Mushu[1] is a fictional character in Disney's Mulan franchise, first appearing in the 1998 animated film Mulan. A small Chinese dragon, Mushu was a spiritual guardian of Mulan's family before he was demoted for failing to protect an ancestor. He plots to redeem himself by ensuring Mulan's safety and success when she enlists herself in the army in her father's place, ultimately becoming her closest confidant. In the sequel Mulan II, he attempts to sabotage Mulan's impending marriage in order to remain her guardian.

Mushu
Mulan character
First appearanceMulan (1998)
Created byRobert D. San Souci
Designed byTom Bancroft (supervising animator)
Voiced by
Eddie Murphy
Isaac Robinson-Smith (Disney Dreamlight Valley)
In-universe information
SpeciesChinese dragon

Although Mulan is based on the Chinese legend about Hua Mulan, Mushu is an original character created specifically for the film, at the suggestion of Roy E. Disney. The creators decided to make the dragon small as to not appear imposing next to Mulan. Inspired by Robin Williams' performance as the Genie in Aladdin (1992), Mulan's producers hoped to cast another comedian as Mushu, and had originally hired Joe Pesci in the role. After deciding to go in an African-American direction for Mulan's sidekick, they cast Eddie Murphy, who recorded all of his dialogue from his home studio due to scheduling conflicts. Supervising animator Tom Bancroft studied both Chinese culture and dragon characters from previous animated Disney films to design the character, while drawing inspiration from Murphy's previous work and mannerisms.

Mushu's humor was generally well received by American critics and audiences. Most reviewers praised Murphy's performance, but some felt the character diminished the seriousness of the film's subject matter. Meanwhile, reception towards Mushu in China was negative, with viewers accusing him of disrespecting Chinese culture and dragons. Several publications have ranked him as one of Disney's greatest sidekicks. Disney's decision to not include the character in the 2020 live-action adaptation of Mulan in an effort to be more culturally sensitive to Chinese audiences drew mixed reviews from fans of Mushu.

Role

edit

When the Great Wall of China is breached by the Huns led by Shan Yu, the Emperor of China demands that one man from every household enlists in the Imperial army.[2] Mulan, the only child of aging war veteran Fa Zhou, disguises herself as a man and enlists herself in the army, risking the death penalty should her gender be discovered. Mulan's ancestors plan to send a dragon guardian to retrieve her, and summon Mushu, a small dragon who was previously demoted, to awaken him.[3] Mushu accidentally destroys the dragon guardian's statue while attempting to wake him,[4] and seizes the opportunity to accompany Mulan instead, with his own goal of redeeming himself in the eyes of the ancestors by becoming her guardian.[5][6] Although well-intentioned, his efforts sometimes create further complications for Mulan.[7] Determined to have Mulan prove herself, Mushu forges a letter that results in her inexperienced squadron of new recruits traveling to the Tung Shao Pass, where they discover that the village and the rest of their army had already been massacred by the Huns.[8] During a battle in which Mulan defeats most of the Huns by causing an avalanche, Mulan is injured, and her true identity is revealed to the army and General Li Shang.[9] Shang spares her life in return for saving his moments earlier, but discharges Mulan. Mushu gains the courage to confess his self-serving intentions to Mulan,[8] but promises that they will overcome any challenges together. They discover that Shan Yu and a few of his army's surviving members are on their way to the kingdom and decide to pursue them. Mulan successfully traps Shan Yu on the palace rooftop, and Mushu ignites a firework that kills him. The emperor praises Mulan as a hero and pardons her transgressions. Mulan decides to reject an offer to join the emperor's council and instead returns home to her father's embrace. Lastly, Mushu is finally reinstated as a guardian.

