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 they get rid of Mushu in Mulan?

Mushu was seen as trivialising the Chinese culture

USC Professor Stanley Ronsen also told The Hollywood Report that the character was seen as a trivialisation of the culture in China. “Mushu was very popular in the US, but the Chinese hated it,” he said. “This kind of miniature dragon trivialised their culture.”

Why was Mushu replaced with a Phoenix?

"Using it as a silly sidekick didn't play very well with the traditional Chinese audience." But perhaps the most significant reason why the new Mulan film features a phoenix instead is due to the symbolism of the mythical bird for Chinese women in particular — or at least according to Caro's vision.

Why was Mushu demoted?

Mushu was once a guardian spirit of Mulan's family, but he has been demoted to the unappreciated position of an incense burner and gong-ringer for the deceased Fa ancestors ever since he failed to protect a family member, a soldier named Fa Deng, resulting in the soldier's demise by decapitation.

Why was Mushu controversial?

Believed to have been written out of the film due to being "deemed culturally inaccurate and racist", some academics and culture critics defended Disney's decision to remove Mushu, describing it as their attempt "to represent Chinese culture and history in a more authentic manner".

Mulan is the Worst Disney Live-Action Remake So Far

Why is everyone 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.

Is Mulan 1998 banned in China?

China blocked the release of Disney's animated “Mulan” for eight months in the late 1990s after the company backed Martin Scorsese's “Kundun,” a film seen as sympathetic to the Dalai Lama. The animated “Mulan” bombed in China as a result.

Did Li Shang fall in love with Ping?

In the film, Li Shang falls in love with Mulan after she enters the army disguised as a male soldier named Ping. Queer fans have always claimed Li Shang as one of their own because of his close, loving relationship with both Ping and Mulan, even though Disney has never commented on the Chinese army general's sexuality.

Who replaced Mushu in Mulan?

Although Mushu and the phoenix are both guardians of the ancestors, and both are stone statues brought to life for Mulan's protection, the phoenix is never a true replacement for Mushu. Mulan and the phoenix never really interact, compared with Mushu's constant involvement in the animated film.

What happens to Mushu at the end of Mulan?

Mushu, at last, is restored to guardian status in the family temple. Mulan thanks him for his help in her adventurous plan, and the ancestors celebrate that the Fa family is complete again.

Why is Eddie Murphy not in Mulan 2?

A clause in Eddie Murphy's contract for doing Shrek 2 (2004) forbade him from reprising the role of Mushu in this film, therefore having his other voice actor Mark Moseley (a man best known for filling in for Murphy's characters like Mushu and Donkey in their TV and Video Game appearances) fill in for this film.

Why was the Mulan live-action bad?

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 is there no singing in Mulan?

This expensive live-action version from Disney has everything you remember and more. Well OK, it doesn't have singing. Forget the songs you grew up with: they didn't fit the vision of director Niki Caro from New Zealand (Whale Rider), who has now helmed the most expensive film ever made by a woman.

Why was Mulan a flop in China?

Disney's classic 'Mulan' flopped in China because audiences didn't think the heroine looked Chinese enough.

What characters are missing in Mulan?

However, Li Shang won't appear in the live-action Mulan, in one of the many changes from the animated film. Mushu the Dragon, who was voiced by Eddie Murphy in the original, won't appear either.

Why is Li Shang not in the new Mulan?

However, the character was cut from Disney's live-action remake. The producer Jason Reed cited the #MeToo movement as the reason. Cutting Li Shang, a character who means a lot to LGBTQ Disney fans around the world, was a huge missed opportunity for Disney.

Why is Mushu so small?

For better use, the animators shrunk Mushu to a smaller size. Around the time when the music of the film was to be created, the songwriters had written a piece for Mushu for him to sing to assure Mulan that he'll be there to help her.

Was Mulan based on a true story?

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.

How did they find out Mulan was a woman?

Mulan (disguised as Ping) was injured while in a battle in the mountains from when she got slashed with a sword by Shan Yu (the villain) and then while she was recovering from her injuries, her bandages on her chest showed who she really was.

How old is Mulan's boyfriend?

Mulan and Li Shang

Mulan was thought to be just 16 when she chopped off her hair and took her father's place in the army, and Shang was 19.

Are Li Shang and Mulan married?

Shang survives the accident and arrives in time to stop the wedding but ultimately Mulan is saved by Mushu who, posing as the mighty Golden Dragon of Unity, frees the three princesses from their vows, and marries Mulan and Li Shang himself causing Mulan to forgive him for his actions.

How historically accurate is Mulan 1998?

Mulan's Origins - Mulan's legend started as folksong amongst non-Han Chinese - its fictional, so there is no historical accuracy to speak of. The earliest surviving record is a relatively short story/poem of less than 400 Chinese text/characters .

Was Mulan hand drawn?

The entire environment was done using CG FauxPlane, all the crowds are done through CG. The fireworks are CG. The only thing that's hand-drawn was Mulan. The other thing to note is that when I was thinking about Faux Plane, I was talking to the team who were working on Tarzan.

What time period is Mulan set in?

Most modern historians believe that Mulan's story is fictitious, but insist that it is set during the era of Northern Wei, most likely under the reign of Emperor Taiwu because Taiwu engaged in a twelve-year war against the Rouran khan between 429 and 441 AD (the Ballad of Mulan states that Mulan served for twelve years ...

Why was Mulan 3 cancelled?

Unfortunately for fans of this princess, Mulan II did terribly. Critics regarded the film as a huge disrespect to the original Mulan. This discouraged Disney from pursuing her story any further, so Mulan III was shelved and Ana Ming never made it anywhere.