a big reason why this film is enjoyable is the era it came out..this is when films were creative meant for people to enjoy in the moment and not made to become franchises or sell merch from jump or be apart of a brand...they made it just out of joy of pushing the artform and their skills to see if they can make a classic in modern times..earnest was the right word..everyone working on it were earnest about it...if it became a popular merch movie for girls over the next year thats a bonus..it was not made with that intent in mind...now everything has to be apart of a bigger marketing machine plan that creates more and more which over saturates the product itself feeling less like a great film and more like a cog in the grand scheme with skipable scenes and thus feeling hollow lacking substance....everything now is made because of trends and computers telling us what can create the most money and other brands off this one brand...its so annoying..i wish i could return to this era...
I don't know if anyone brought this up, but after they finish singing "A girl worth fighting for" and find the doll of the girl, they found a girl worth fighting for.
The whole part about cutting her hair is definitely it being a movie born of the 90s in the US. Hair is incredibly important to, well a great many cultures and people, and the symbolism around it is all different, but as a young woman in the 90s, cutting your hair was (and even now still is) a form of dramatic change. It was likely done for movie shorthand to show a transition and seriousness and dedication, rather then being something made to be accurate. The score playing is titled "Short Hair" so it's really created to be the culmination shot of the moment and definitely a choice the story team/animators made.
I'd like to suggest, after the comments in the video, that it could've also symbolized Mulan cutting ties to her parents. Because she probably assumed she'd never come back home afterwards and he said that "hair is considered a gift from their parents"
@@MrRagston Well yes that too, but if it was just that the movie wouldn't have lingered on it with so much weight. Things can be multiple things. Hair is important to people.
@@MrRagston Except boys in China didn't cut their hair either in the time periods this film is pulling from, unless they were Buddhist monks, in which case they shaved all of it.
First of all, George you are NEVER too old to see/watch Disney movies animated or not! Second, I really liked your reactions to the movie and I'm happy to be a new subscriber
Heck, I more or less STARTED watching Disney movies in my 20s (after Beauty and the Beast won an Oscar it became highly acceptable ; also when I was 7 Cinderella traumatized me, so it took a while 🤣)
The stampede from THE LION KING was the first "Huge CGI Effect" for a traditional Disney animated movie; the crowd scenes from HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME were second, and the battle scene from MULAN was third.
I believe it was Beauty and the Beast that was first (1991). It was the ballroom scene. Beauty and the Beast was also the first full length animated movie to be nominated the Academy Awards for Best Picture (back then there was no price for Best Animated Feature). But otherwise your list is spot on 😊
One thing I really love about Mulan 1998 is that historically in hun militaries it wasn’t unusual to have both men and women fighting, hence why when Shan Yu realizes that Mulan caused the avalanche he says “the soldier from the mountain” he’s shocked at the realization that is was Mulan rather than Li Shang, but his shock isn’t inherently related to her gender
I’m aware that fighting the Huns in this movie is inaccurate as hell but the message of the movie is focused on women empowerment so I really appreciate that they included that sort of accuracy regarding how the Huns would have treated a woman soldier
8:39 I had a friend that visited China one time, and brought back a little dragon piece. He said that the guy was only allowed to sell it because of a loophole: it had five toes on each foot, whereas dragons only have four, therefore, it wasn't legally a dragon.
Interesting fact: The song “A Girl Worth Fighting For” was originally gonna be cut from the film cause some of the creators thought it was misogynistic but of course it ended up in the movie cause in the end they knew that Mulan was gonna change the men’s perspective about women.
I saw this movie in theaters when it came out. So for the past 24 years, I have never been able to hear "Let's get down to business" without wanting to defeat the Huns. I think this has been my all time favorite animated Disney movie. The quote "No matter how the wind howls, the mountain cannot bow to it has always hit me in the feels
this brings so much joy it deserves 10x the views ! Not only do we get to see a first time reaction of a cherished childhood movie. we get to see it through a chinese perspective simultaneously from his western young adult upbringing
I think the hair cutting is a "dramatic symbol"; it usually is in western modern culture a sign of change, a new sense of purpose etc. Either the person cuts their hair, colors their hair or both. So for a western audience it makes sense even if it's not historically correct.
My opinion about the hair cutting thing; I think it's important to keep in mind that this movie was made bz western people with a most probably kinda traditional western mindset. Long hair is a very feminine trait here, so I always felt like the wanted to show her laying down everything feminine/womanly about her for the sake of her goal. like, to symbolize how determined she was to do everything necessary to protect her father. The same goes for the whole replacing the scroll with her comb thing. But yea maybe I dived too deap and they just thought it was cool what do I know XD
Great reaction. Thank you George for the comments about certain inaccuracies, honestly doesnt take away from the fun or humor of it being a Disney family movie, I didnt know about the rule about cutting your hair although it does make a certain sense in a traditional way. Finally Simone I love the hair, looks great, hope both of you are staying safe and i look forward to more reactions. Thank you both for taking the time and effort to make these
I believe there's someone who gave a thorough examination of Chinese culture in Disney's Mulan (the same one who thrashed the remake) and gave it pretty positive, if flawed, as a review mark.
The guy in blue, Chi-Fu, is voiced by James Hong. Younger people know him mostly as a voice actor, with roles such as Mr. Ping in the Kung Fu Panda movies, but he's an accomplished television and movie actor as well. He was especially prolific in the 80's and 90's, with roles in movies and TV shows such as Big Trouble in Little China, Blade Runner, MacGyver and Wayne's World 2. He also has a small role in Airplane from 1975.
At 5:26 it probably wasn't AT the matchmaker that they got her cleaned up, but they took her to some high end bath house/salon before getting to said matchmaker possibly even one that specializes in this exact purpose. Depending on how many families do this there may be a whole industry there. It may have been so ubiquitous that historical sources don't even bother mentioning those places. This has less to do with Chinese culture but with practicality. If they had to walk to the city from their village the trip may have taken several hours or even a most of a day. It only makes sense that after hours of travel they need to get her into presentable shape somehow.
Live action could have been retitled Chinese Supergirl goes to War or Mulan and the Keystone Soldiers. Superior by birth, never humble, no character growth and no lessons learned. The live action was a $@!+ Storm.