In Mulan II, Mushu initially attempts to prevent the engaged Mulan and Shang from marrying, since a marriage would result in Mushu losing his position as Mulan's guardian.[10] Mushu travels with Mulan and Shang on a mission to protect three princesses, attempting to sabotage their relationship along the way.[11]

Development

edit

Creation and casting

edit

Mushu is not mentioned in the Chinese legend about Hua Mulan or the Ballad of Hua Mulan, on which the film is based.[12][13][14] He was created specifically for the animated film,[15][16] although most of its writers considered him to be obligatory and protested his inclusion.[17] Despite considering dragons to be among the most recognizable aspects of Chinese culture and imagery,[18] Disney was initially concerned that a dragon sidekick would dwarf Mulan on screen.[19] Disney chairman Roy E. Disney suggested the character of Mushu upon learning that dragons in Chinese folklore can be different sizes.[20][21] The character was created to provide comic relief, and named after a Chinese-American dish;[18][22] he ultimately replaced a panda sidekick named "Moo Goo Gai Panda".[23] At one point, Mushu was intended to be two characters, a gryphon and a phoenix,[24] and featured in the film much more prominently.[25] Inspired by the success of Robin Williams' performance as the Genie in Aladdin (1992),[26][27] the producers hoped to cast a comic actor in the role, and had considered Joe Pesci, Steve Martin, and Sinbad.[28] They also animated a demo reel to some of Pesci's dialogue from one of his films.[29] Pesci was originally cast, with an early version of Mushu being described as a serpent with two different heads and personalities voiced by Pesci and Richard Dreyfuss, respectively.[30][31][32] The filmmakers had originally envisioned the character having a "New York, tough guy, streetwise" accent reminiscent of actors Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito, but deemed these traits too derivative of supporting characters from previous Disney films.[33]

 
Eddie Murphy voices Mushu.[34]

According to director Tony Bancroft, Mushu had always been described as the opposite of Mulan's personality, and felt an African-American character would deliver the perfect contrast to the heroine's more traditionally Chinese demeanor.[33][35] They started interviewing several African-American performers.[33] Disney executive Michael Eisner ultimately suggested actor-comedian Eddie Murphy,[36] whose casting was confirmed in June 1997.[37] While Murphy had expressed interest in doing animation at the time,[26] Eisner claimed Murphy owed him a favor for producing one of the actor's first major films, Beverly Hills Cop (1984).[29] Tom Bancroft, Mushu's supervising animator and Tony's twin brother, was initially unsure about contrasting the film's serious depiction of Chinese culture against an urban voice, but ultimately felt the character would bring dynamic chemistry to Mulan.[38] Mushu's role was expanded to that of one of the film's main characters as the story evolved.[39] The silent cricket character Cri-Kee was added to balance him,[40] since Mushu is the only character who can understand Cri-Kee's chirps.[41]

Murphy accepted the role partially because he wanted to make some films that his own children could watch, having mostly starred in movies intended for adults prior to Mulan.[42] He was also one of its few non-Asian main cast members.[43][44] Due to his busy filming schedule,[45] Murphy requested that Disney allow him to record his part from his home studio in Englewood, New Jersey,[46][47] to where Disney brought character sketches.[46] According to Tony, they were forced to comply with Murphy's demands to avoid the risk of not completing his animation on time, which he admitted ultimately benefited the performance.[45] Murphy did little improvisation because the part had already been written for him.[29] The actor was reportedly paid US$14 million for his work.[48]

Songwriters Matthew Wilder and David Zippel had written at least two songs intended for Mushu to sing when he introduces himself to Mulan.[49][50] One of them, "Keep 'Em Guessing", would have taught Mulan about being a convincing male soldier.[51][52] The song was cut because Murphy did not want to sing in the film,[53] despite several attempts to re-write it to his liking.[49] Tony felt Mushu's songs ruined the pacing of the film.[33] They decided to replace it with Mushu introducing himself to Mulan in the manner of an African-American preacher because they felt they needed a big introduction in the song's absence.[33] In 2020, Ming-Na Wen, who voices Mulan, revealed that she had yet to meet Murphy in person, despite having voiced characters in the same film.[54] Mushu was Murphy's first voice acting role,[27][55] and Tom theorizes this inspired DreamWorks to eventually cast him as Donkey in the Shrek franchise.[56] Murphy is one of the film's few original cast members who did not reprise his role in the sequel Mulan II (2004),[57] early versions of which had a dragon love interest for Mushu.[41]

