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Far from a remake of the 1998 film, I predict the new Mulan film will imitate The Last Jedi and Beauty and the Beast (2017) in setting up Mulan's character.
In the 1998 film, Mulan enters the army and struggles to adapt to military life. She becomes a skilled warrior only after intense training, making mistakes but learning along the way.
2020's Mulan, by contrast, will be like Rey. She will grow up a martial arts prodigy, regularly mopping the floor with the neighborhood boys despite her parents' protests. When joining the army, she will excel in her military training, regularly proving her skills and inspiring her comrades. While still respectful of Shang, she will prove to be a loose cannon soldier, contradicting him in front of the troops. Shang will come to realize Mulan's worth in combat.
In the 1998 film, Mulan earnestly struggles to embody the feminine qualities society expects of her. However, she does not question that culture until her father's life is at risk. And her decision to join the army is spur of the moment rather than actively desired.
2020's Mulan, by contrast, will eagerly offer to fight the Huns at the beginning of the film. Her family and community will scoff at the idea of a woman fighting in the army. Mulan will insist to her father that she can fight, but her father will refuse. When Mulan does join the army, she will do so not just to save her father's life, but also to demonstrate to her community that women are capable fighters as well. This will ring similar to Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Whereas 1991's Belle was merely considered odd for reading, 2017's Belle takes it a step further by designing inventions and encouraging her town's girls to take up science despite male objections.
I won't say how I think these predictions, if true, would affect the movie. But just my two cents. Thoughts?
In the 1998 film, Mulan enters the army and struggles to adapt to military life. She becomes a skilled warrior only after intense training, making mistakes but learning along the way.
2020's Mulan, by contrast, will be like Rey. She will grow up a martial arts prodigy, regularly mopping the floor with the neighborhood boys despite her parents' protests. When joining the army, she will excel in her military training, regularly proving her skills and inspiring her comrades. While still respectful of Shang, she will prove to be a loose cannon soldier, contradicting him in front of the troops. Shang will come to realize Mulan's worth in combat.
In the 1998 film, Mulan earnestly struggles to embody the feminine qualities society expects of her. However, she does not question that culture until her father's life is at risk. And her decision to join the army is spur of the moment rather than actively desired.
2020's Mulan, by contrast, will eagerly offer to fight the Huns at the beginning of the film. Her family and community will scoff at the idea of a woman fighting in the army. Mulan will insist to her father that she can fight, but her father will refuse. When Mulan does join the army, she will do so not just to save her father's life, but also to demonstrate to her community that women are capable fighters as well. This will ring similar to Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Whereas 1991's Belle was merely considered odd for reading, 2017's Belle takes it a step further by designing inventions and encouraging her town's girls to take up science despite male objections.
I won't say how I think these predictions, if true, would affect the movie. But just my two cents. Thoughts?