Some random trivia: Ming-Na Wen is the speaking voice of Mulan and Lea Salonga is the singing voice. One of Ming-Na's earliest acting jobs was on the soap opera "As The World Turns" as Lien Hughes (1988-1991). She was the first Asian-American to be a regular on a daytime soap. Lien shows up as a teenager (17 years old) to find her father (who had no idea of her existence) after her mother dies in Vietnam. The character was written off the show in 1991, but when they brought the character back in 2001 Lea Salonga played the role of Lien. Interesting that these two women had actually shared two different roles.
I grew up on this movie it's one of my favourite movies of all time mostly because of nostalgia, but it's also good. But you pointing out fact like text and traditions and things I think is really cool and interesting, loved it!
Can I say that the one thing I like about the bad guy is that he doesn't discriminate, when Mulan made it known that she was the one that fought him he didn't go into a "but you're a girl" argument. he just accepted it and went to try to kill her lol EDIT: apparently I need to emphasize that I am talking more so the writers not putting in an extra message of feminism or whatever and just sticking to the story with a little more flair then the source material which is "the ballad of hua mulan"
I kind of think it was a good thing they changed the mongool tohuns becuse otherweise we would not have gotten the most epic fighting song in movie history. The bad guys are based on mongools and they didn´t really see a problem with women being warriors.
well, that's just historical facts: arcording to the history, women from his tribe were just as powerful and determind as the men: hunting, sword-fight, arrow-shooting, fighting..., so he just simply accepted the fact that Mulan is a strong woman like the woman from his tribe!
Naw, dude was a killer, plain and simple, he killed men women and children, only reason he went after Mulan was because she cost him his victory so he wanted vengeance. Not like he seen her as an equal, hell either him or one of his men killed the little girl who owned the doll from the pass, as well as everyone else in the village and probably many villages along the way before then.
@@romangoykhman6127 yes, I know Not a feminist by the way, can't stand feminists of this time/nowadays(grew up with a big mostly male family...... Even my mom was a tomboy) I was saying it because around the time that the cartoon was made there was alot of BS revolving around the sexes & gender in general in movies. My thing was just about the fact that it wasn't brought up in the first place unlike other movies in this time.i wasn't talking about the characters in that way, I was talking about the writers of the cartoon..... It's literally part of what ruined the live action remake. (By trynna make it about "girl power" & hiding being her true woman self 🤢). It's why I like the movie alien so much..... She was a badass who happened to be a woman, without any "pro" or "anti" feminist BS ruining the story.
Re: dragon symbolism in Mulan's family: according to wikipedia "In the Yuan dynasty, the two-horned five-clawed dragon was designated for use by the Son of Heaven or Emperor only, while the four-clawed dragon was used by the princes and nobles. Similarly during the Ming and Qing dynasty, the five-clawed dragon was strictly reserved for use by the Emperor only." So the great stone dragon was probably a four-clawed dragon, and Mulan's family likely had a degree of nobility, supported by their wealth and the fact that the guy in blue robes recognized Mulan's father's name (Fa Zhou in this adaption) on paper. This is an American adaption, so the hair cutting made sense to American children as a sign she wanted to look like a boy, but it also symbolizes change, like a woman getting bangs or a bob after getting out of a long term relationship. I think the fact that they didn't cut their hair in Ancient China makes the hair-cutting scene more impactful, like she's shedding her ties with her family for this endeavor.
CG Disney Things predating 1998's Mulan: 1985 - The Black Cauldron (The Black Cauldron) 1986 - Big Ben Interior (The Great Mouse Detective) 1988 - New York Traffic (Oliver and Company) 1989 - Eric's Staircase (The Little Mermaid) 1990 - Opening zoom (The Rescuers Down Under) 1991 - The Ballroom (Beauty and the Beast) 1992 - The Cave of Wonders (Aladdin) 1994 - The Wildebeast Stampede (The Lion King) 1995 - Grandmother Willow trunk and roots (Pocahontas) 1996 - Background Paris Crowd (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) 1997 - The Hydra (Hercules)
The sharpened vampire teeth bit, is from Japanese Anime, used to show audience that this person is mean/animal-like. Used exclusively when the character has some sort of foreign context.
@@vickylikesthis A lot of channels have started out by ranting about something they hate. Jeremy Jahns (movie reviewer) started his channel back in 2009 after he hated Revenge of the Fallen.
I love this movie so much, while I hate the new one. The new one gives Mulan special superpowers thanks to the catchall "Chi". However, in this one, everything she is is thanks to her mind. She doesn't start as a martial arts master or anything, but she's EXTREMELY clever. She uses Little Brother to feed the chickens, wins the checkers game in five seconds during "Honor To Us All", figures out a way to climb and get the arrow when in training, takes out the entire Hun army(barring the few)with a single cannon and even lures Shan Yu into a trap and pins him there(after using a fan, a symbol of femininity, to disarm him). Animated Mulan over live action any day.
I didn't see the new Mulan because I expected it to suck, but when I heard about the 'chi' thing...argh! The whole idea is what she's good enough on her own and, in a time when women were considered lesser, was capable of doing what was thought to be a men's only domain, being a soldier. Giving her special powers completely destroyed that and just made her into a superhero. I guess everything has to be freaking MCU now!
So i've been going through your back log of stuff, enjoying yalls view points on stuff. The fact that you're wearing a Strong Jaw Ale shirt fills me with so much happiness! :D
My favorite comment about this movie comes from another RUclipsr, Xiran, who when reacting to the movie, noted Mulan is “the Disney princess with the highest kill count.” Facts!
Alittle too short but great reaction. BTW, first cgi in disney animation movies can be found in : The great mouse detective (during the chase and fight in Big Ben) in 1986.
there's quite a few things the emperor can have but peasants couldn't One thing George prob has heard of is the fact that only the Emperor can wear the color yellow, yellow gold, or gold. I 'want' to say the reason why mulan's family has good housing is possibly because her father achieved a decent military position/status, and he was known as a war hero from his time. In the cartoon movie i mean.