Design and personality

edit

Tom was Mushu's supervising animator,[58] and Chris Sanders was one of his character designers.[24] Tom had originally expected to be assigned a less prominent character, but Mushu ultimately became his first job as a supervising animator.[39] He was hired to work on Mushu a year before production began on Mulan, during a period when Disney had yet to cast the character or determine his personality.[56][59] Additionally, character designer Harald Siepermann drew concept art from his studio in Germany for the first few weeks of production,[60] but remained uncredited due to working less than 200 hours on the film.[61] The animators had considered several animals for Mushu, including a two-headed serpent.[30] At various stages of development, Mushu was changed from two different dragons who morph into one by the end of the film, to a phoenix, and finally a dragon.[56] Due to constant script revisions early on, Tom drew generic versions of the character, avoiding poses and facial expressions.[59]

Tom borrowed inspiration from several aspects of Chinese culture when designing the character, including woodblock printing and sculptures from temples.[62] Although Disney had featured European-style dragons in several previous animated projects, Mushu was the studio's first Chinese dragon, and Tom worked to differentiate the character from his predecessors.[56] The animator realized that Chinese and European dragons are very different in appearance, describing the former as "thin and snake-like while the European dragons were often thick and more like a crocodile".[63] Tom also researched dragons and dragon-like characters from previous Disney films, including Elliott from Pete’s Dragon (1977), Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty (1959) and the Hydra from Hercules (1997), while The Reluctant Dragon (1941) in particular was studied to see how animators approached a simplified, humorous dragon during the 1940s.[64] Tom was also inspired by the work of fellow Disney animator Eric Goldberg, who had sketched Aladdin's Genie briefly transforming into a dragon.[64] He described the final design of Mushu as a combination of many different animals, possessing "whiskers like a catfish, scales like a fish, cow ears, the hairy lip of a camel, horns like a goat and talons of an eagle".[62] Tom made his own color models for the character, which was uncommon for a supervising animator to do.[29] Although the animators had wanted Mushu's tale to be purple to match his horns, a Disney executive insisted that it be red like the rest of the character, much to Tony's chagrin.[65] In an act of protest, the animators secretly colored his tail purple in one brief scene in the film when he is riding on Khan's back.[65][29]

Tom refined Murphy's facial expressions, poses, and personality once Murphy was cast,[56][59] attending at least two of his recording sessions.[56] Murphy's performance greatly influenced Tom's drawings, spending as much as a week animating each scene while listening to tape recordings of Murphy's sessions.[59] He was also inspired by Murphy's work in Trading Places (1983) and Saturday Night Live, specifically his facial expressions, joke delivery, and how he uses his hands,[59] as well as prints of the actor's face.[66] He maintains that the character is very similar to Murphy personality-wise.[56] Despite Murphy's influence on Mushu, Tom said he incorporated more of himself into the dragon than his voice actor,[67] and considers him a favorite of the characters he has worked on.[39] He claims he learned from peers working at DreamWorks that their animators had reviewed animation footage of Mushu when developing Donkey for Shrek, who was also voiced by Murphy.[56] In an effort to appeal to older audiences, Disney omitted Mushu from Mulan's marketing campaign until two weeks before the film was released.[68] Disney archivist Dave Smith described Mushu as boastful, brave, and excitable, a character who "has more than enough personality and bravado for the biggest dragons", despite his small size.[4]

