The live action remake of "Mulan," released Sept. 4 on Disney+, was met with excitement and anticipation by members of the BYU–Hawaii ohana wondering if the new movie would live up to its animated predecessor. While some BYUH students from around the world shared they enjoyed the new version, others thought Disney should have stuck to the original 1998 version.
Emri Trainor, a senior from Colorado studying biology, said she enjoyed watching the movie with her housemates. She said while there were parts of the movie she loved, other aspects of the film left her confused. “I loved Mulan herself and how they did the Phoenix. I just didn’t like the witch. I don’t know what her point was. Maybe to bring attention to how women are treated and give contrast to how Mulan made her own situation positive.”
Recent graduate Brandon Sabado from California stated his discontent with the new Disney film. He said, “Without even relating it to the animated series, the movie plot was too busy. Character development and plot were sacrificed for political statements. It relied too heavily on previously acquired knowledge about the story to grasp motivations, development and plot.”
Sabado also pointed out, compared to the original, the live-action version has a 20 minute longer run time. He said those extra 20 minutes were both unnecessary and utilized ineffectively. He went on to say, “They took out a majority of the humor then had the audacity to take the music out as well, completely taking away from what Disney does best. Don’t fix it if it’s not broken.”
Another BYUH alumna, Madi Berry, talked about how the tone of the movie affected her viewing experience. She said, “While I do appreciate that they did try to add more cultural aspects, it did completely change the tone of the movie. I don’t feel like I had really prepared myself for that. It is much slower and more serious. I am glad that others seemed to still enjoy it, but I would rate it about a 6 out of 10.”
Josephine Matafeo, a freshman from Samoa studying IT, said she enjoyed the overall message of the film and appreciated its emphasis on the importance of family. “The message that I learned when I watched the cartoon was emphasized when I watched the [2020] movie, ‘Brave, Loyal, True.’ I love that they added ‘Dedication to Family’ because that is what drove [Mulan]. ... She chose for her family and that really touched me because I can relate to that.”