Oh definitely, my interpretation is that the Fa family definitely is extremely powerful, rich and have earned it in a way that brings genuine honor and good reputation. The father is clearly a war hero / retired officer, but the family's history must go back generations. (Another question, of course as some other reviewer pointed out is the whole story is unnecessary, since the Imperial Army most likely would have given her father a "desk job" with his war injury combined with the honor he has earned).
I love watching this movie dubbed in Chinese, just because Jackie Chan voices the main man in both Mandarin and Cantonese and he does all the singing himself
I see a lot of talk about Mulan's makeup practically dissolving under her sleeve, and I'm curious; as compared to modern cosmetics, which have been formulated to stay on under any circumstances; would rice powder wipe off so easily?
Also, people notice how "a girl worth fighting for" is the last lyrical song, but no one mentions how the last lyric is technically 'a girl worth fighting,' aka Mulan
Who doesn't love a good montage? Also... you've both been to the Great Wall? How cool. Is it something worth visiting or is it maybe too touristy or overhyped?
Yep! we went with a few other friends to a few cities in China back in 2019 for a couple of weeks! and yes the wall is definitely worth a visit, but also yes there will be lots of people and tourists. It isnt just 1 destination like other world wonders, since its a very very long wall, there are actually 4 spots you can pick to go, all near Beijing. the most restored/biggest and there for most people is Badaling section. you can take the rides up or hike the mountain yourself, which is what we did. took a few hours but totally worth it!
I believe only the two-horned, five-clawed dragon represented the emperor. Princes or other nobles could be presented and wear clothing or accessories with dragons that had less claws. Since neither Mushu nor the Great Stone Dragon had five claws, I don't think this would be a problem. Similarly, the fenghuang (Chinese Phoenix) represented the empress, but I believe others could wear one if it had less colors.
Xian Jay Zhao does a great breakdown of Mulan and what the movie gets right and wrong about Chinese culture! Worth checking out if one is interested in stuff like that :D
This is me and my husband’s favorite Disney movie-me because I relate to Mulan as a woman and my husband because he’s Chinese and as a first generation Chinese kid, he didn’t have a lot of media that represented him growing up, even imperfectly.
It's been pointed out that Mulan was given an out by Shang saying to pack up and go home. However her staying put was the best thing as it turned out, if Mulan had left, Mushu and Cri Kee go with her, aren't there to write that fake message, Shang and the troops don't head out, discover the destroyed village or learn the General and the Imperial Army are dead. And even if they had made it that far, none of them would've been able to take on Shan Yu or the huns either way without Mulan setting off that avalanche. Then finally Shan Yu gets to the city undetected and all of China(including Mulans village and her family)are sitting ducks.
The deep grumbly voice of Shan-Yu is that of Miguel Ferrer, son of José Ferrer and Rosemary Clooney, cousin of George Clooney, known for RoboCop, Twin Peaks, Crossing Jordan and NCIS: LA.
i'm totally new to this great channel and am super curious -- as Simone said, this was "part of her childhood" yet was new to George. are there movies from China (or Hong Kong) that George grew up loving that Simone could react to? i feel like that would be a really cool perspective, as well as introduce us to cool movies from Asia.
I was to understand the real killing power in Chinese infantry were crossbows. I saw documentary that the lock and trigger mechanisms were mass produced and Chinese armies trained in, from memory, elements of three: one firing, and two reloading so that, essentially, one rank was always firing and the formations could advance or retreat in good order so long as their bolts, also I believe, mass produced, held out. As I understand it, hand weapons would be secondary. The swords, unlike Japanese katana, were straight, not curved and required the most practice to master or even handle moderately well.
One thing to note. When Fa Zhou says it was time Mulan learned her place......it was less being sexist and more "I am not going to be here anymore after I die in the war, I will not be able to protect you". I choose to believe that because, when she messed up he comforted her, telling her she just needed some time to fully blossom.....but she does will not have that luxury anymore once he dies, because he knew very well he would die in the war the state he is in
You probably already know this, but Jackie Chan sung "I'll make a man out of you" in several chinese dialects. I don't speak any of those, though ^^. Personally I like the cantonese version.
Have you ever considered watching Abel Ferrara's "China Girl"? Its basically a street gang version of Romeo and Juliet with an Italian-American boy and a Chinese girl. A very underrated movie.
Granted, I'm certainly not Chinese or an expert on ancient/feudal China, but I DO tend to know a thing or two about dragon mythology. It's my understanding that dragons are pretty common throughout Chinese stuff, and that 5-toed Celestial Dragons are specific to the Emperor. Other dragons - river dragons, weather dragons, and whatnot, all have 2-4 toes, and were sort of a "for everyone" thing? 4-toed dragons were symbols of princes, but only specific patterns and styles of dragons were off-limits to commoners - 5-toed 2-horned dragons, 8 dragons, and 9 dragons. I'm not COMPLETELY clear on if 4-toed dragons were simply symbols of princes, or if they were off-limits to commoners too. To my knowledge, that's roughly the situation. I could be wrong. I've never had an expert I could ask for clarifications. 🤷♂
Do not expect historical accuracy in this movies.Check Hercules and The Emperor's New Groove and you will understand, this movies had a more comical focus.
I think based on his general disposition he was meant to be a monk. Why he served in the army, I can't say. It seems like the Chinese army wouldn't need to be so desperate as pressgang monks into service. Unless Chien-Po hadn't completed his vows or whatever ritual the monks use to finalize their decision to join the brotherhood.
@@DaemonKeido in times of poverty and chaos sometimes becoming a monk was also nothing more than a means to an end, just like joining the army (to get fed and have a roof over one’s head). The founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty was himself once a beggar and later a monk, before joining a rebellion that eventually propelled himself to become the new ruler of the realm.
I know this is late, but I only saw this today, but it is not so, that only the emperor is allowed to have anything dragon related. Not just did these rules change over time, but even during the times of the Qing empire, it was so that only the 5 clawed dragon was reserved for the emperor, then 4 claws for the princes and 3 claws for the officials. But that was in regard to clothing. In disney's movie it was about a local family shrine, and for such things the rules can be different, often simply because local officials didn't have the power to enforce the rules. Not to mention, that there is always local variation.
This is actually the very first movie I ever saw in theaters. My mom took me. I was 4 years old. It was either during the summer time or it may have actually been for my 5th birthday in September. Movies back then after all in were in theaters for a God awful long time. It always felt like forever before they finally came out on VHS. Ah the good ol days.
