There might be some hope for Disney when it comes to kicking a movie up a rating, but let’s not hold our breath yet. Some folks might be genuinely surprised at the PG-13 rating that the movie has earned and could be wondering just what they’re in store for upon taking their family to the theaters. As B. Alan Orange of MovieWeb validates, there will be no hilarious dragon at Mulan’s side this time around since the Mouse House is dumping the cartoonish feel that their original take on this old legend was given in favor of showing a more realistic version that will not be featuring musical numbers and will focus largely on the war that enveloped China during Mulan’s era. That’s why this movie has been upgraded from PG and rightly so. War movies are usually far more intense and offer up very differing emotions between audience members than many other movies could possibly match, and Mulan is, like it or not, a war movie since it was set in a time when China was embroiled in a very nasty and long war against a very determined enemy. There are actually many tales of her bravery and fierce nature, making her story resonate along the same lines of Joan of Arc of France or Ragnar Lothbrok of Norway. In essence she’s a legendary figure that did exist at one point, but whose story has been told and retold so many times that it’s hard to parse truth from fiction without running into legend and hearsay throughout each account.
Disney has opted to take a much stronger look at her story however and paint her as the hero that she turned out to be in the animated version, but what’s interesting, as Natalia Climczak of Ancient Origins and many others would point out, was that being a woman never hindered her that much. She did dress and act like a man in many versions of the story, but unlike the death penalty that was to be levied in the animated feature, many legends speak of her openly revealing herself and actually inspiring her fellow troops and gaining their loyalty without question for her role during the war. There are no doubt exploits that have been exaggerated and even fabricated throughout the years to push a narrative that she was a bit stronger and mightier than she was, but the fact remains that even in the most outlandish tales there is a kernel of truth at the very least, and Mulan has been held up as a heroine throughout the ages for what she did in her own time. Whether the story we’re being given is entirely true or not isn’t really the debate, it’s whether it will live up to its rating and its reputation at this point since at this point it’s March release date still doesn’t appear likely to allow it to move into China where the story originated and where it rightfully belongs.
Much like the new James Bond movie, No Time to Die, Mulan will likely be unable to move into Chinese theaters thanks to the coronavirus that is still at this time holding the city in its grip until something can be done to contain it. Setting the idea of lost profits aside, because it’s a touchy subject that is already somewhat vulgar when compared with the lives at stake if the virus can’t be dealt with, China’s true loss is seeing one of its greatest legends come to life on the big screen in a way that could inspire and appeal to the country in a very big way, hopefully. It’s no secret that American-made movies haven’t always received the warmest of receptions in China, but this one would hopefully bridge that gap and instill a lot of people with a great deal of pride since Mulan was in fact one of their own, just any country could say of their home-grown legends. Plus, as a symbol of hope, as she’s been in the past, it would certainly be uplifting for many people to be able to see one of their most recognized historical figures. The fact that it has an all-Asian cast shouldn’t be a deterrent at the box office in America no matter that some folks might recognize only a handful of people, it’s the fact that the movie is based on a Chinese legend and there will only be Asian actors in use for the movie. This is a big mark of progress since too often in the past parts have in fact been given to individuals of other races and colors and explained away with the thinnest of stories. This time around however things are going the way they need to, and despite the cuteness being pretty much sucked out of it by eliminating Mushu, there’s a good chance that Mulan will still be highly inspirational when seen on the big screen once again.
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