The modern retelling of Mulan seemingly sacrifices the humanity of its characters to establish itself as a war epic about filial piety. I found it difficult to empathize with Mulan’s devotion to her family in light of their oppressive, patriarchal attitudes toward her, and the film failed to force this empathy through precise, nuanced storytelling. While their animated counterparts still expect Mulan to “learn her place” (barf) as their daughter, it at least shows us the unconditional love and warmth between them. Without that bond, today’s Mulan comes across as blindly devoted to her father.
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