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[–][deleted] 163 points164 points165 points 5 years ago (20 children) | Copy Link
I love how many female villains were actually independant women. Producers wanted to push the narrative that being independant makes you "bad". Barf.
[–]maznykFDS Newbie105 points106 points107 points 5 years ago (19 children) | Copy Link
Literally the moral of the new Mulan movie that just came out. The witch says she can not bear to live in a world that will not accept a woman with power, betrays the bad guy who treated her like a slave even though he promised she’s be free to do as she pleases in his new kingdom, and helps Mulan who she sees leading the men into battle and has hope for. The world will never accept these two powerful women so the witch chooses death and Mulan literally says “I know my place” and is allowed to live and exist in this world because she declines a promising career with the emperor and returns home to resubmit herself to her family in the hopes that she may have a chance to honor her family and meet the matchmaker again. It’s only after Mulan chooses to submit to society’s expectations of her that she is then presented with a sword to show she has earned honor.
They were really heavy handed with Independent Powerful Woman = Bad , Loyal Submissive Woman = Good. It was really weird to see in such a modern movie
[–]nyan_birbFDS Newbie57 points58 points59 points 5 years ago (4 children) | Copy Link
You made me change my mind about watching it now.
[–]Classic500FDS Newbie23 points24 points25 points 5 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link
It's not worth the watch. Had to rewatch the original Mulan after to forget about the live action version.
[–]kht777FDS Newbie7 points8 points9 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Wow, I'm so glad I didn't try to buy it and just wantched the animated one instead.
[–]whysoDinosaur3FDS Newbie15 points16 points17 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Yeah same, very disappointed they chose to go in that direction but not surprised.
[–]shoesfromparis135FDS Newbie31 points32 points33 points 5 years ago (6 children) | Copy Link
The more I read about this film, the worse it sounds. Did they even watch the original? Wtf kind of remake is this?
Signed, a thirtysomething woman who watches the original Mulan at least 10-15x per year in both English and French because she is my heroine and I still want to be like her even though I am a grown-ass adult.
[–][deleted] 11 points12 points13 points 5 years ago (5 children) | Copy Link
Same Mulan is one of my favorite movie. I was sceptical when I knew that they deleted Mushu from the script but it is even more disappointing that they thought it was a good idea to make emancipation the real "bad guy" of the story.
But I heard they wanted to please china (which hated the first version) and so that could the focus on "nationalistic tradition".
Disney wants money after all.
[–]shoesfromparis135FDS Newbie9 points10 points11 points 5 years ago (4 children) | Copy Link
The most recent reviews I read described her as being perfect and powerful right from the get-go, no guidance needed. That alone ruins it for me. The whole point of her character arc is that she is a nobody who had to struggle and eventually became the unlikely hero. Take that away and what have you got?
[–]AuroraDullikThrowaway Account7 points8 points9 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Mulan had already training in combat in some versions of the legend, here however her combat prowess is born of some “special” power not out of herself.
[–][deleted] 4 points5 points6 points 5 years ago (2 children) | Copy Link
Yeah I was just reading some reviews and even the Witch did not get any real background either? Like two women with lot of power just oppose each other? Lol. Seems to be a show with no real character development. I'm also not sure it was a good idea to make two women oppose each other. It's awkward that the witch once defeated would make Mulan want to be a passive wife ? Doesn't make sense and really downplays the influence and power men have over women's choices.
But still sad that the first anime showed a woman willing to challenge tradition and being rewarded for it. While this version sounds like a real tragedy/defaitist.
[–]shoesfromparis135FDS Newbie6 points7 points8 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Bad writing. Bad writing everywhere. I see it all the time in mainstream film. Meanwhile, talented writers are left out in the cold. Why spend millions of dollars on a big-budget action film if they’re not even going to write a high quality story about fully-developed characters to go with it? They need to stop blowing their budget on CGI and hire ONE good writer. Just one! Then maybe, just maybe, I will consider paying $30 to stream their film at home.
[–]maznykFDS Newbie1 point2 points3 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Well the witch only goes after her because she’s obeying her master’s orders. And Mulan is just fighting for the emperor (and her family’s honor). So we literally have two powerful women pinned against each other for no reason other than men told them to fight each other.