Critical reception

edit

At the time of Mulan's release, Mushu was generally well received by American critics and audiences.[69][70] Film critic Roger Ebert said the character "quickly grows on us", despite initially finding him disconcerting due to the film's historical setting.[71] Margaret A. McGurk of The Cincinnati Enquirer called Mushu "a major hoot ... although how this thoroughly modern American personality landed in ancient China is a pure mystery".[72] JoBlo.com's Berge Garabedian crowned him the film's "real star", claiming Mushu "managed to get a crack out of the audience during every single one of its wonderful appearances".[73] Several reviewers compared Mushu and Murphy's performance to Robin Williams' Genie from Aladdin.[74][75][76][77][78][79] Jeff Vice of the Deseret News said Murphy "has his share of amusing one-liners", despite feeling the actor was trying too hard to imitate Williams.[80]

Murphy's performance has received positive reviews.[81][82] Film critic Richard Corliss found him "very funny",[83] and Dan DiNicola of The Daily Gazette said he "delivers a knockout performance".[84] Eileen Fitzpatrick, a critic for Billboard, called Murphy "hilarious" in the role.[85] Salon's Jenn Shreve said Murphy contributes enough comedy without stealing the spotlight, and felt the character's clichés "seem to exist for the express purpose of being destroyed, and they're often responsible for some of the film's most hilarious moments".[86] Film critic Owen Gleiberman called Murphy irresistible, but wished his character had been provided with stronger material.[78] Barbara Shulgasser of SFGate said the actor "gives a rather dull movie whatever life it's got".[87] Essence considers Mushu to be one of Murphy's most iconic roles,[88] while several publications such as Entertainment Weekly and Gold Derby have ranked it among the best performances of his career.[76][89][90][91] Variety ranked Murphy's work as Mushu the 11th greatest voiceover performance in a Disney film,[92] while MovieWeb and Game Rant ranked it 8th.[93][94] Backstage named it among the 14 "Best Voice Acting Performances of All Time".[95] Mushu also helped launch the family-friendly period of the actor's career,[76][96] during which he acquired a younger fanbase by appearing in several family films;[97][98][99] he did not star in an R-rated film until 2019.[76] Writing for Paste, Josh Jackson quipped that Murphy's best comedic performances since Coming to America (1988) appear to be animated.[100] Tim Grierson of Cracked.com ranked Mushu his second-best family film performance, citing it as a precursor to his long-running role as Donkey in the Shrek franchise,[101] which Jason Fraley of WTSP agreed with.[102] According to a Metacritic article published in 2023, Mulan was the sixth best-reviewed film of Murphy's career to that point.[103] Ethan Alter of Yahoo! Entertainment said the film "capped a successful mid-‘90s comeback for the comedy icon".[70]

Both Hollis Chacona of The Austin Chronicle and film critic Todd McCarthy described the character's anachronisms as jarring, despite finding some of his humor amusing.[104][77] Josh Spiegel of /Film called Mushu an improvement over the gargoyles from The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1996), but felt the character similarly exists in an otherwise serious story solely to provide comic relief.[27] Writer Mari Ness called Murphy an irritating, unnecessary addition to the cast, criticizing his perceived reliance on anachronistic humor, and deeming him inferior to the Genie.[21] Animation historian Jerry Beck said Mushu's jokes weaken the film and clash with its serious subject matter.[105] In a separate review, Beck said he felt Murphy was "strictly stunt casting and his 'antics' stalled the story".[106] Jeffrey Gantz of the Boston Phoenix dismissed him as a less interesting "African-American take on" sidekicks from Disney's Aladdin, The Lion King, and Hercules.[107] Ian Freer of Empire dismissed Mushu as "obligatory" and "completely superfluous".[79] For The New York Times, Janet Maslin criticized the film for relegating a "Black" character to a "servile clown".[108] Mushu was negatively received in China.[109][110] According to Country Living and The Baltimore Sun, some viewers found his characterization to be an inaccurate and insensitive depiction of Chinese culture.[111][112] Alter noted that not some of Murphy's material has not aged well in the decades since the film's release, specifically his character's jokes about Mongolian cuisine and wearing drag.[70] However, Dennis E. Yi of The China Project argued that Chinese audiences were not offended by Mushu's depiction because he believes it is common to make jokes at the expense of "lower-tier" dragons in Chinese culture.[113]

