrashcan]

It wasn't entirely accurate (I'm a Muslim myself) but it was better than the representation we usually get.

[@KhanCanary]

@@supremetrashcan what was inaccurate about it?

[@supremetrashcan]

@@KhanCanary during the praying scenes they were praying with nail polish.So during the prayer ablution we have to make sure the water reaches our nails however due to nail polish it doesn't reach our nails thus invalidating our praying also their hair was showing and some things here and there but still wayyy better representation than what we usually get

[@PunkPinkJesusFreak13]

I love that you mentioned the credits of Ms. Marvel because when the credits of Mulan started and "Loyal, brave, and true" started playing my first thought was 'they needed to insert a white person in here?' Audiences know the difference between representation and pandering

[@purplejellytotPJT]

+

[@Animaine7030]

"We ain't stopping to get no Mulan, we got Mulan at home."

[@Cioara]

From what I recall, the lead actress supported the Hong Kong police during the Hong Kong protests

[@Rat-Baby]

That's true about the majority of Chinese people. It's kind of a complicated situation. Some people consider it to be similar to the January 6th stuff that happened in the US.

[@crystalizedunity500]

Mushu wasn't liked because the dragon is the symbol of the Emperor, the holiest and most powerful of symbols. It's like taking the Presidential Seal and making it a satire eagle. To make the dragon a funny side character wasn't...the best option. If anyone other than the imperial family had the dragon symbol, you would be executed. The same for the phoenix, the symbol of the Empress. Which is what ticked me off the most, how can this family have the Empress's sacred symbol when you'd have your head chopped off for wearing it? It's not a "warrior symbol", it's the symbol of wives, the Mother of All Under Heaven.

[@Genevieve1023]

To be fair, the presidential seal being a satire eagle would make sense, because there's nothing holy about a president (especially after the orange clown). But Emperors were considered living gods.

[@crystalizedunity500]

@@Genevieve1023 Good point, I couldn't think of anything of equal emphasis sadly, the comparison is definitely shaky

[@Genevieve1023]

@@crystalizedunity500 It was still a good comparison.

[@crystalizedunity500]

Thank you :D

[@ThexDynastxQueen]

I guess for most Americans who also are Christian an easier comparison would be a silly talking Jesus fish side character in an adaptation of [insert biblical story here]. Vegetables and fruits are fine tho, IDK why lol.

[@bjones2600]

There are already so many east asian dramas and movies of this story I thought this movie would be like a huge elaborate version of that. Was not. Was absolutely not.

[@TheGrossDemon]

That would have been so good! Disney has the money to really do it up if they wanted, they really dropped the ball on this one

[@jamiekreinces8279]

They should have left Mulan ALONE!

[@luthientinuviel3883]

The message of the first movie was, "No matter who you are, you can do great things!" The message of the remake is, "If you're SPECIAL, you can do great things!" Yeah.

[@truesensibility7692]

"Where was Jet Li in this movie?!" 🤣🤣🤣

[@simpleton3781]

For context: I watched my VHS copy of Mulan so much that I can quote the entire thing with the need of subtitles to follow along. My parents bought me Mulan merch at age 20 and I flipped out. I love Mulan so much that I’ve read the original ballad / story in Chinese because I studied Chinese because of Mulan. This movie came out just DAYS after my birthday in 2020. I didn’t see it until that September when it was on Disney Plus with a friend. My reaction: I wanted to cry bc it was so bad. And the controversy around the film disgusted me. That review critic said it best it was a beautiful nothing. And that disappointed me. I loved loved loved this film. It’s my comfort film that I could watch everyday forever. Also, live action Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin BOTH included music. Why didn’t this?! Yeah. Needless to say, watching the animated version or the story would be better. They did include the Ballad of Mulan quote when she mentions two rabbits running side by side but not knowing which is male or female

[@RuletheWorldwithsong]

I haven’t read the ballad of mulan so I don’t know if this was in the source material or not but I hated that they basically gave her super powers. It makes her less relatable. I loved that she took out the hun army on her own using only her brain. But now she has to have super powers?!?? Was taking out the Huns on her own without super powers not impressive enough?!?

[@omefiaaninze4426]

I've read the ballad. She didn't have powers.

[@blueismylove3128]

@@omefiaaninze4426 I think they meant the movie gave her super powers.

