When it comes to the host of Disney live-action remakes that have been pumped out over the last few years, Mulan stands apart as one of the few that received significant changes to its story.
The 2020 version of Mulan is quite the different movie from its animated counterpart, and while fans might have protested some of the changes that took place (some of those songs could have stayed, but more on that later), they arguably all worked together to make a very interesting movie. Today we'll be taking a look at the many changes to the film that we enjoyed. Let's get right into it.
Mushu's Removal
From the beginning, it was pretty clear that the live-action remake of Mulan was set to be quite a different project from its animated counterpart, with one of the major changes being that the film was set to be a dark, gritty war story. With that in mind, many of the comedic aspects of the animated film had to be removed. This includes the beloved character Mushu. Including Mushu in a remake like this just wouldn't have felt right. The decision to remove him is a sad but necessary one.
Most Of The Music Removal
The fact of the matter is that the majority of the music in Mulan needed to be cut in the live-action version, the tone of the movie would have made no sense if it was all still included. At the same time, some of the music, such as standouts like Reflection and I'll Make a Man Out of You, could have been retooled and perhaps have been played over scenes rather than having the characters singing them themselves. Just an idea to make things feel more realistic while keeping some iconic songs in the mix. Either way, the music did need to be mostly removed in order to keep the tone consistent.
The Use Of Instrumentals
One great way that the movie paid homage to the original's soundtrack, however, was through the use of instrumentals. Some of the original film's songs, most notably Reflection, were played as instrumentals throughout the film. If the songs themselves weren't able to be included in the film, this was the next best thing, and the instrumentals were always used in great ways to highlight the impact of the scenes that included them.
The Hair-Cutting Scene
In the animated version of Mulan, there is a pivotal scene in which Mulan cuts off most of her hair before she heads out to join the military. While this was great cinematically, it made no sense in reality due to the fact that most men of the Chinese army had long hair. Mulan cutting her hair would have only made her stick out even more among her peers. As such, this was a scene that needed to be cut.
Shang & Mulan Ending Up Together
Mulan ending up with Shang in the original animated movie is a bit problematic. There's a power dynamic there that isn't balanced due to the fact that he is her commanding officer. In the live-action film, Shang is replaced by an equal to Mulan, Cheng Honghui.
While he certainly shares a bond with Mulan that is similar to Shang's, their relationship feels a lot more organic and appropriate. The two also don't necessarily end up together at the end of the film, which is nice to see. She doesn't need to be with a man to fulfill her story. This is a great change.
The Combat Scenes
In general, there's a lot more combat in the live-action version of the film than the animated one. All of the scenes are extremely well choreographed, and help to make the movie much more interesting with so many important factors from the animated film being removed. They work to give the film a ton of weight that was certainly needed.
Mulan Not Being Completely Inept At First
In the beginning of the animated Mulan film, the titular character has... no fighting experience at all and is kind of a joke to the rest of the soldiers. It feels a bit odd that she took her father's place while having no experience whatsoever. In the live-action film, Mulan has a bit of experience, and manages to integrate herself with the rest of the soldiers with a bit more ease than the original.
Xian Lang
The addition of Xian Lang to the film was super interesting. She acts as a sort of evil comparison to Mulan, someone who will never fit in due to her abilities. She also helps Mulan to realize her full potential. This is a fully original character, not a part of the animated film or the original Chinese ballad. Overall, she's an interesting character that brings an interesting energy to the film.
The Comedic Shift
The comedy in the original Mulan is in the usual Disney tone that you can expect out of their animated films. The live-action's comedy, while a lot more muted than the original's, feels like it belongs. It's jokes between soldiers rather than the over-the-top Disney style that one might expect. This change fits into our next point very well.
The Overall Tonal Change
The overall shift in tone from the original animated film works in the 2020 version of Mulan very well. The creators set out to make a movie that was quite different than its original incarnation, and they succeeded. The huge tonal change from the original film allowed for this version of Mulan to feel like a movie that is all its own.