WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Disney's Mulan, now streaming on Disney+.
Disney's live-action remake of Mulan pays homage to its animated predecessor in many respects. At the same time, it made several alterations to the story and characters. While some fans of the 1998 movie were disappointed to hear that there would be no singing, no Mushu and no Shang, the changes allow the new adaptation to stand on its own while paying tribute to the original legend. The following are some of the biggest changes in the new movie.
The Music
One of the most obvious changes is that the live-action film is not a musical. Like all Disney princesses, Mulan sings in the animated movie, but the music stops about halfway through the story. The music remains widely popular, and many fans were surprised to learn there would be no singing in the new movie.
That's not to say that the movie leaves the music out completely. Several lyrics reappear as dialogue, and some songs are incorporated into the film's score. In particular, "Reflection" can be heard at pivotal points throughout the story. This not only plays on nostalgia for the animated movie, but it also emphasizes Mulan's inner turmoil over concealing her identity.
The Villains
In the 1998 movie, Mulan fights the Huns, led by Shan Yu, who's loosely based on Attila the Hun. While they make formidable foes, some have criticized the historical inaccuracy of these villains. In the remake, Mulan faces off against the Rourans, a nomadic tribe led Böri Khan and his shape-shifting witch ally, Xianniang.
Unlike Shan Yu, Böri Khan is driven to invade China because he wants to avenge his father, who the Emperor killed. Meanwhile, Xianniang, who is a skilled warrior and often takes the form of a hawk, is an outcast who was exiled from her home. She joined Böri Khan because he promised she wouldn't be ostracized under his rule, but they wouldn't be equals. Xianniang serves as a foil for Mulan, whose parents fear she will share the same fate if she doesn't conceal her fighting skills.
Family
Mulan's family doesn't differ much from her family in the animated film. However, rather than having a wisecracking grandmother, Mulan has a timid younger sister, Xiu. As with several of the other cut characters, Mulan's grandma is a source of comedic relief. She also does her best to help Mulan make a good impression on the matchmaker, but her lucky cricket gets Mulan in trouble. In contrast, Mulan enjoys making Xiu laugh, and her attempt to protect her sister from a spider gets her into trouble with the matchmaker.
In both films, Mulan's main motivation is saving her father by fighting in his place. Even so, the animated film also acknowledges that Mulan wants a chance to prove herself. The adaptation doesn't include this admission, but it delves into her struggle with concealing her true identity. It also emphasizes Mulan's loyalty to her family as a virtue when the Emperor gifts her a sword with "duty to family" engraved on it.
Supporting Characters
Along with Mulan's grandma, the ancestors and Mushu do not appear in the live-action film, and there's no lucky cricket. In the animated film, when her father prays to the ancestors to protect Mulan, they send the Great Stone Dragon to protect her. Unbeknownst to them, the disgraced Mushu goes instead in an attempt to regain his position as a guardian spirit. In the new film, her father prays to the ancestors, but there's no mention of Mushu. In contrast, Mulan is guided by a phoenix, who appears throughout her journey. As for the lucky cricket, he is re-imagined as one of Mulan's fellow soldiers.
Mulan's friends, Ling, Chien-Po and Yao make the final cut, but her love interest, Li Shang, does not. Instead, the live-action movie introduces a new love interest named Honghui. While Honghui is a soldier instead of a captain, he and Shang are similar. In both cases, he and Mulan don't get along initially, but as they train, he comes to like and respect her. Later on, Mulan saves him from an avalanche, and he fights alongside her to save the Emperor. The two aren't strictly together by the end of the movie, but their mutual love is implied. Unlike Shang, Honghui never blames Mulan for lying, and he stands up to the general on her behalf along with others.
The Reveal
In the animated film, Shang finds out Mulan's gender by accident. After she gets injured, he comes to see her and her blanket slips off, revealing her bandaged chest. Shang is supposed to execute Mulan, but since she saved his life, he spares her. Conversely, in the new movie, Xianniang tells Mulan that her lie is "poisoning her chi." After the witch leaves, Mulan chooses to reveal herself and save her friends. For her dishonesty, she is expelled but claims she'd rather be executed. Still, when she learns that Böri Khan intends to infiltrate the Imperial City, she risks death to warn the general about the plot.
This change empowers Mulan as a heroine by giving her control over her story. While she is at the mercy of others in one version, in the other, she decides to out herself knowing she could be killed for it. Afterward, she accepts the consequences and expects her friends and family to turn on her, but they support her.
Directed by Niki Caro, Disney's live-action Mulan stars Yifei Liu as Mulan, Donnie Yen as Commander Tung, Jason Scott Lee as Böri Khan and Yoson An as Cheng Honghui, with Gong Li as Xianniang and Jet Li as the Emperor. The film is now available through Premier Access on Disney+.