Abby

The movie is entertaining, sort of... Like many have mentioned, there are problems with its plots and characters' development. For instance, the "witch" exists and acts merely to serve Mulan's self-realization. I was left feeling confused and somewhat ridiculous when the witch suddenly abandons ship and joins Mulan towards the end of the movie. What troubles me is how the movie sometimes slides into easy caricatures of Chinese culture -- a China represented by China Towns or TCL Chinese Theatre, representations that are so exotic and strange that even people from China may find irrecognizable? The problems are often with accuracy, aesthetics, and styles. For instance, by no means should Mulan live in Fujian Tulou that are unique to the Hakka people. And yes Chinese people honor loyalty, fidelity, courage, and truth, but I cannot help but feeling alienated when seeing those Chinese characters engraved in words in orientalized fonts (I guess only the most conservative, traditionally-minded people in China would find those engravings appealing?). The good god is in the detail, and the good god of Chinese culture may have eluded Disney again.