Anthony Brett of The Daily Telegraph and Petrana Radulovic of Polygon panned Mulan II for undoing Mushu's character development by having him attempt to sabotage Mulan and Shang's wedding.[114][115] Brett also criticized Disney for replacing Murphy with white actor Mark Moseley, calling it "voiceover blackface".[114] Kevin Wong of GameSpot called these changes to Mushu "the worst, most left-field aspect of Mulan II".[116]

Legacy

edit

Mushu has been called a beloved and fan-favorite character from the Mulan franchise.[15][117][118][119][120] Kelsey Dickson of Comic Book Resources described Mushu as Mulan's unsung hero, which Dickson attributed due to decisions and actions that inadvertently result in Mulan proving herself as a capable soldier and hero.[8] Phil Pirrello of The A.V. Club ranked Mushu the 44th best Disney character of all time, describing him as a more fully-rounded supporting character than Aladdin's Genie.[121] Disney Rewards and Esquire described Mushu as one of the studio's most beloved animated sidekicks,[16][122] and Game Rant ranked him Disney's third best side character.[123] In 2022, Entertainment Weekly reported that the character appears to be widely admired as a sidekick.[124] The same publication said Mushu deserves his own spin-off,[125] and Collider ranked him Disney's best animal sidekick.[126] HuffPost ranked Mushu 14th on their "Definitive Ranking Of Disney Sidekicks".[127] Country Living ranked him 29th,[111] Bustle ranked him second,[128] and Country 102.5 named him seventh.[129] Several publications consider Mushu to be among the greatest dragons in popular culture,[130][131][132][133] including MTV News,[134] USA Today,[135] Polygon,[136] and Comic Book Resources.[117] Collider ranked him the second greatest dragon in the history of cinema.[137] In an article for The Guardian, author Julie Kagawa ranked Mushu the sixth best dragon across films and books,[138] while The A.V. Club ranked him the ninth best movie dragon.[139] Dictionary.com cited Mushu among pop culture's most famous dragons in 2022, noting that "This depiction differs from typical Chinese dragons, who are often portrayed as being elegant, imposing, and wise".[140] Sketches and concept art of Mushu were featured in animator Tom Bancroft's book The Art of Disney's Dragons (2016).[133][141] The character's popularity has led to him appearing in various tie-in media, including sequels, video games, and theme parks,[139] notably Hong Kong Disneyland beginning with its opening ceremony in 2005.[142][143] Mushu hosted The Magic of Disney Animation tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios.[41]

Mushu has also been described as a controversial character.[144] Chinese viewers are reported to have disliked the dragon upon the film's initial release.[145][146][147] According to the University of Southern California professor Stanley Rosen, the character was well received in the United States, but accused by some Chinese audiences of trivializing their culture and Mulan's story.[144][148][149][150] When the trailer for the 2020 live-action adaptation of the film was released, several fans complained about Mushu's absence from the preview on social media.[16][151][152][153][154] By July 2019, the Twitter hashtag "There’s no Mushu dragon in Mulan" had been viewed over 310 million times.[155] Director Niki Caro confirmed that the character would not be in the remake, and discredited theories that the phoenix was "an updated version" of Mushu.[156] Producer Jason Reed explained that Mushu was written out because "the dragon is a sign of respect and of strength and power and sort of using it as a silly sidekick did not play well with a traditional Chinese audience".[157] Tom, Mushu's original animator, also appreciated that excluding the character from the remake would allow its creative team to release their own version of Mulan unhindered by expectations to adapt Mushu successfully.[58]