[@Ian-MT]

@@blueismylove3128 I think they were answering the OPs implied question where they said they didn’t read the source so don’t know

[@blueismylove3128]

@@Ian-MT idk either 🤷🏾‍♀️

[@jupitermelichios392]

that type of essentially-flying wirework is a pretty standard approach in some kinds of chinese martial arts movies - the issue is that the western audience aren't used to that so it gets read as fantasy in a way it doesn't in china, which I assume is why they then added the witch, to lean into the fantasy, but then that didn't make sense to chinese audiences because that's a very western idea, plus the wirework doesn't read as supernatural to them, so they managed to alienate both audiences. The really stupid thing is that the success of movies like house of flying daggers and crouching tiger prove that if you just treat the wirework like it's totally normal and not fantastical, western audiences *will* accept it, but because they lampshaded it so hard, it ends up feeling weird.

[@serenityq26]

the other good part of this film: the mistress of acting herself, GONG LI! sigh love her. SLAY SLAY SLAY

[@asarishepard8171]

i admit i was on board with her in the film :P shes a witch, eh, ill overlook it. but the movie kept shoving it in my face :P

[@Justitia_Nomen]

Gong Li needs her laurels for her career

[@ChelseaAllen420]

Why did we have to make her have powers? Can’t she just be a bad a** regular woman?

[@grapeshot]

I saw a lot of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon influence in this movie. Except that movie did it much better.

[@letyoufindme]

The Ballad of Mulan isn't a story (in terms of being multi-chaptered). It's only a couple of paragraphs. I think the only thing you might have missed is that Liu Yifei quotes the last lines of it at some point.

[@kerkyberky6793]

I HATED that they added witchcraft. HATED IT. Makes me believe they thought “yeah we need a female antagonist because women must only antagonize women” Like??? SHE BEAT A MANS AYS AND YOU’RE GONNA TAKE THAT FROM ME?????

[@kalystagutierrez1607]

"fun" fact about Disney filming in the concentration camps: Disney themselves thanked them at the end of the movie for letting them film there.

[@Rat-Baby]

The people negatively impacted by overpolicing in Xinjiang are also from Xinjiang. So, how is it wrong to thank the region for allowing them to film?

[@squidproductions2923]

@@Rat-Baby because they literally thanked the Chinese government

[@kalystagutierrez1607]

@@Rat-Baby because the entire region is a concentration camp?! I'm sorry, when did it become the norm to thank a place that's actively converting, murdering, and sterilizing the *prisoners* there???

[@Rat-Baby]

@@kalystagutierrez1607 You think the entire region is a concentration camp? That's completely insane. An entire region can't be a concentration camp, that's logistically impossible. I'm sure Xinjiang has a discriminatory prison system, but it seems to be largely on par with what other countries have been accused of doing. Would you be equally upset about Disney thanking the state of California for allowing them to film there? The State of California has been accused of sterilizing female prisoners and exploits prison labor for dangerous tasks like fighting wildfires. But, you don't define California solely by its alleged treatment of prisoners.

[@kalystagutierrez1607]

@@Rat-Baby "tHaTs LoGisTiCaLlY iMmPoSsIblE" There have been more than 85 identified camps that have held over a million Uyghurs, and that's only what's been public since 2017, it could be even more than that. Disney filmed at one of those camps and they thanked whoever was in charge of that camp, a camp where Uyghurs are being sent specifically because they're Uyghur Muslims, in case you forgot. XingJang is an autonomous region(to what degree I'm not sure) but they have some freedom in what happens there, and they're actively holding Uyghur Muslims against their will. The fact that you're even trying to justify Disney saying "thanks concentration camp!" Is so stupid I have to think you're a troll or an idiot. It's a *genocide,* prison abuse is in no way the same. Female prisons aren't being made because California is trying to kill their women, they're made because men and women can't share the same space. Unless you wanna advocate for the guaranteed SA that'll happen by making prisons co-ed. Not only that, but prisons differ in treatment from place to place, so the "sterilization" you're speaking of does not apply to every prison, nor is is the sterilization itself only confined to nefarious reasoning. Same goes for the forced labor, not every prison does it so it's not indicative of all California prisons. Unlike the camps that are specifically made to hold Uyghurs and either "assimilate" them or kill them. So, no, prison abuse is not the same as a goddamned genocide, it's not right either, but the female prisoners aren't being attacked specifically because they're women, or because of their race. Get over yourself.