I would have loved to hear about the Mulan ballad that you learned at school :) This is one of my favorite movies growing up, so different than the rest of the princesses movies that wait for the knight on shining armor, and i also wished that i had a good father like Mulan :)
Funny how the First Ancestor is voiced by George Takei, ... who is not technically anything Chinese... or that the Chinese Emperor is voiced by Pat Morita ... definitely a movie made for US audience.
George: "Well actually if a dragon got a family member killed, he wouldn't be demoted. He'd be put on probation. Full guardian privileges would be reinstated pending an investigation, unless it's a Cantonese dragon."
I remember when this movie was released in China in late 1990s, most people don't like it and listed all the wrong things it has. Later in 2008 people compare Kongfu Panda with Mulan and say Panda is perfect because it respects Chinese culture. But from what I saw, they are both great movies. Kongfu Panda also has incorrect details and some of them are even worse than Mulan. e.g. 'Master Shifu', Shifu(师傅) means master so the red panda is called 'master master'. Respect? Who created this role? Has he even asked a prep student who speaks Chinese? I believe the only reason is people are more open and happy to see the west might also have interests in our culture now. So Disney Mulan just came to China at a wrong time. :P
The Master Shifu thing is a recurring theme and sort of inside joke, the prison in the movie is quite literally called Prison Prison. It's not an oversight :)
Never realized it was weird that Mulan went to a special place to get dressed up for the match maker, I always kind of imagined that was her family's "city house" rather than their country house" or something.
Ballad of Mulan (at least the first few lines)
唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织。不闻机杼声，唯闻女叹息。
问女何所思？问女何所忆？“女亦无所思，女亦无所忆。
唧唧复唧唧，木兰当户织。不闻机杼声，唯闻女叹息，问女何所思？问女何所忆？女亦无所思，女亦无所忆。昨夜见军帖，可汗大点兵，军书十二卷，卷卷有爷名。阿爷无大儿，木兰无长兄，愿为市鞍马，从此替爷征。
东市买骏马，西市买鞍鞯，南市买辔头，北市买长鞭。旦辞爷孃去，暮宿黄河边，不闻爷孃唤女声，但闻黄河流水鸣溅溅。旦辞黄河去，暮至黑山头，不闻爷孃唤女声，但闻燕山胡骑鸣啾啾。
万里赴戎机，关山度若飞。朔气传金柝，寒光照铁衣。将军百战死，壮士十年归。
归来见天子，天子坐明堂。策勋十二转，赏赐百千强。可汗问所欲，木兰不用尚书郎，愿借明驼千里足，送儿还故乡。
爷孃闻女来，出郭相扶将；阿姊闻妹来，当户理红妆；小弟闻姊来，磨刀霍霍向猪羊。开我东阁门，坐我西阁床。脱我战时袍，著我旧时裳。当窗理云鬓，对镜贴花黄。出门看火伴，火伴皆惊惶。同行十二年，不知木兰是女郎。
雄兔脚扑朔，雌兔眼迷离。双兔傍地走，安能辨我是雄雌？
English translation please?
I always thought that girl worth fighting for was the little girl they killed (who´s doll it was)
a big reason why this film is enjoyable is the era it came out..this is when films were creative meant for people to enjoy in the moment and not made to become franchises or sell merch from jump or be apart of a brand...they made it just out of joy of pushing the artform and their skills to see if they can make a classic in modern times..earnest was the right word..everyone working on it were earnest about it...if it became a popular merch movie for girls over the next year thats a bonus..it was not made with that intent in mind...now everything has to be apart of a bigger marketing machine plan that creates more and more which over saturates the product itself feeling less like a great film and more like a cog in the grand scheme with skipable scenes and thus feeling hollow lacking substance....everything now is made because of trends and computers telling us what can create the most money and other brands off this one brand...its so annoying..i wish i could return to this era...
you guys ruined the entire ending i feel...when mulan really kicks butt with her skills....you just talked over and missed it
“Why is he shirtless?”
“Shush! Let him be shirtless”
Girl speaks for all of us
because its hot as hecc in china.
good lord is it hot in china.......
@@drakke125Channel IS IT?!!!!
Speaking as a man watching.....
Yes.
I’m a girl and I was on George side in this xD
Ikr?
It's vitally important to the plot!
I don't know if anyone brought this up, but after they finish singing "A girl worth fighting for" and find the doll of the girl, they found a girl worth fighting for.
And there were no more songs after that scene.
So now i am crying.
dude i have seen this movie many times and never once picked up on that.
The whole part about cutting her hair is definitely it being a movie born of the 90s in the US. Hair is incredibly important to, well a great many cultures and people, and the symbolism around it is all different, but as a young woman in the 90s, cutting your hair was (and even now still is) a form of dramatic change. It was likely done for movie shorthand to show a transition and seriousness and dedication, rather then being something made to be accurate. The score playing is titled "Short Hair" so it's really created to be the culmination shot of the moment and definitely a choice the story team/animators made.
*Neeerrrddd* Nah sorry this was a cool read lol. Thanks for the info! 👊
I'd like to suggest, after the comments in the video, that it could've also symbolized Mulan cutting ties to her parents. Because she probably assumed she'd never come back home afterwards and he said that "hair is considered a gift from their parents"
..... it.....
It was to look like a boy.... 😶
@@MrRagston
Well yes that too, but if it was just that the movie wouldn't have lingered on it with so much weight.
Things can be multiple things. Hair is important to people.
@@MrRagston Except boys in China didn't cut their hair either in the time periods this film is pulling from, unless they were Buddhist monks, in which case they shaved all of it.
"my friends, you bow to no one" - I see you're a man of culture
haha great reaction you two!
When the emperor/king bows, EVERYONE bows.
First of all, George you are NEVER too old to see/watch Disney movies animated or not! Second, I really liked your reactions to the movie and I'm happy to be a new subscriber
Heck, I more or less STARTED watching Disney movies in my 20s (after Beauty and the Beast won an Oscar it became highly acceptable ; also when I was 7 Cinderella traumatized me, so it took a while 🤣)
The stampede from THE LION KING was the first "Huge CGI Effect" for a traditional Disney animated movie; the crowd scenes from HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME were second, and the battle scene from MULAN was third.