Believed to have been written out of the remake due to concerns over cultural inaccuracy and racism,[158] some academics and culture critics defended Disney's decision to exclude Mushu, describing it as the studio's attempt to depict Chinese culture and history more authentically.[159] Olive Pometsey of British GQ found the adjustment necessary to adapt Mulan respectfully,[150] and Esquire's Adrienne Westenfeld said the lack of Mushu resulted in a stronger, more self-sufficient Mulan.[16] However, Jeva Lange of The Week reported that Chinese fans also expressed disappointment over Mushu's exclusion on the Chinese microblogging platform Weibo.[160][161] Meanwhile, according to Rebecca Davis of Variety, Chinese audiences bemoaned the absence of Mushu upon the remake's release in China.[162] In a review for CNN, historian Kelly Hammond panned the removal of Mushu as one of the remake's biggest missteps, which she said caused the film to rely on outdated jokes from male soldiers for comic relief.[163] Lange opined that Mushu's absence deprives the remake's version of Mulan of meaningful dialogue by removing the supporting character with whom she shared most conversations, suggesting that that he could have been reimagined as a more serious character, a female dragon, or another sort of character entirely, instead of eliminated altogether.[160]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Mushu". D23. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  2. ^ Roth, Matt (July 16, 1998). "To Market, to Market". Chicago Reader. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  3. ^ Brunson, Matt (October 27, 2004). "View From The Couch". Creative Loafing. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  4. ^ a b Smith, Dave. "Mushu". Disney Archives. Archived from the original on March 31, 2010. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  5. ^ Kranz, Kristen (October 28, 2021). "The 10 Most Helpful Animal Sidekicks in Disney Animated Movies, Ranked". Collider. Archived from the original on December 12, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  6. ^ Vargas, Chanel (September 12, 2020). "This Mulan Theory Explains Why Mushu Couldn't Awaken the Great Stone Dragon — It's Mulan!". PopSugar. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  7. ^ Abbot, Alana Joli (September 6, 2020). "Mulan 2020 vs. Mulan 1998: The Differences & Similarities". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on June 5, 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Dickson, Kelsey (May 7, 2022). "Mushu Is Quietly the Greatest Hero in Mulan". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
  9. ^ Arrows, Amelia (April 13, 2020). "Disney's Mulan is Not a Musical & Why that Makes it a Superior Remake". The Artifice. Archived from the original on June 4, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024.
  10. ^ Nusair, David (January 30, 2005). "Mulan & Mulan II". Reel Film Reviews. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  11. ^ Brayton, Tim (April 3, 2013). "Mulan II". Alternate Ending. Archived from the original on November 26, 2022. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  12. ^ Desta, Yohana (December 5, 2019). "Mulan Looks Like a High-Flying Epic that Will Pack Dangerous Levels of Nostalgia". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on May 28, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  13. ^ Tsai, Martin (September 4, 2020). "The live-action Mulan is not the first retelling of the legend. Or the second. Or the sixth". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  14. ^ Haynes, Suyin (September 11, 2020). "The Controversial Origins of the Story Behind Mulan". Time. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Rowney, Jo-Anne (September 7, 2020). "Why Mulan 2020 doesn't have Mushu - director's three reasons for the change". Radio Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d Westenfeld, Adrienne (April 21, 2021). "Mulan Never Really Needed Mushu Anyway". Esquire. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024. Fans of the animated classic were outraged when word spread that Mushu would be excised from the big budget, live-action remake of Mulan
  17. ^ John (November 3, 2023). "Ten Legendary Years: The Disney Renaissance of the '90s". Central Rappahannock Regional Library. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  18. ^ a b Seno, Alexandra A. (1998). "Woman Warrior". CNN. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  19. ^ Hischak, Thomas S. (2011). Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary. United States: McFarland & Company. p. 152. ISBN 9780786486946. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024 – via Google Books.
