Movies: Mulan (2020)

[qwerty]

Did people want a carbon copy like the Lion King was? Aladdin I didn’t see but I’m sure it probably closer to the animated film than Milan is.

Beauty and the Beast with Emma Watson stayed pretty close to the animated version.

I thought Aladdin and Lion King remakes were complete garbage in comparison to their animated masterpieces. I'm actually glad they didn't do a shot for shot remake for Mulan as I wasn't impressed with the animated version.

 

[Albatros]

If this is a reference to Yifei Liu, then there's this:



If anyone thinks Chinese actors and actresses have any chance of saying something against the government without repercussions, then I have a bridge to sell you.

Parroting regime propaganda may be a solid opportunistic career move for big $$$, but not doing so isn't going to lead to any repercussions. "Mulan" is not the victim here.

 

[Jussi]

Parroting regime propaganda may be a solid opportunistic career move for big $$$, but not doing so isn't going to lead to any repercussions. "Mulan" is not the victim here.

Again, the point here is that she didn't have a say in the matter. She was forced to put out that statement. Staying silent wasn't an option.

 

[bleedblue1223]

Yeah, it's naive to believe that a regime like China's wouldn't have negative repercussions. It's not just that you can't speak bad about the government, there are times when you simply have to tow the party line.

And that really highlights the issue when Hollywood, Disney, NBA, and other companies/organizations bend the knee to China for their money.

 

[Jussi]

Yeah, it's naive to believe that a regime like China's wouldn't have negative repercussions. It's not just that you can't speak bad about the government, there are times when you simply have to tow the party line.

And that really highlights the issue when Hollywood, Disney, NBA, and other companies/organizations bend the knee to China for their money.

I think China are also trying to tow the line, due to economic reasons. Chinese Box office market can offer a huge boost to Western movies and promoting China in a positive way potentially in them would be bonus. But...it's like they (CCP) can't stop being themselves in a counterproductive way. Instead of opening up, they stick to old ways.

 

[Albatros]

Yeah, it's naive to believe that a regime like China's wouldn't have negative repercussions. It's not just that you can't speak bad about the government, there are times when you simply have to tow the party line.

Not really, unless you're a member. The party is synonymous with the state in China, but not the society. Becoming a member is presented as a desirable privilege that is hard to attain, if you don't strive to display required qualities you're just going to miss out, and someone else takes those opportunities instead. That's the only level of punishment there's to it.

 

[Jussi]

Not really, unless you're a member. The party is synonymous with the state in China, but not the society. Becoming a member is presented as a desirable privilege that is hard to attain, if you don't strive to display required qualities you're just going to miss out, and someone else takes those opportunities instead. That's the only level of punishment there's to it.

Oh, yes you do.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-01...eared-in-2018-and-where-they-are-now/10676016

And have you forgotten the doctor from who exposed the true nature of the situation in Wuhan?

 

[Albatros]

His problem was creating enough dissent for the security apparatus to react. Had he not done that no one would have cared about him or what he thinks about government policy. Some 70-80 % of the population is behind it and so there's no need to be coercive. Likewise if an actress doesn't spout propaganda willingly it's easy enough to let her hit a glass ceiling and just pick someone who will.

 

[discostu]

Mulan debuted in China this weekend to very lacklustre results, likely to land around low $20Ms,and probably finish around $50M. That's not good for a $200M budgeted film that was made with expectation of decent performance there. Especially as the Chinese market is the most robust market these days.

Part can be blamed on piracy, as the digital release for the rest of the world meant that high quality torrents were widely available, but, generally, it doesn't look like its a movie that Chinese audiences wanted. Best explanation that I've seen is that audiences there have access to a robust film industry, and they're not looking for Hollywood to tell versions of there stories. If they want to watch a Hollywood film, they'll choose an over the top action movie like the MCU, Fast and Furious or transformers.

 

[StreetHawk]

I thought Aladdin and Lion King remakes were complete garbage in comparison to their animated masterpieces. I'm actually glad they didn't do a shot for shot remake for Mulan as I wasn't impressed with the animated version.

I watched Mulan last night. It was just decent. wouldn’t watch it again.

I agree with the comments about the dialogue in the end as it doesn’t come across how Chinese would speak especially in those times. Definitely very modern westernized dialogue.

 

[IBleedOil247]

I saw this tonight. We had another family over and set it up on our backyard for social distancing.

The film works for what it is, as a light family drama. It's a lot of the typical tropes you'd expect to find about honour. It's gorgeously shot though, and had decent fight choreography.

My 7 year old loved it, while my 5 year old was bored silly. The other family's kids are both older (9 and 13) and also enjoyed.