I believe it was Beauty and the Beast that was first (1991). It was the ballroom scene. Beauty and the Beast was also the first full length animated movie to be nominated the Academy Awards for Best Picture (back then there was no price for Best Animated Feature).
But otherwise your list is spot on 😊
@@novanettle7497 Fair. I was talking about the "epic" CGI usage (but could've said Big Ben was the first big use of CGI for Disney
And then the carpet chase out of the cave of wonders in Aladdin was also a big CGI moment.
One thing I really love about Mulan 1998 is that historically in hun militaries it wasn’t unusual to have both men and women fighting, hence why when Shan Yu realizes that Mulan caused the avalanche he says “the soldier from the mountain” he’s shocked at the realization that is was Mulan rather than Li Shang, but his shock isn’t inherently related to her gender
I’m aware that fighting the Huns in this movie is inaccurate as hell but the message of the movie is focused on women empowerment so I really appreciate that they included that sort of accuracy regarding how the Huns would have treated a woman soldier
Interesting to know that
Ok
I didn't know that! That's a really cool detail.
8:39 I had a friend that visited China one time, and brought back a little dragon piece. He said that the guy was only allowed to sell it because of a loophole: it had five toes on each foot, whereas dragons only have four, therefore, it wasn't legally a dragon.
Wasn't even a dragon ShakeMySMH
Semantics!
My favorite parts:
- George: Why is he shirtless?
Simone: I mean, sshh! Let him be shirtless.
- Simone: The tiniest fire.
11:20 "Why is he _shirtless?"_
"I mean _shush._ Let him be shirtless."
😆😆😆
Interesting fact: The song “A Girl Worth Fighting For” was originally gonna be cut from the film cause some of the creators thought it was misogynistic but of course it ended up in the movie cause in the end they knew that Mulan was gonna change the men’s perspective about women.
Wow, how PC of them…
Did you see those HUNS? They POPPED UP OUTTA THE SNOW. LIKE DAISIES!! Still one of my all time favorite quotes from any movie.
I saw this movie in theaters when it came out. So for the past 24 years, I have never been able to hear "Let's get down to business" without wanting to defeat the Huns. I think this has been my all time favorite animated Disney movie. The quote "No matter how the wind howls, the mountain cannot bow to it has always hit me in the feels
If you sing it at karaoke with at least the right cadence and lyrics, everyone will love you.
Ask me how I know. 😅
this brings so much joy it deserves 10x the views ! Not only do we get to see a first time reaction of a cherished childhood movie. we get to see it through a chinese perspective simultaneously from his western young adult upbringing
I think the hair cutting is a "dramatic symbol"; it usually is in western modern culture a sign of change, a new sense of purpose etc. Either the person cuts their hair, colors their hair or both. So for a western audience it makes sense even if it's not historically correct.
My opinion about the hair cutting thing; I think it's important to keep in mind that this movie was made bz western people with a most probably kinda traditional western mindset. Long hair is a very feminine trait here, so I always felt like the wanted to show her laying down everything feminine/womanly about her for the sake of her goal. like, to symbolize how determined she was to do everything necessary to protect her father. The same goes for the whole replacing the scroll with her comb thing.
But yea maybe I dived too deap and they just thought it was cool what do I know XD
Yeah thats how i understood it
Just like Sakura
Made bz western people.
What does bz short for?
@@stevenulch2764 “by western people” it was just a typo. My slightly dyslexic ass just can’t type/proofread properly sorry 🙈
Or to make herself seem like a younger man. Because they had their coming of age ceremonies at 20 so maybe ….
One of Eddie Murphy's greatest performances.
Great reaction. Thank you George for the comments about certain inaccuracies, honestly doesnt take away from the fun or humor of it being a Disney family movie, I didnt know about the rule about cutting your hair although it does make a certain sense in a traditional way. Finally Simone I love the hair, looks great, hope both of you are staying safe and i look forward to more reactions. Thank you both for taking the time and effort to make these
His comments were super insightful
I believe there's someone who gave a thorough examination of Chinese culture in Disney's Mulan (the same one who thrashed the remake) and gave it pretty positive, if flawed, as a review mark.
The guy in blue, Chi-Fu, is voiced by James Hong. Younger people know him mostly as a voice actor, with roles such as Mr. Ping in the Kung Fu Panda movies, but he's an accomplished television and movie actor as well. He was especially prolific in the 80's and 90's, with roles in movies and TV shows such as Big Trouble in Little China, Blade Runner, MacGyver and Wayne's World 2. He also has a small role in Airplane from 1975.
7:30
This whole SEQUENCE was used as the trailer, from her getting up from the statue to the zoom-in on the statue!
At 5:26 it probably wasn't AT the matchmaker that they got her cleaned up, but they took her to some high end bath house/salon before getting to said matchmaker possibly even one that specializes in this exact purpose. Depending on how many families do this there may be a whole industry there. It may have been so ubiquitous that historical sources don't even bother mentioning those places.
This has less to do with Chinese culture but with practicality.
If they had to walk to the city from their village the trip may have taken several hours or even a most of a day. It only makes sense that after hours of travel they need to get her into presentable shape somehow.
Mushu: Did I hear someone ask for a miracle?! Let me hear you say aahhhh!!!!!
Mulan: AAAAAHHHH!!!!!!!!
Mushu: That's close enough!
The last song in the entire movie is right before they find the destroyed army, there is no more songs afterwards
The best version of Mulan I've ever seen. The live action remake, unfortunately, left a bad taste in fans mouths
The live action was a huge disappointment…this movie had spirit and heart.
Not that this version of Mulan is all that.... True to real china back then.... but it's a very enjoyable representation. :)
I didn't hate it. Wasn't as good as Renaissance version, sure. But I didn't understand the hate everyone had
Live action could have been retitled Chinese Supergirl goes to War or Mulan and the Keystone Soldiers.
Superior by birth, never humble, no character growth and no lessons learned.
The live action was a $@!+ Storm.