  20. ^ Gray, Tanis (2021). Knitting with Disney: 28 Official Patterns Inspired by Mickey Mouse, The Little Mermaid, and More! (Disney Craft Books, Knitting Books, Books for Disney Fans). United States: Simon & Schuster. p. 103. ISBN 9781647221805. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024 – via Google Books.
  21. ^ a b Ness, Mari (March 31, 2016). "Girl Power, A Cricket, and a Dragon: Disney's Mulan". Reactor. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  22. ^ Haylock, Zoe (September 1, 2020). "Where Is Mushu? And Five Other Questions About the Mulan Trailer". Vulture. Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
  23. ^ Mouroux, Olivier. "Mulan". Animated Movies Animation Database. Archived from the original on June 4, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  24. ^ a b Foster, Tim (March 2015). "Featured Attraction" (PDF). Celebrations Press. p. 37. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 1, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  25. ^ Korkis, Jim (September 21, 2018). "Animation Anecdotes #381". Cartoon Research. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  26. ^ a b Vice, Jeff (June 19, 1998). "'Mulan' ala Disney". Deseret News. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  27. ^ a b c Spiegel, Josh (September 25, 2019). "Disney's 'Mulan' Was Another Attempt To Tell A Story About A Culture Of Color, And It Landed With Mixed Results". /Film. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  28. ^ Bricker, Tierney (June 19, 2023). "Let Your Reflection Show You These 17 Secrets About Mulan". E!. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  29. ^ a b c d e Reif, Alex (April 12, 2021). "WDFM Event Recap: "Reflections on Mulan" with Tony and Tom Bancroft". LaughingPlace.com. Archived from the original on January 16, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2024.
  30. ^ a b Gass, Zach (October 1, 2018). "Disney Denied: 15 Actors Who Almost Starred As Disney Characters". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on June 20, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  31. ^ Libbey, Dirk (October 19, 2017). "10 Disney Characters Who Almost Had Totally Different Voices". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  32. ^ Lulic, Michelle (December 31, 2015). "Actors Who Almost Voiced Famous Disney Characters". Bustle. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  33. ^ a b c d e Noyer, Jérémie (August 14, 2008). "Tony Bancroft balances the yin and the yang in directing Mulan". Animated Views. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  34. ^ "Blacks Who've Won Fame with Character Voices". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. March 31, 2003. p. 55. ISSN 0021-5996. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024 – via Google Books.
  35. ^ Sim Lau, Dorothy Wai (2021). Reorienting Chinese Stars in Global Polyphonic Networks: Voice, Ethnicity, Power. Springer Nature. p. 163. ISBN 9789811603136. Archived from the original on 2024-08-04. Retrieved 2024-05-07 – via Google Books.
  36. ^ Barnes, Jakob (March 2024). "Joe Pesci nearly played this iconic Disney character". The Digital Fix. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  37. ^ Karger, Dave (June 6, 1997). "Entertainment news for June 6, 1997". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 10, 2024. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  38. ^ Lyons, Michael (June 9, 2023). "The Art of War: The 25th Anniversary of "Mulan"". Cartoon Research. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  39. ^ a b c "Artist Interview: Tom Bancroft". ArtSketch.org. March 9, 2012. Archived from the original on August 21, 2016. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  40. ^ Miller, Bruce R. (June 26, 1996). "the Art of "Mulan"". Sioux City Journal. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  41. ^ a b c Foster, Tim (June 3, 2024). "10 Things You May Not Know About Mushu". Celebrations Press. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  42. ^ Feinberg, Scott (August 20, 2016). "'Awards Chatter' Podcast — Eddie Murphy ('Mr. Church')". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  43. ^ Pickett, Leah (November 17, 2014). "Ranking: The Disney Renaissance From Worst to Best". Time. Archived from the original on August 24, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  44. ^ Suzanne-Mayer, Dominick; Pickett, