The issue was that Mulan was partially filmed in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, in close proximity to detention camps for Uighur Muslims, and Disney gave credit to “publicity department of CPC Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomy Region Committee” among other entities.
" Zippel said. "We were really excited about it and we pitched it and I think that the music people at Disney share our enthusiasm, but, ultimately, it doesn't really fit the tone of the picture. "That was their decision. After seeing the picture, I understand that completely."
The film also drew ire for filming in Xinjiang, a region of China where Uighur Muslims have been detained in mass internment camps. The film has also been accused of being too white behind the camera.
The team behind the new movie explained the change was down to the #MeToo movement - they felt Mulan's officer becoming her love interest felt a bit off given his position of power. The fan pushback was largely down to the view Li Shang is a bisexual icon as he falls for Mulan before she reveals her true identity.
While the social and cultural milieu of the Northern Wei dynasty provided the context for the tale's origins, there's no corroborative evidence to confirm that Mulan was ever a real person. Over time, the story and character's nomadic and tribal origins have significantly changed from the original.
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.
However, while government restrictions and Disney's history of releasing films not aligned with Chinese politics didn't help, one of the main reasons "Mulan" bombed at the box office was because audiences thought Mulan was too "foreign-looking."
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.
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.
Curiously, Disney changed Mulan's name to Fa Mulan. Mulan means “magnolia,” which is why magnolia flowers are so prominent in that movie. In the original poem, she is only referred to as Mulan, which is a given name. Her surname was added later.
Chinese critics, both at home and abroad, said they were disappointed with the film's inaccurate and stereotypical portrayals of Chinese history and the main character, infused with nationalist tropes. Others were not as bothered.
Controversy around the movie, set in China, erupted after the lead actress, Liu Yifei, shared a post supporting Hong Kong police on the Chinese social media site Weibo, last August. "I also support Hong Kong police. You can beat me up now," the China-born American actress wrote in Mandarin.
Whether we interpret Mulan as a gender-bending feminist or someone who is gender-fluid, her acceptance of her identity is core to her story arc. And the message is clear: Embrace your own identity. Defy what society expects. Present your true self to the world.
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.
The hair-cutting scene is a powerful fan-favourite moment that sees Mulan deciding to take her father's place in the imperial army by pretending to be a man in order to save his life. Mulan cuts her hair, which many fans see as her shedding her feminimity and taking on a more masculine look.
Sometime later, Mulan and Shang officially marry in Mulan's village, and Mushu accepts the loss of his position; however, Shang combines the family temples, unknowingly enabling Mushu to continue being a guardian spirit. While celebrating, Mushu accidentally reveals himself to Shang and Mulan.
Although Mulan is a member of the Disney Princess franchise, she is not a legitimate princess in the traditional sense, as she was neither born the daughter of a king or queen, nor does she become princess consort by marrying a prince. She is the franchise's first and currently only East Asian member.
It dates all the way back to 386–581 AD at least, likely beginning in oral retellings and being written down significantly later. Unfortunately, with almost no way to verify its authenticity, no one knows if there is any truth behind the story, or if it comes from a place of fiction.
Though the 1998 version is based on this same legend, it pulls many Westernized additions out of thin air, like Mulan's pint-sized dragon sidekick Mushu and love interest Shang. While you might not be able to picture the story without these elements, they ultimately make for a more historically accurate film.
At the end of the film, however, it is revealed he somehow survived the fall (with help from his horse), and Mushu saves the day by pretending to be the Golden Dragon of Unity and freeing the princesses from their vows.
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.
However, since the princesses don't wish to go through with the marriage, and Shang is believed dead, Mulan offers herself as a bride to one of the princes. However, Shang is revealed to have survived the fall and goes to Qui Gong to stop her from marrying Lord Chin's son.
A 2008 New York Times article by Richard Bernstein cites Chinese sources praising the first “Kung Fu Panda” film. These sources expressed that the film largely captured Chinese cultural elements and themes that appealed to the majority of Chinese audiences.
Disney+ may not be outright blocked such as other websites censored like Facebook in China, but that doesn't mean you'll be able to just log on and watch without any problems. You're going to need to have a Disney+ account as well as an additional VPN subscription to stream great Disney movies in China.
She faces the worst enemy China's ever seen, the Hun leader Shan-Yu, who has an army willing to destroy anything in their path. She succeeds in fighting them and saves all of China single-handedly without any help. The Emperor of China awards her for her effort and the whole of China celebrate her return.