Not mine. I didn’t think it was bad at all. Sure it’s not perfect but it’s still enjoyable
Some random trivia: Ming-Na Wen is the speaking voice of Mulan and Lea Salonga is the singing voice. One of Ming-Na's earliest acting jobs was on the soap opera "As The World Turns" as Lien Hughes (1988-1991). She was the first Asian-American to be a regular on a daytime soap. Lien shows up as a teenager (17 years old) to find her father (who had no idea of her existence) after her mother dies in Vietnam. The character was written off the show in 1991, but when they brought the character back in 2001 Lea Salonga played the role of Lien. Interesting that these two women had actually shared two different roles.
I grew up on this movie it's one of my favourite movies of all time mostly because of nostalgia, but it's also good. But you pointing out fact like text and traditions and things I think is really cool and interesting, loved it!
Can I say that the one thing I like about the bad guy is that he doesn't discriminate, when Mulan made it known that she was the one that fought him he didn't go into a "but you're a girl" argument. he just accepted it and went to try to kill her lol
EDIT: apparently I need to emphasize that I am talking more so the writers not putting in an extra message of feminism or whatever and just sticking to the story with a little more flair then the source material which is "the ballad of hua mulan"
I kind of think it was a good thing they changed the mongool tohuns becuse otherweise we would not have gotten the most epic fighting song in movie history. The bad guys are based on mongools and they didn´t really see a problem with women being warriors.
Agreed, I love that fact; he didn’t see a women, he saw the serious threat of the enemy that single handedly wiped out his whole damn army
well, that's just historical facts: arcording to the history, women from his tribe were just as powerful and determind as the men: hunting, sword-fight, arrow-shooting, fighting..., so he just simply accepted the fact that Mulan is a strong woman like the woman from his tribe!
Naw, dude was a killer, plain and simple, he killed men women and children, only reason he went after Mulan was because she cost him his victory so he wanted vengeance. Not like he seen her as an equal, hell either him or one of his men killed the little girl who owned the doll from the pass, as well as everyone else in the village and probably many villages along the way before then.
@@romangoykhman6127 yes, I know
Not a feminist by the way, can't stand feminists of this time/nowadays(grew up with a big mostly male family...... Even my mom was a tomboy)
I was saying it because around the time that the cartoon was made there was alot of BS revolving around the sexes & gender in general in movies. My thing was just about the fact that it wasn't brought up in the first place unlike other movies in this time.i wasn't talking about the characters in that way, I was talking about the writers of the cartoon..... It's literally part of what ruined the live action remake. (By trynna make it about "girl power" & hiding being her true woman self 🤢). It's why I like the movie alien so much..... She was a badass who happened to be a woman, without any "pro" or "anti" feminist BS ruining the story.
Yes, I get the same chills from the "You bow to no one" line in LotR as I do when the crowd bows to Mulan.
My favorite thing about this movies is that She upholds her family’s honor…she did it for love and duty.
Re: dragon symbolism in Mulan's family: according to wikipedia "In the Yuan dynasty, the two-horned five-clawed dragon was designated for use by the Son of Heaven or Emperor only, while the four-clawed dragon was used by the princes and nobles. Similarly during the Ming and Qing dynasty, the five-clawed dragon was strictly reserved for use by the Emperor only." So the great stone dragon was probably a four-clawed dragon, and Mulan's family likely had a degree of nobility, supported by their wealth and the fact that the guy in blue robes recognized Mulan's father's name (Fa Zhou in this adaption) on paper.
This is an American adaption, so the hair cutting made sense to American children as a sign she wanted to look like a boy, but it also symbolizes change, like a woman getting bangs or a bob after getting out of a long term relationship. I think the fact that they didn't cut their hair in Ancient China makes the hair-cutting scene more impactful, like she's shedding her ties with her family for this endeavor.
CG Disney Things predating 1998's Mulan:
1985 - The Black Cauldron (The Black Cauldron)
1986 - Big Ben Interior (The Great Mouse Detective)
1988 - New York Traffic (Oliver and Company)
1989 - Eric's Staircase (The Little Mermaid)
1990 - Opening zoom (The Rescuers Down Under)
1991 - The Ballroom (Beauty and the Beast)
1992 - The Cave of Wonders (Aladdin)
1994 - The Wildebeast Stampede (The Lion King)
1995 - Grandmother Willow trunk and roots (Pocahontas)
1996 - Background Paris Crowd (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
1997 - The Hydra (Hercules)
thank you
I just got my braces tightened and that scene where he bites to stay up on the pole omg
The sharpened vampire teeth bit, is from Japanese Anime, used to show audience that this person is mean/animal-like. Used exclusively when the character has some sort of foreign context.
Its not just a Japanese thing, in all of fiction if you want to denote a character as a predator you emphasize their bestial traits.
look up Xiran Jay Zhao sometime; they did a fascinating breakdown on the cultural depictions and inaccuracies in the film (and it's sequel/remake).
I hate the sequel, in my opinion the sequel is NOT Canon
Their video is so good. Love that they got so pissed about the new mulan it catapulted her whole youtube channel
@@vickylikesthis yeah thats the best thing about it
@@vickylikesthis A lot of channels have started out by ranting about something they hate. Jeremy Jahns (movie reviewer) started his channel back in 2009 after he hated Revenge of the Fallen.
@@matthewmazzatto8003 i see that's just how great channels started then. I'm just proud of being around for the birth of xiran's.
1:03 You are NEVER NEVER EVER too old for a Disney movie!
I love this movie so much, while I hate the new one. The new one gives Mulan special superpowers thanks to the catchall "Chi". However, in this one, everything she is is thanks to her mind. She doesn't start as a martial arts master or anything, but she's EXTREMELY clever. She uses Little Brother to feed the chickens, wins the checkers game in five seconds during "Honor To Us All", figures out a way to climb and get the arrow when in training, takes out the entire Hun army(barring the few)with a single cannon and even lures Shan Yu into a trap and pins him there(after using a fan, a symbol of femininity, to disarm him).
Animated Mulan over live action any day.
I didn't see the new Mulan because I expected it to suck, but when I heard about the 'chi' thing...argh!
The whole idea is what she's good enough on her own and, in a time when women were considered lesser, was capable of doing what was thought to be a men's only domain, being a soldier.
Giving her special powers completely destroyed that and just made her into a superhero.
I guess everything has to be freaking MCU now!
