Mulan Live-Action Review: Refocusing on the Morals of the Movie

Mulan Live-Action Review: Refocusing on the Morals of the Movie

By. Angelica Garcia

After watching the Live-Action Mulan Movie, some people have said that it was too dull. Honestly, while watching the movie, I felt that way at times. However, when I put that aside, I realized that the overall messages caught my attention. When I think about the crucial messages the movie wanted to portray, I'd say it wasn’t that bad after all. I liked how the film showed that acknowledging, respecting, listening, and allowing a woman to lead can be very important and beneficial because doing these things can still be very difficult for some.

For years, gender roles and gender stereotypes towards women all over the world were too confining. Women were stereotyped to be fragile. They had to be a good wife and a good mother. Their duties had to be towards the wellbeing of their family and home. They couldn’t do a lot of things that men could do. They had fewer opportunities and some women would be criticized or punished for ambitious pursuits. Numerous women in history even pretended to be a man in order to do what they wanted, just like Mulan.

There are some things in the movie that related to things that a lot of women had to deal with in the past, but there were some refreshing scenes that were unconventional. First of all, you’d think that both of Mulan’s parents would disapprove of her practicing martial arts because it’s considered masculine. However, Mulan’s father acknowledged Mulan’s potential and helped her hone her skills. He supported her, while Mulan’s mother wanted Mulan to be a traditionally feminine lady. It was interesting to see Mulan’s father help her training because I can imagine how many fathers in the past wouldn’t be as willing.

Also, after the general discovered Mulan was a man and revoked her from keeping in contact with everyone, you’d think that the general would stick with his decision, and he wouldn’t listen to her, even if someone stood up for her. You’d think he’d continue to ignore Mulan because not a lot of men in the past would easily give women a chance. But the general ended up listening to Mulan, and she ended up saving the emperor.

Finally, if you think about how a lot of men were in the past, you’d think that the emperor would’ve been more shocked and confused that a woman was trying to save him. However, the emperor seemed very calm and accepting of that matter. Of course, his life was in danger. He’d accept help from anyone at that point. He ended up being so grateful to Mulan that he encouraged her to become a leader of his guard. Some men would’ve questioned the emperor’s proposal because Mulan is a woman, but the emperor did his best to convince Mulan anyways. What mattered to the emperor was Mulan’s skills, not her gender.

In conclusion, in the movie, there are several things you wouldn't expect a man in the past to do due to strict gender roles and gender stereotypes. For example, instead of not giving Mulan a chance to improve her martial arts abilities, Mulan’s father acknowledged Mulan’s talent and helped her get better. Instead of disregarding Mulan’s warning because she's a woman who pretended to be a man for the safety of her father in mind, the general and his army ended up listening and respecting Mulan. They even allowed her to lead them to victory, and the emperor didn’t mind that it was a woman who made it happen. In reality, things would have been very different. The thing is, if the men in the movie never acknowledged, listened, and respected Mulan, then the antagonist probably would’ve been victorious instead. But because they listened to Mulan and gave her a chance, it ended with a happy ending.