Ah! Before I go anywhere else with this, let me say you’ve hit my issues with Disney movies with cultural limitations. I think that is one of the things that makes this, BATB, TLM, and to a very small degree Aladdin strong movies. Characters who are able to do anything are not interesting. Characters who are limited by their setting or culture are interesting! What do they do to get around those limits? How do they manage to function despite those limits?
Interesting how it’s a wide political span villain-wise here!
Yeah, the character development for Mulan is pretty awesome. Everything she does is kind of devoted to her character development. Her expressions and movements and everything. I love how she really wants to properly serve her family (as is proper for her culture) and she is obviously crushed to feel that she is a failure in that regard. I like that she’s unconventional within the limits of her culture-unconventional, and people think so. (Similar example: Belle.)
Yeah, not a big fan of Mulan’s grandmother.
YES THE ROCK MUSIC IS THE BEST PART. I also like how that whole part of the movie (the decision, I guess) is completely without words, even the part where she calms the horse. It gives it so much more significance and drama, and makes it seem more secret.
Hooray Disney crossdressing!
Mushu: I know in theory that he’s obnoxious, but I never had a problem with him. Maybe because he’s the accomplice in her secret identity plot and he’s not terribly good at it and makes crap up on the fly?
I also like Shang. Funny thing I just realized: Shang and Mulan are both out to impress/honor their fathers. They are both trying SO HARD just to make their fathers happy. I also naturally like that he puts up a cold front with the soldiers but loosens up a little around his father (and, later, around Mulan). Also, I can’t think of any other Disney heroes that get to be shirtless. (Does the Beast wear a shirt when he’s the Beast, initially?)
Another of Mulan’s cool traits: people who fit in aren’t interesting. To me, people who try to fit in and can’t are more interesting than people who long for something more. (Belle is a little of both.) And I like that the movie shows there’s a huge difference between dressing up like a soldier and actually behaving like a man. And yes, she is definitely badass.
IMAMOOY: BEST SONG EVER. I also get chills at the last repeat of the chorus!
I also like the dorky bureaucrat guy. I like people who are just trying to do their jobs.
Girl Worth Fighting For: I guess there’s mood whiplash? I think the point of the song is to further emphasize the gap between Mulan and the other men. I always liked it, and I think it is supposed to be a sharp mood change at the end.
HAHA LING.
I think Shang does want vengeance in his own quiet upstanding way, but yeah, he’s not like, “I WILL AVENGE YOU FATHER.” Always a plus. There’s work to be done!
Yes to battles that make sense. (Do any other Disney movies have battles on this scale?)
Yes to the scene where she’s discovered. I like it when we are forced to rely on visuals and/or music to understand what’s going on.
YES, THE CROSSDRESSING. I was always faintly disappointed that Shang never cross-dressed, though. Why does everyone else have to wear a dress and he gets to be manly?
I would assume that they assumed that children would not know what concubines were.
The emperor’s speech is great. That ad (with the Dragonheart music) was even better!
Ah! Before I go anywhere else with this, let me say you’ve hit my issues with Disney movies with cultural limitations. I think that is one of the things that makes this, BATB, TLM, and to a very small degree Aladdin strong movies. Characters who are able to do anything are not interesting. Characters who are limited by their setting or culture are interesting! What do they do to get around those limits? How do they manage to function despite those limits?
Interesting how it’s a wide political span villain-wise here!
Yeah, the character development for Mulan is pretty awesome. Everything she does is kind of devoted to her character development. Her expressions and movements and everything. I love how she really wants to properly serve her family (as is proper for her culture) and she is obviously crushed to feel that she is a failure in that regard. I like that she’s unconventional within the limits of her culture-unconventional, and people think so. (Similar example: Belle.)
Yeah, not a big fan of Mulan’s grandmother.
YES THE ROCK MUSIC IS THE BEST PART. I also like how that whole part of the movie (the decision, I guess) is completely without words, even the part where she calms the horse. It gives it so much more significance and drama, and makes it seem more secret.
Hooray Disney crossdressing!
Mushu: I know in theory that he’s obnoxious, but I never had a problem with him. Maybe because he’s the accomplice in her secret identity plot and he’s not terribly good at it and makes crap up on the fly?
I also like Shang. Funny thing I just realized: Shang and Mulan are both out to impress/honor their fathers. They are both trying SO HARD just to make their fathers happy. I also naturally like that he puts up a cold front with the soldiers but loosens up a little around his father (and, later, around Mulan). Also, I can’t think of any other Disney heroes that get to be shirtless. (Does the Beast wear a shirt when he’s the Beast, initially?)
Another of Mulan’s cool traits: people who fit in aren’t interesting. To me, people who try to fit in and can’t are more interesting than people who long for something more. (Belle is a little of both.) And I like that the movie shows there’s a huge difference between dressing up like a soldier and actually behaving like a man. And yes, she is definitely badass.
IMAMOOY: BEST SONG EVER. I also get chills at the last repeat of the chorus!
I also like the dorky bureaucrat guy. I like people who are just trying to do their jobs.
Girl Worth Fighting For: I guess there’s mood whiplash? I think the point of the song is to further emphasize the gap between Mulan and the other men. I always liked it, and I think it is supposed to be a sharp mood change at the end.
HAHA LING.
I think Shang does want vengeance in his own quiet upstanding way, but yeah, he’s not like, “I WILL AVENGE YOU FATHER.” Always a plus. There’s work to be done!
Yes to battles that make sense. (Do any other Disney movies have battles on this scale?)
Yes to the scene where she’s discovered. I like it when we are forced to rely on visuals and/or music to understand what’s going on.
YES, THE CROSSDRESSING. I was always faintly disappointed that Shang never cross-dressed, though. Why does everyone else have to wear a dress and he gets to be manly?
I would assume that they assumed that children would not know what concubines were.
The emperor’s speech is great. That ad (with the Dragonheart music) was even better!
Aw, poor adorable dorky Shang.
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