@@sandpiperrnew live worth the watch. It's historically accurate and I rather enjoyed it
So i've been going through your back log of stuff, enjoying yalls view points on stuff. The fact that you're wearing a Strong Jaw Ale shirt fills me with so much happiness! :D
You HAVE to watch the hunchback of notre dame. Beautiful movie! (The music gives me goosebumps)
Yah and we arguably get one of the most evil Disney villains of all time.
Fun reaction -- including the little cultural notes, which were great. Enjoyed it!
I think you mean "They made him AWESOME!" I love Shan Yu, this character is super stylized but I love it.
My favorite comment about this movie comes from another RUclipsr, Xiran, who when reacting to the movie, noted Mulan is “the Disney princess with the highest kill count.” Facts!
Alittle too short but great reaction. BTW, first cgi in disney animation movies can be found in : The great mouse detective (during the chase and fight in Big Ben) in 1986.
First Disney CG animation merger in a feature was in 1991 Beauty and the Beast, the ballroom dance scene. :) 14:00
actually, it was from the great mouse detective, in 1986, in the Big Ben scene
@@delphinebriand1554 in a very loose sense. Printing wireframes to trace with hand animated cells is a stretch on the definition of CGI.
I remember my mom taking us to see this in theater when I was a kid. My mom said it was the funniest Disney movie she’d ever seen
I didn’t know until the dvd release that in the release of the film in China Jackie Chan did the singing voice for Shang.
there's quite a few things the emperor can have but peasants couldn't
One thing George prob has heard of is the fact that only the Emperor can wear the color yellow, yellow gold, or gold.
I 'want' to say the reason why mulan's family has good housing is possibly because her father achieved a decent military position/status, and he was known as a war hero from his time. In the cartoon movie i mean.
Oh definitely, my interpretation is that the Fa family definitely is extremely powerful, rich and have earned it in a way that brings genuine honor and good reputation. The father is clearly a war hero / retired officer, but the family's history must go back generations. (Another question, of course as some other reviewer pointed out is the whole story is unnecessary, since the Imperial Army most likely would have given her father a "desk job" with his war injury combined with the honor he has earned).
Paw Patrol is something "made for kids". This movie is a beautifully animated Broadway production that is appropriate for all ages.
I love watching this movie dubbed in Chinese, just because Jackie Chan voices the main man in both Mandarin and Cantonese and he does all the singing himself
I see a lot of talk about Mulan's makeup practically dissolving under her sleeve, and I'm curious; as compared to modern cosmetics, which have been formulated to stay on under any circumstances; would rice powder wipe off so easily?
Also, people notice how "a girl worth fighting for" is the last lyrical song, but no one mentions how the last lyric is technically 'a girl worth fighting,' aka Mulan
“I haven’t watched this movie in quite a while”
Me: I thought this was your first time?
This is my favourite Disney movie since I was a kid and the song “Make a Man Out of You” is my favourite song from any Disney movie
This mulan and brother bear are my favourite Disney movie and have the best soundtracks and songs
I also loved Milan and brother bear ;-; Did you like Tarzan? Phil Collins!
@@vrod9686 Yh I like Tarzan and that sounds track is gold aswell love you’ll be in my heart and son of man
Didn't expect to see Simone watching Mulan
I read on Internet, the base idea was to give to Shan Yu the capacity to see with his falcon's eyes so that's why her eyes are like that
Disney just causally shows a battlefield of dead soldiers and rockets exploding archers into bits while their blood curdling screams are heard.
Who doesn't love a good montage? Also... you've both been to the Great Wall? How cool. Is it something worth visiting or is it maybe too touristy or overhyped?
Yep! we went with a few other friends to a few cities in China back in 2019 for a couple of weeks! and yes the wall is definitely worth a visit, but also yes there will be lots of people and tourists. It isnt just 1 destination like other world wonders, since its a very very long wall, there are actually 4 spots you can pick to go, all near Beijing. the most restored/biggest and there for most people is Badaling section. you can take the rides up or hike the mountain yourself, which is what we did. took a few hours but totally worth it!
I believe only the two-horned, five-clawed dragon represented the emperor. Princes or other nobles could be presented and wear clothing or accessories with dragons that had less claws. Since neither Mushu nor the Great Stone Dragon had five claws, I don't think this would be a problem. Similarly, the fenghuang (Chinese Phoenix) represented the empress, but I believe others could wear one if it had less colors.
Xian Jay Zhao does a great breakdown of Mulan and what the movie gets right and wrong about Chinese culture! Worth checking out if one is interested in stuff like that :D
This is me and my husband’s favorite Disney movie-me because I relate to Mulan as a woman and my husband because he’s Chinese and as a first generation Chinese kid, he didn’t have a lot of media that represented him growing up, even imperfectly.
It's been pointed out that Mulan was given an out by Shang saying to pack up and go home. However her staying put was the best thing as it turned out, if Mulan had left, Mushu and Cri Kee go with her, aren't there to write that fake message, Shang and the troops don't head out, discover the destroyed village or learn the General and the Imperial Army are dead. And even if they had made it that far, none of them would've been able to take on Shan Yu or the huns either way without Mulan setting off that avalanche. Then finally Shan Yu gets to the city undetected and all of China(including Mulans village and her family)are sitting ducks.
The deep grumbly voice of Shan-Yu is that of Miguel Ferrer, son of José Ferrer and Rosemary Clooney, cousin of George Clooney, known for RoboCop, Twin Peaks, Crossing Jordan and NCIS: LA.
Love the Strongjaw Ale t-shirt! 😁
Behold Mulan the first disney princess with a body count
9:01 "That's like _vampire_ teeth."
Check out their hands, too.
“Only the emperor is allowed to have anything dragon related”
…and then the Fa Family’s Dragon statue collapses.
Strongjaw Ale - "I would like to drink!"
Cantonese is the accent that's closes to what ancient Chinese sounded like, so...
i'm totally new to this great channel and am super curious -- as Simone said, this was "part of her childhood" yet was new to George. are there movies from China (or Hong Kong) that George grew up loving that Simone could react to? i feel like that would be a really cool perspective, as well as introduce us to cool movies from Asia.
