New Live-Action Mulan Eliminates Mushu and Songs to Deliver an Appropriate Cultural Movie

Dishonor you! Dishonor on your cow! Mushu was a beloved and hysterical character in Disney’s 1998 animated release of Mulan. Mulan was one of my favorite animated classics as a kid due to funny side characters such as Mushu, Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po as well as catchy and memorable songs. I can’t count all the times I have sang I’ll Make a Man Out of You and people around me don’t join in. So of course when I hear Disney has Mulan on their list for a live-action recreation, I was thrilled. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the live-action releases with probably Aladdin and Cinderella at the top of my list so I was excited to see what they would do with my childhood idol. Well here is the curveball Disney threw at us, they decided to remove my favorite character, Mushu out of the live-action remake. What?! Okay. Okay. Let’s be rational here. Disney to remove songs from Mulan live-action remake. Oh Disney, you’re breaking my heart.

Now if you’re someone like me who grew up with Mulan and depict it as one of their top 5 Disney movies, you might have been a little pissed at this news and ready to walk away. Believe me, I get it. However, unfortunately for us Disney does indeed have their reasons for the dramatic changes in their new cinematic depiction. The original 1998 Mulan actually was very inaccurate and deemed disrespectful to the Chinese culture and origins of the story. The fun, colorful movie we all grew up with was actually filled with lies and poor depiction. Now, I know what some of you are thinking. Well Disney did this all the time and pretty much any Disney princess movie we know is actually a way more upbeat, happy version of the original story. Yes, this is true, but we are talking about a story from another culture. This isn’t some princess mermaid who gave up her tail for some guy. This was a story redone from another country who had their own movie depiction and story for this character. Now we are over 20 years later and Disney has decided to right some wrongs from their past and give this story the true telling it deserves.

So What Can We Actually Expect for this New Movie?

So the new live-action remake will officially have no songs. None. Well let me rephrase that. The songs we knew and love will be played instrumental int he background, but no characters will be singing. We no longer see the later-turned love interest for Mulan, Shang either. Instead, we will be introduced to a new character, Chen Honghui, who is seen as Mulan’s rival, but then love interest so kind of similar. Other new characters we will see is Mulan’s sister as well as a new villain, a witch. And finally the snarky, self-absorbed witty red dragon, Mushu will be replaced with a Phoenix. Yes, a Phoenix. I’m starting to think this movie has a little Harry Potter to it, but anyways. These are some of the main changes we can expect when watching the new film.

Now this seems like a lot and very strange to our nostalgic memories, but we might have to be brave and just accept this new fate. I see it as the original will always have a place in my heart and I enjoy it for what it is truly. I will have to throw expectations for the live-action remake and see if I enjoy the film for what it is. Not much else can be said until its release in Spring 2020 and I will be looking forward to reviewing it then. If you have not yet seen the teaser trailer for Mulan, you can view below.

So what do you think? Will you be watching the remake in theaters or decide to skip out on this one and wait for the next? Let me know in the comments below you reactions to these new changes and what classic animations you would like to see remade. Until next time my Bombshells, Bye!