This worked for us to purchase because we were looking for something to build and evening around and have a little get together before school starts. Without that element though, it's not something that I would have a driving need to watch at home.

Bang on - We used this as a family movie night and it worked well for our dynamic. My 7 year old girl was all in and loved the movie, my 4 year old enjoyed but was bored at times.

I have never seen the animated version and enjoyed this movie. It was not GREAT but it provided a much needed family entertainment evening.

I should also point out that I have not followed any of the political backlash or even know any of the back story. Just a great heartwarming "Girl Power" story in my house

 

[Osprey]

Mulan debuted in China this weekend to very lacklustre results, likely to land around low $20Ms,and probably finish around $50M. That's not good for a $200M budgeted film that was made with expectation of decent performance there. Especially as the Chinese market is the most robust market these days.

Part can be blamed on piracy, as the digital release for the rest of the world meant that high quality torrents were widely available, but, generally, it doesn't look like its a movie that Chinese audiences wanted. Best explanation that I've seen is that audiences there have access to a robust film industry, and they're not looking for Hollywood to tell versions of there stories. If they want to watch a Hollywood film, they'll choose an over the top action movie like the MCU, Fast and Furious or transformers.

That makes a lot of sense to me. I bet that the exact same movie could've been made by the Chinese and it would've become one of the biggest films ever in China. After all, putting myself in their shoes, would I or most Americans be receptive to a Chinese movie about American history, even if it looked no different than an American movie? I doubt it. There will always be massive doubt that it's going to be accurate or flattering, since it's a foreign film. There's likely also a sense of national pride, not just that it's one of our stories, but it's a story told by us. In other words, I don't blame the Chinese for not taking warmly to this remake.

 

[John Price]

Mulan debuted in China this weekend to very lacklustre results, likely to land around low $20Ms,and probably finish around $50M. That's not good for a $200M budgeted film that was made with expectation of decent performance there. Especially as the Chinese market is the most robust market these days.

Part can be blamed on piracy, as the digital release for the rest of the world meant that high quality torrents were widely available, but, generally, it doesn't look like its a movie that Chinese audiences wanted. Best explanation that I've seen is that audiences there have access to a robust film industry, and they're not looking for Hollywood to tell versions of there stories. If they want to watch a Hollywood film, they'll choose an over the top action movie like the MCU, Fast and Furious or transformers.

The reception of the movie in China isn't positive

Not good news for Disney who basically sold out to make it appealing to Asian audiences

 

[John Price]

 

[spintheblackcircle]

Judd Apatow Says 'China Has Bought Our Silence' in Corporate Censorship of Films

“Instead of us doing business with China and China becoming more free what has happened is a place like China has bought our silence with their money,” Apatow said. “We do need a movie that says, ‘hey people are being mistreated in North Korea, and so the aftermath of that might be, if you wanted to pitch that today, no one would ever consider that. But as a result of that, we never wake up our country or the world through art or satire that people are being mistreated in our country or other countries. So that’s very dangerous.”

Though he did not name a specific company in the interview, Apatow has previously on Twitter criticized Disney and Apple for not speaking up about these human rights injustices, including after Disney has been criticized by those online and by U.S. lawmakers for its Chinese release of “Mulan,” which in the credits thanks Xinjiang police for helping in the filming.

 

[bleedblue1223]

And it's so much more than films or corporations. Not to be political, but that has been our foreign policy for years with them. The silly idea of opening up free trade would export freedom to them, in reality it just allowed companies to exploit their labor markets, destroy domestic jobs, and lead to censorship over here.

 

[Rabid Ranger]

And it's so much more than films or corporations. Not to be political, but that has been our foreign policy for years with them. The silly idea of opening up free trade would export freedom to them, in reality it just allowed companies to exploit their labor markets, destroy domestic jobs, and lead to censorship over here.

There's no getting around the political angle. The U.S. (everyone really) looked at China with $$$ in their eyes and sold out (I use that term loosely). Now that China is a super power with a ton of economic leverage they are calling their own shots and everyone is kowtowing.

 

[discostu]

I'm very skeptical of this figure, but there's so little data to go on, it's worth mentioning.

Data: Disney+ scored big financial windfall with 'Mulan' streaming release

7Park’s data suggests that roughly 9 million users purchased the “Mulan” film for $30 a pop (29% of our estimated 30 million users.)
Under that scenario, net profits would pile up to $261 million for U.S. markets alone — and that’s on the conservative side.

If true, it would make up for the failures in China, and then some. If it is that high, it doesn't bode well for theatres, as Disney will been pushing things to the platform for the next little while.