Theres a youtube video about the kill counts of disney movies or characters. Very surprised at the final tallies
I was to understand the real killing power in Chinese infantry were crossbows. I saw documentary that the lock and trigger mechanisms were mass produced and Chinese armies trained in, from memory, elements of three: one firing, and two reloading so that, essentially, one rank was always firing and the formations could advance or retreat in good order so long as their bolts, also I believe, mass produced, held out. As I understand it, hand weapons would be secondary. The swords, unlike Japanese katana, were straight, not curved and required the most practice to master or even handle moderately well.
4:08 the Ancestor’s got her back
One thing to note. When Fa Zhou says it was time Mulan learned her place......it was less being sexist and more "I am not going to be here anymore after I die in the war, I will not be able to protect you".
I choose to believe that because, when she messed up he comforted her, telling her she just needed some time to fully blossom.....but she does will not have that luxury anymore once he dies, because he knew very well he would die in the war the state he is in
In Thai dub, they said Mulan's surname is Hua. So Hua Mulan.
You probably already know this, but Jackie Chan sung "I'll make a man out of you" in several chinese dialects. I don't speak any of those, though ^^. Personally I like the cantonese version.
I haven't watched this channel since the Lion King reaction. However, I must say I really like Simone's hair shorter like that.
I agree 100% of Shang needing to be shirtless for that one scene. XD
Mulan was my favorite Disney movie
Have you ever considered watching Abel Ferrara's "China Girl"? Its basically a street gang version of Romeo and Juliet with an Italian-American boy and a Chinese girl. A very underrated movie.
Mushu: 8:38 *HELLO😂😂*
CG was used in Beauty and the Beast
Granted, I'm certainly not Chinese or an expert on ancient/feudal China, but I DO tend to know a thing or two about dragon mythology.
It's my understanding that dragons are pretty common throughout Chinese stuff, and that 5-toed Celestial Dragons are specific to the Emperor.
Other dragons - river dragons, weather dragons, and whatnot, all have 2-4 toes, and were sort of a "for everyone" thing?
4-toed dragons were symbols of princes, but only specific patterns and styles of dragons were off-limits to commoners - 5-toed 2-horned dragons, 8 dragons, and 9 dragons.
I'm not COMPLETELY clear on if 4-toed dragons were simply symbols of princes, or if they were off-limits to commoners too.
To my knowledge, that's roughly the situation.
I could be wrong.
I've never had an expert I could ask for clarifications. 🤷♂
It's so amazing that he speaks Canadian without any Chinese accent.
Mulan has like 2 or 3 of the top 5 Disney songs and no one can change my mind.
Mulan may not be my favorite Disney cartoon movie, but I love Mulan and Reflection will most likely forever be my top Disney song.
Ayyy Epica shirt 🤘
The 5 clawed dragon only was for the emperor actually ! 4 clawed was free real estate, and Mushu has 4 claws
Do not expect historical accuracy in this movies.Check Hercules and The Emperor's New Groove and you will understand, this movies had a more comical focus.
Grandma is the best!
5:08 *Mulan 2020 remake in a nutshell*
I’m convinced that Chien-Po was loosely based off of buda
I think based on his general disposition he was meant to be a monk. Why he served in the army, I can't say. It seems like the Chinese army wouldn't need to be so desperate as pressgang monks into service. Unless Chien-Po hadn't completed his vows or whatever ritual the monks use to finalize their decision to join the brotherhood.
@@DaemonKeido in times of poverty and chaos sometimes becoming a monk was also nothing more than a means to an end, just like joining the army (to get fed and have a roof over one’s head).
The founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty was himself once a beggar and later a monk, before joining a rebellion that eventually propelled himself to become the new ruler of the realm.
@@jw1731 So would Chien-Po just as likely be a volunteer as a conscript? It didn't SEEM like he acted like he was forced to be there.
I know this is late, but I only saw this today, but it is not so, that only the emperor is allowed to have anything dragon related. Not just did these rules change over time, but even during the times of the Qing empire, it was so that only the 5 clawed dragon was reserved for the emperor, then 4 claws for the princes and 3 claws for the officials. But that was in regard to clothing. In disney's movie it was about a local family shrine, and for such things the rules can be different, often simply because local officials didn't have the power to enforce the rules. Not to mention, that there is always local variation.
This is actually the very first movie I ever saw in theaters. My mom took me. I was 4 years old. It was either during the summer time or it may have actually been for my 5th birthday in September. Movies back then after all in were in theaters for a God awful long time. It always felt like forever before they finally came out on VHS.
Ah the good ol days.
Simone, not sure if anyone has noticed this or not, but i love your Critical Role T-shirt.
I would have loved to hear about the Mulan ballad that you learned at school :)
This is one of my favorite movies growing up, so different than the rest of the princesses movies that wait for the knight on shining armor, and i also wished that i had a good father like Mulan :)
Is that a Strongjaw Ale shirt??? BIDET, CRITTER!!!!!!
I knew I liked you :D
Funny how the First Ancestor is voiced by George Takei, ... who is not technically anything Chinese... or that the Chinese Emperor is voiced by Pat Morita ... definitely a movie made for US audience.
George: "Well actually if a dragon got a family member killed, he wouldn't be demoted. He'd be put on probation. Full guardian privileges would be reinstated pending an investigation, unless it's a Cantonese dragon."
I remember when this movie was released in China in late 1990s, most people don't like it and listed all the wrong things it has. Later in 2008 people compare Kongfu Panda with Mulan and say Panda is perfect because it respects Chinese culture. But from what I saw, they are both great movies. Kongfu Panda also has incorrect details and some of them are even worse than Mulan. e.g. 'Master Shifu', Shifu(师傅) means master so the red panda is called 'master master'. Respect? Who created this role? Has he even asked a prep student who speaks Chinese?
I believe the only reason is people are more open and happy to see the west might also have interests in our culture now. So Disney Mulan just came to China at a wrong time. :P
The Master Shifu thing is a recurring theme and sort of inside joke, the prison in the movie is quite literally called Prison Prison. It's not an oversight :)
Kung Fu Panda*
Never realized it was weird that Mulan went to a special place to get dressed up for the match maker, I always kind of imagined that was her family's "city house" rather than their country house" or something.
Aren't they credited as her aunts?