[@TheDuchessFox]

The moment you brought up "genderbending" in East Asian media, I had a flash back to middle school and Ouran High School Host Club, so thanks for that

[@anceek]

If I wanted to watch a live action Mulan, I'll just go to the one made in 2009. To be fair, that one also rarely has music either (because it wasn't trying to take anything from the animated one and wasn't made with/by Disney) and it was also pretty depressing at parts but overall it was interesting storywise. This live action Mulan, literally when the first trailer came out and I watched it, I was like "...that's it? Was I supposed to feel something?" and had no interest (still don't have any) in watching it 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@hakiymyoung2513]

If the storytelling had focused on mulan's drive to be apart of this war to protect her father from the fate and focused on the loving relationship between her father and herself then the movie wouldve been been more emotionally appealing...

[@roselover411]

At Mulan 2020: Dishonor! Dishonor on YOU, dishonor on your COW, dishonor on your whole movie!

[@battypanic]

I had a feeling this movie would be hot garbage (honestly the live action remake trend for Disney was doomed from the start) but I just wanted to say in the original Mulan I really like the "A Girl Worth Fighting For" scene. The juxtaposition of their happy morale boosting tune in which they're only thinking about things from their perspective and when the song abruptly ends as they come across an entirely destroyed and destitute village is so profound. They're stunned into silence with a powerful reminder of what they're really fighting for and I always really liked that. I'm not trying to defend/support the misogynistic sentiment but I think the scene is made more effective by them coming off as egotistical bastards

[@octopiedinoraptor327]

I think a lot of the problem is, they took away part of her core development. She was already super-powered. I don't know who they thought they were kidding when they said more true to the original when they completely took out her learning and made her basically Black Widow Lite. There are far better CMovies/dramas about the original ballad already. Disney should have stuck with what they know.

[@cheriremily9360]

China already has Mulan Rise of the Warrior 2009 with Wei Zhou and Kun Chen. The Disney Mulan was a joke compared.

[@RosalinaRobertson]

About time! I’ve been waiting for her to talk about this movie that insulting to the original. Edit: behind the scenes of Mulan was a mess too.

[@TessuDraws]

From what I remember/understand is that Mushu was removed because dragons are very important and holy in Chinese mythology/culture and the Chinese audience found Mushu as a bumbling idiot offensive. Chinese dragons are very intelligent and holy beings so Mushu just felt all kinds of wrong. Also dragons were(are?) only for the Imperial family so Mulan's family having a dragon guardian didn't make any sense. So while I loved Mushu, I can understand why he was taken out. For really comprehensive and interesting info about both movies and Chinese culture, I'd recommend watching Xiran Jay Zhao's videos. She did videos on both the animated and remake movies and they were really eye-opening to someone who doesn't know anything about Chinese culture.

[@Lovingtomuch]

Mulan used to have an "I want song" so now that they removed singing from the movie it also lacks the character motivations, we don't know what Mulan wants making the story feel empty

[@dbanuelos8443]

I saw this movie after it got off being paywall on Disney plus, and the only thing that I vaguely knew about this movie was that it had no Mushu. And having seen the original Mulan multiple times and Mulan 2 like 3 times, I hated the movie. My brain literally shut down while I was watching this movie and I couldn’t really remember anything about it except for how the bad guy died because that was so weird and I told my sister to never watch it because she was born the same way Mulan came out and she loves that movie. Shang and Mushu are my kings. And Cricket wasn’t in the 2020 Mulan too right? So they took that comedic duo away and why did Disney have to ruin a good thing. Good news though, but I don’t know if this is completely accurate. I read it once, but Disney can’t make any more live actions or sequels because they found this document that Walt Disney wrote about how he wanted new ideas for movies and how he didn’t his company to be like other companies in terms of remakes or sequels. Anyway, that’s my thoughts. And I didn’t think that you’d ever make a video on this movie anywhere.