I don’t think Mulan wanted to “be a passive wife” specifically. Mulan just wanted to return home with honor which meant resuming her role as their daughter and resubmitting herself to what was expected of her (and it’s expected that she’ll get wifed up just as her sister was recently matched). So she has to choose to submit herself to society, then we get the scene when her army buddies show up and present her the sword.
In the animated version the emperor hands her the sword himself, the crowd bears witness to this honor, and she brings it home to present to her dad as proof. Changing the order of when she’s presented with honor changes the whole message.
[–]hexchromosomeFDS Newbie20 points21 points22 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Also, the lead actress is pro-Hong Kong Police. There's a call to boycott the movie from human rights advocates.
It doesn't even have the original music, apparently, and they gutted it of its powerful feminist message.
I'm disappointed, since Mulan was my favorite...
[–]QuodpotFDS Newbie8 points9 points10 points 5 years ago* (0 children) | Copy Link
Eww. Mulan was my hero growing up and it kinda bums me out that this is what they did with her. Then again, none of the live-action remakes are even halfway decent (I saw the Aladdin one and it sucked)
I read an article the other day about how the original animated version had a lot of things that made it a movie specifically geared at Asian-Americans, since certain things like cutting her hair and Mushu the dragon as comic relief, resonated more with a Western audience (and apparently the original didn't do well in China). I did always kind of feel like the original Mulan was made for me in a way that other Disney princess movies weren't
Man I need to give the original a rewatch now
[–][deleted] 6 points7 points8 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Wow I Didnt see the movie, and didn't want because the trailer didn't seem appealing but Wow!!! I can't believe Disney is still being misogynistic omg.
I know I can't expect much from a company that sells fake fairytales about men to little but damn, I'm really disappointed. I lowkey expected it to be a really empowering movie. But it just sounds so bad. No wonder it went straight to DVD. The director is also a woman, but I dont expect much from women directors either, they are too afraid to scare away the market full of pickmes and fuckboys 😨
[–]NYgirl710FDS Apprentice5 points6 points7 points 5 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link
Im actually traumatized reading this summary. What the hell????
[–]maznykFDS Newbie3 points4 points5 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Yeah I went from laughing to just sitting with my mouth open in shock. I couldn’t believe what I was watching, complete opposite of the girl power message of the original. Really bummed me out
[–]AuroraDullikThrowaway Account3 points4 points5 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Ugh. I’m gonna go back and rewatch the animated one. This new one sounds like crap.
[–]DeorisGreyFDS Newbie71 points72 points73 points 5 years ago (6 children) | Copy Link
One of my favourite Disney films is The Little Mermaid, because Ursula is a fantastic evil character. Now that I think about it, her song "Poor unfortunate souls" depicts men as brainless tools who only care about a woman's pretty face.
My favourite film was Sleeping Beauty. Can you guess why? Maleficent was more beautiful to me than all Disney princesses combined. And she turns into a dragon! A truly powerful and terrifying woman... I wanted to be like her. It's curious that she laughed at the notion that "true love conquers all".
[–]IrritatedMangoFDS Newbie15 points16 points17 points 5 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link
I highkey had a crush on Maleficent
[–]youdipthongFDS Newbie3 points4 points5 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
I still have a crush on her
[–]jelilikinsFDS Newbie37 points38 points39 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
I read this great article that said that Sleeping Beauty is the most feminist Disney film because realistically the prince is a boring pawn and the heroes are the three fairies - who all have strong, distinct personalities and live independently in the woods together with their adoptive daughter, having arguments about which cake to make and which they do not share with any men :)
[–]Flutter321FDS Newbie2 points3 points4 points 5 years ago (2 children) | Copy Link
That's interesting, thanks for sharing this. My 4-year-old daughter has been into Sleeping Beauty lately and it actually makes me cringe when the kings talk about wedding the princess to the prince and having them procreate immediately. I had actually started discouraging her from watching it and trying to get her to watch something like Mulan or Brave but now I will reconsider about Maleficent. Truth be told she probably doesn't even notice that discussion and is focused more on the actual characters. It's just hard to know what to weed out as a parent, there's so many terrible messages for young girls.
[–]hijabibarbieFDS Newbie8 points9 points10 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
You should get her to watch Maleficent! It was a great movie with a very pro FDS message
[–]DeorisGreyFDS Newbie1 point2 points3 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Hmm... You could watch it with her and then talk to her about it, not in a very serious way because she's young. You could tell her that's not how things work anymore, the story is set a long time ago, when kings still ruled.
I guess it depends on how you want to raise her. If I have children I don't want them to miss out on the good Disney films, no matter how outdated they are. The modern ones lost all magic to me.
[–]Fatt3stAveng3rFDS Apprentice98 points99 points100 points 5 years ago (10 children) | Copy Link
How was she the villain again?
I stan a queen.
[–]MixWideFDS Newbie139 points140 points141 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Warning: Once you start to notice how often objectively-correct feminist statements are put into the mouths of "evil" characters in media, it becomes impossible to un-see. Women's liberation is painted as the villain far more often than most people consciously realize.
[–]localgirlcultFDS Newbie79 points80 points81 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Well...she wanted to skin puppies to make a coat. Pretty sure that's how😆
Very telling though that they had a villain say this.
[–]ShannuchanFDS Newbie55 points56 points57 points 5 years ago (3 children) | Copy Link
I really really wish we had more female heroes that are single and childfree. Someone that young girls could look up to. Yet, when a character like that exists, they are always portrayed as the villain.
[–]DallasOMalleyFDS Newbie54 points55 points56 points 5 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link
Or sometimes as abnormal weirdos. You ever see the beginning of the Disney movie Beauty and the Beast, where Belle is going about her day, reading her book, and the whole town is singing about how strange she is? She was just a young, single woman being herself and that was spun as being weird and unacceptable.
[–]jargon_explosionFDS Newbie3 points4 points5 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Belle was so amazing at the beginning of that movie! I always laughed at how she treated Gaston. So great.
[–]I_Am_Jacks_WhiskeyFDS Newbie4 points5 points6 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
I feel this. When folks were still in the dark about the plot of Frozen II, there was HUGE fervor over Elsa "finally" getting a romantic partner. A large part of that was a push to see her have a female love interest. I am absolutely for more LGBT representation in media and would applaud seeing a lesbian Disney princess, but I was disappointed to see this outcry implying Elsa (or Merida from Brave) wouldn't be interesting enough until she was head over heels for somebody else-- male or female. Like these single women can't possibly be complete until they're coupled up. I love the Frozen movies, but I found her sister-- who has not just one but two love interests during the film-- less interesting by far.
And then when Frozen II came out, they had a quick gimmick of Elsa seeing herself do the big "Let It Go" song from the first movie-- a song that became an empowering anthem for millions. Lol yes it drove parents crazy with how often it was played on repeat, but it was still this game-changing, strong, independent moment for the character where she turned the page and embraced her own power. One of the biggest songs of the decade and guess what-- she's NOT singing about a guy. But at this moment in Frozen II, she cringes away from the memory like it's a hugely embarrassing regret. TF?
[–]LeavixFDS Newbie20 points21 points22 points 5 years ago (3 children) | Copy Link
I feel like an idiot but who is she?
[–]yggiwtmiihFDS Newbie28 points29 points30 points 5 years ago (2 children) | Copy Link
Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmations.
[–]LeavixFDS Newbie19 points20 points21 points 5 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link
Oh she is! This is a mental Rollercoaster for me. I thought you'd make fun of me if I asked it this is Cruella de Vil 😅
[–]yggiwtmiihFDS Newbie20 points21 points22 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Why would I do that lol, you're fine, sis
[–]ApplegooglepearFDS Newbie74 points75 points76 points 5 years ago (1 child) | Copy Link
When it came to men and how she felt about them cruella was the shit
So of course men (the writers) turned her into a psychotic animal killing tiger stealing , dog skining bitch.
[–]Unlikely-MarzipanRuthless Strategist24 points25 points26 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Good pickup! Fucking Disney does it again.
[–]Allaboutb1FDS Newbie28 points29 points30 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
So painfully accurate.
[–]FARTHARLOTFDS Apprentice10 points11 points12 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Catch me chillin like a villain since they have the right ideas ✌🏾
[–]AuroraDullikThrowaway Account1 point2 points3 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Queen 👑
[–]Littlebunny080FDS Newbie0 points1 point2 points 5 years ago (0 children) | Copy Link
Preach queen
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