Starting with the positives, Disney's attempt at portraying Chinese culture greatly improved from the original 1998 film. While the basic premise of the animated version is the same, Disney updated many important details that make the live-action more historically accurate and true to the original Ballad of Mulan.

Which version of Mulan is better?

Ultimately, the animated Mulan is a better movie. Mulan is a stronger and more relatable protagonist, the movie is packed with a cast of supporting characters that all have well-developed arcs, and the music makes up one of Disney's best soundtracks.

Is Mulan 1998 culturally accurate?

Although the whole film told a Chinese story, it actually still showed huge differences between the film and genuine Chinese ancient culture. First, in the film, there are several Chinese elements misunderstood.

What's the difference between the Chinese legend of Mulan and the Disney version?

In the ballad, Mulan joins the army because of her father. The films forsake this notion because here, Mulan is informed by her ambitions and her dream of being something more — she wants to bring honor to her family but not necessarily in the way it is expected of her.

Is the matchmaker in Mulan accurate?

The matchmaker depicted in Disney's Mulan is not historically accurate. The role of the matchmaker was actually to broker marriages between families, not to find partners for individuals.

Historically Accurate Mulan

Which Mulan movie is more accurate?

Starting with the positives, Disney's attempt at portraying Chinese culture greatly improved from the original 1998 film. While the basic premise of the animated version is the same, Disney updated many important details that make the live-action more historically accurate and true to the original Ballad of Mulan.

What part of Mulan is true?

Scholarly consensus is that Mulan is a fictional character, probably developed in Northern China in response to the greater independence women enjoyed there, whose legend was then revised in succeeding eras to reflect the values and challenges of the times.

Why did China not like Mulan the movie?

Disney's classic 'Mulan' flopped in China because audiences didn't think the heroine looked Chinese enough. Although Mulan is the only Disney Princess of East Asian descent, the original Mulan cartoon was a massive flop in China.

Why is the new Mulan so different?

Unlike the animated film, the live-action story opens with Mulan's father, Hua Zhou, narrating the story of his legendary daughter. The animated film opens from the villain's perspective as he invades China through the Great Wall. The landmark isn't featured in the new Disney film.

Did the Mulan remake do well in China?

China Box Office: 'Mulan' Is One Of Disney's Worst-Performing Remakes.

Is Shan Yu based on a real person?

Shan Yu was inspired by the real-life Attila the Hun. Though while Shan Yu died by the hands of fireworks, Attila died by choking on his own blood the night he was to be wed to his future wife, Ildico. Coincidently the name of the computer system that was used to animate the Hun army charge was called Attila.

Are the costumes in Mulan accurate?

Mulan's costumes are bright, dramatic, and (mostly) historically accurate. Designer Bina Daigeler and a Chinese fashion expert explain the historical inspiration behind the film's outfits.

Why did they change Mulan's last name?

Mulan's surname is tweaked from Fa, the Cantonese pronunciation of her name, to Hua, which makes it truer to the name of the original ballad. However, both names have the same basic meaning.

What is the original version of Mulan?

The original Mulan story is quite different from both Disney's 1998 animated film and the new live-action movie. The earliest printed version of the story still in existence today was first featured in an anthology from the 12th century, known as the Ballad of Mulan.

Should I watch the new Mulan?

Directed by Niki Caro and featuring an ethnically Chinese cast, it's an epic martial arts retelling of the original ancient Chinese "Ballad of Mulan." It's much more serious and intense than the animated movie, with fewer gender-bending jokes and no songs or wise-cracking dragon (sorry, Mushu fans).

Why was there never a Mulan 3?

Why it was Cancelled. It was cancelled due to the extremely negative reception of Mulan II. John Lasseter called off all future direct to DVD films after being appointed as head of Disney in 2006. The production was left unfinished.

Why do people not like Mulan 2?

The biggest issue is this film features way less action than it's predecessor and way less Mulan (she practically disappears in the middle of the film). Mulan's bickering with Shang is also very badly written. Yet, minor complaints. Overall a decent film.

What is the new Mulan controversy?

Almost as soon as the film arrived on Disney+, social media users noticed that, nine minutes into the film's 10-minute end credits, the “Mulan” filmmakers had thanked eight government entities in Xinjiang, the region in China where Uighur Muslims have been detained in mass internment camps.

Why was Mushu not in Mulan?

No." Though the director shared that Mushu was removed to allow Mulan to better enhance her relationships with her fellow soldiers, his absence may have also been more about not offending viewers, who found Mushu to be insensitive in the 1998 animated feature.

Why did Mulan get bad reviews?

The cinematography is great and the colors are often vibrant, but the story is pretty dull. The lead actress is awfully bland as well. The action and music are standouts, but get bogged down by some pacing issues. My biggest issue with this film though is Mulan herself.

Why are people boycotting Mulan?

The boycott centers on two Chinese issues: The treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China's Xinjiang region -- where some of the film was shot -- and China's crackdown of freedoms in Hong Kong.

Was Mulan based on a true story?

There was debate online about the differences between the original animated musical and the live-action film. However, many people forgot one important fact. Mulan is based on a real Chinese legend! The inspiration for Disney's Mulan is taken from the legendry warrior Hua Mulan and her story in the “Ballad of Mulan”.

What is not historically accurate in Mulan?

Mulan's Feet Were Not Bound

Disney never shows this practice, although it is assumed in the ballad that she unbound her feet before heading off on her journey into the heat of battle. This is definitely one of the biggest historical inaccuracies in Mulan but was left out for understandable reasons.

Is Mulan based off of Joan of Arc?

Joan of Arc seems outwardly similar to Fa Mulan, as they both donned male guise to assist them in joining/serving in their respective royal armies at times when their homelands were threatened, however, the latter preceded the former by nearly a thousand years (albeit only as an epic poem) and thus shares no direct ...

Who were the Huns in Mulan based on?

French scholar Joseph de Guignes proposed that the Huns were descended from the Xiongnu, but this theory remains under intense debate. This is further supported by Shan Yu's name, as a "Shanyu" or "Chanyu" was what the Xiongnu leaders were called, much like a Mongol leader would be "Khan."