[@TheGrossDemon]

I choose to forget that Disney made this remake, I have covered all memories from the film with scenes from Matchless Mulan. I'd recommend that one over this one. Is it good? Not really lmao, but atleast it didnt actively hurt society the way the disney remake did 💀 plus its hella fun and ridiculous, atleast till the end. Still a fun watch with friends tho

[@derrin1894]

I'm sorry there is no excuse for not watching a truly iconic movie like Mulan🤨. I was born in 2005 and I watched it. Made my sister born in 2010 watch it. Also made my sister born in 2017 watch it. THERE IS NO EXCUSE 😡

[@ThexDynastxQueen]

I think I broke my hip from just reading that people were born in 2017 👵🏿😂

[@astronomicallyfine]

@@ThexDynastxQueen LITERALLY

[@deeviousrat]

the best thing about the original Disney Mulan was that it did a really good job is using the levity and comedy to make the serious portions more impactful. i know they were trying to play it more straight and serious for the sake of realism, but expecting an audience that grew up with the first and relying on their nostalgia to carry their appreciation was so off-base. they went more serious for the sake of realism and then cherry-picked what was realistic about it. it could’ve been fun if they’d played more into the fantasy element they added. added comedy even without musical numbers to make the seriousness stick out. but they just didn’t??

[@ajmalaika1287]

Many things piss me off about this movie but mostly it’s the effort Disney went through to say that THIS out of ALL THR OTHER REMAKES was the one they made the most effort to be ✨authentic✨ Like f u disney

[@perfectlyhopeless]

If you wanna be properly freaked out, my family's shop has been running a kid's camp and one of the kids was born in 2016 aka the year I graduated high school and that's just baffling to me

[@TheGrossDemon]

I recall this movie being hilarious, but not in a good way. Parts me and my friends found funny were definitely not meant to be funny but the delivery was. Like that arrow scene at the end.

[@serenityq26]

kenny rescuing me from boredom again!

[@samcarmen]

Kennie stumbling over Yifei's name had me rolling. It's pronounced "Yee Fay" 🤣

[@vin3401]

I 100% recommend Accented Cinema's Mulan: A Case of Failed Empowerment, he goes into why the original was so loved in China and a huge influence to young girls and women, and how this one completely shat on what the original did and accomplished. Oh, also, the hair thing is actually historically accurate in the new one, though I'm sure that's not why they kept her long hair (can't have a woman with short hair I guess, that makes no sense or some bs). Back then one's body was considered a gift from their parents therefore modifying it, like cutting their hair, meant damaging it and that was considered unfilial to their parents. I don't know why exactly the original went the haircut route (ignorance probably being a factor) but when you look at it culturally and historically her cutting it was a huge form of disrespect towards her parents I believe, which is highly contradictory to her literally doing it because she's going to war to save her dad, but also she wouldn't have to do it because men didn't cut their hair either (willingly at least) so she'd never stand out as long as she dressed the part, she'd just be smaller and more feminine I guess, but she also had it shoulder length so I don't know... still, cutting it at all is historically innacurate even if it's powerful symbolically. But the writers have apologized for some of their choices back then, maybe they mentioned that one too, I don't remember.

[@PirvateerKurei]

Kennie x3 with the weekend, midweek, and now the More Butter. This is what I needed😌

[@beckybertish7841]

The og disney mulan is one of my favorites. I think there was another mulan remake in 2009 non Disney/live action that was really good.

[@Scootandbear23]

Mulan was my favorite Disney movie as a child - it was the OG princess saves the day instead of the prince. My hopes were not high for this adaptation from the beginning. The spirit of the og Mulan - *a girl who speaks her mind*- was gone. In the first trailer that was released she NEVER SPOKE. Agree with Kenny - Mulan came across as very hollow. So sad :(

[@sbs0614]

I feel the statement of it being a hollow flim is the most accurate. It was just there

[@emilyau8023]

I hope everyone can see that this was a money grab. Disney didn't care about putting in effort at all. The fact we had to pay for the Disney plus subscription and then pay for the movie individually annoyed me. It was such a waste of money. And as a Chinese American the existence of this movie makes me feel disgusted. We can't have an Asian character that goes through hardship and we can't enjoy the Chinese artistry in film making in America without it becoming watered down with how most white people view us. This movie is utter trash and it should be forgotten. Heck, pretend it never existed please.

[@skinsey85]

Omg, I did the same thing about Jet Li and had no idea it was him until I saw the credits after. I'm so glad it wasn't just me cus he really was unrecognizable 🤣

[@kirstenkuhar4921]

I went to Chapman University and one of my teachers, Harry Ufland. He was Martin Scorsese’s agent for a long time. When we were having a producer of Lord of the Ring come by for Q&A, as students were required to submit questions to ask. One my of questions was why do studio invested six figures for movies in comparison to horror (5-15min). He emailed me his phone number to call him, which I thought it was odd, called him and he yelled and cussed me out for asking dumb question and he thought I implied that the studio executive is dumb for having high budgets. 🙄 Still haven’t gotten my answer and Hollywood Studio System is going to 💩 SOOOO

[@laedev5649]

I don't think it's necessarily negative reception from Chinese viewers towards Mushu, but if I recall correctly, the Chinese viewers didn't understand the American jokes Mushu was making, which is almost his entire dialogue in the movie

[@__LB_]

8:11 “people are racist all the time” 😂😂 WE STAN KENNIE

[@heatherlee2047]

28:12 I was NOT expecting that "sselegui-TONG" at the end LMAO

[@afterly]

deadass feels like they just added gong li because it's gong li 😑

[@jaclynfairhead5848]

Gong Li is such a beautiful and magnetic actress, I would have joined her team in a heartbeat.

[@serenityq26]

mm there are like a million live action chinese productions of mulan so yeah people asked for it lol like 3 billion of them lol. other than this ive only seen one other mulan: the live action chinese lanuage one from 2009. and also read the mulan comic from zenescope. good stuff

[@HulluitsCece]

Aside from me hating that Mushu wasn’t in the movie is the whole random shape shifting side kick to the villian….like that character came out of left field and then they want you to care once she gets injured 🗿 i was over it

[@SeansAnimalWorld]

I remember watching this a few months after it was released so I didn't have to pay premiere price and had read a little bit on the original mulan story. My biggest gripe with it was it was a massive, beautiful, and somehow obscenely forgettable retelling of a story that was so inspiring. I ended up watching it twice because I was sure I missed a scene or line that was supposed to be inspiring. Also I loved the witch character and they could have done SO MUCH more for her story that they just neglected. It was really some BS that she's literally a super-powered woman in a movie (visually) made to show that off, and she spends the movie submitting power to a MAN?!?! And a man who is actively offering her nothing in return!?!?! Her arc was primed to be the most powerful way to say "take back your own agency"

[@fa1ruz]

Gong yoo’s character in Coffee Prince had a breakdown while discovering he might be gay and then they make out then she told him she’s a girl and they just brush off his former breakdown. Same with the second lead or of HanaKimi (in all version) but especially (in my mind) the taiwanese version where Jiro start trying to kiss others while thinking he’s gay. It’s been a while since I watch that one.

[@heather-ks8st]

Accented Cinema did a fantastic video on the live action Mulan from a Chinese perspective, it was a very interesting watch and added a lot more for me personally to love about the animated Mulan!

[@Aliya-wp7ro]

Love the content.. but the audio peaks are killin my ears

[@YellowLemonRedApple]

Kennie PLEASE I am BEGGING you to watch Shut In

[@laquitacollins5147]

I know that Disney better not do a live action of Princess and the Frog.

[@manganess5126]

That Jet Li reaction was XD

[@zahraabdullahi1601]

JUST found out this channel existed. Its like finding out I had a savings account with a whole bunch of money. My weekend is SORTED.

[@BeeKee404]

I remember watching a fan made live action adaption of Mulan on KZbin and from what I remember, they did a really good job at it. It was entirely in Chinese with English subtitles, they kept the songs in and as a little plot twist, the cast were primarily little kids! I remember being really invested in it because of their amazing performances. It's been a while since I've seen it so it may not be as good as I remember but from what I do remember, it was far better executed than the actual live action movie. I just can't help but find it ironic how little kids did a better live action adaption than when grown adults did it!

[@pixiestxNyomouf]

"Some people where born in the 2000's" Me: (born in 2002 and 20 years old old) ew, how strange

[@CancerKicker98]

The animated one is so much better..... Don't forget Mushui the dragon 🐉

[@oldapril3]

Wow! Coffee Prince reference seems like a fever dream

[@cookiekk456]

Am I the only one who can’t find this episode or any of the other season 2 episodes on Spotify?

[@bethanychatman9531]

The dragon is pretty sacred and special in Chinese culture.

[@latoyadenson4125]

Leaving out moshu is a crime

[@williamelliott186]

KENNIE!! how you not gonna talk about Christina aguileras "reflection", she sounds more powerful now then before and it's chilling and beautiful!!

[@TheaSodermark]

GIRL- kids born in the 2000’s also grew up watching Mulan, at least I did 😩🙏

[@rubydoo3307]

As a member of the film industry, you’re right the budget is insane. Recently Lucasfilm put 150 mil into a Kenobi tv show, which would not have made back the revenue, that’s 6million subscribers to Disney Plus without factoring in marketing. Thankfully I work in Australia where budgets are smaller, and we all manage to be paid decent,y in the crew. Do you think this films budget went to the crew? I don’t.

[@YatenSH52]

I agree. That damn price tag, but there are so many actual humans who do different types of work on films. And they (hopefully) are being paid fair wages. The more "epic" a film the more people needed to work. That's especially why it sucks when they mess up the quality. Line, actual people work on it and they putting out some weak product. Smh

[@YatenSH52]

Like*

[@jourdanmoore095]

Me: starts video. "Lets get down to business." Lol

[@browneyedgabi6030]

I was gonna buy this movie on Disney plus and then I saw the reviews and I actually saw Amanda's review of it and Xiran Jay Zhao And decided against buying or renting this movie. I haven't even seen it but….even though the cartoon is not at all representative of anything accurate I'd rather watch that.

[@emmalijewski8302]

early 2000s baby here. Mulan was one of my favorite movies growing up. When I watched the new mulan I was bored and I fell asleep and haven't re-watched it since

[@beccaguilinger765]

I loved the original because Mulan is just a normal person and she has to dig deep to prove herself and become a hero. In the live action, she's only a hero because she has magical powers. She's not inspiring. She's not a role model.

[@edayavuz1667]

This rly shows how important it is to have a message to make a good movie. The message here: wanna see Mulan in real life? The pressure of living in a patriarchal society was the hook for the viewer and got them interested in the original. If you don't convey that message convincingly people won't associate it with the original. It's going to feel strange and empty

[@Kasairei]

1) Coffee Prince!!! Remember the one called "You're Beautiful"? 2) Wait, how did you NOT thirst over Jason Scott Lee? Man's a five course meal. 3) Gong Li deserved better.

[@valmal3670]

Ima just say this, the Mulan in Once Upon A Time is better than the 2020 Mulan when it comes to live action

[@odakotarose]

listen, the very phrase "live action mulan remake" was enough to remind me that ignorance is bliss. i chose to be blissful

[@panda_coffeeanimation1992]

2000s kid turned softcore disney adult here hurt by the notion that we wouldnt know what mulan is 😭

[@mundanepants]

Those "big budget" movies used to be rare. But then inflation and Disney and all of that. The cost of making a movie in general has gone up. However, I'm not totally discounting that a lot of the budget on these is somehow inflated for tax/money laundering reasons

[@CaptainTwizzler]

Xiran Jay Zhao did a review on both of Disney's Mulans and their accuracy to Chinese culture and history

[@letyoufindme]

BTW for pronunciation, Liu Yifei = Leo E-Fei

[@Kayla4217]

Is this also a podcast? I ask because even watching through headphones the sudden loud shrieking was alot even for my TV.

[@kalystagutierrez1607]

I believe so

[@justincheng5241]

As a Chinese person, my understanding is that dragons are majestic, divine creatures, almost akin to gods in Chinese culture and apparently some Chinese people were offended by Mushu in the cartoon version for not being majestic or divine. However frankly, I have yet to meet any Chinese person who is that offended because Disney screwed around with a mythical creature.

[@xXWithoutMyHeroesXx]

"cutesy misoginistic" "at least it had a jaunty tune"

[@l.1020]

KENNIE🥺 Love that she got to do this video, she’s one of my favourite creators🙏🏼🙏🏼

[@emilyau8023]

Oh yes, as a Chinese American this movie sends visceral pain to me. It's become a thing in my group to pretend it never existed

[@PeggyKoneko]

My boyfriend is Chinese and he says that Mushu was removed because naming a dragon after mushu pork is a dig at Chinese culture 😅

[@emilyau8023]

I'm Chinese and I say it's not. Is that all it takes?

[@PeggyKoneko]

@@emilyau8023 sure, you're certainly welcome to that opinion 😊 I was just sharing his thoughts because we watch these videos together and that's what he said.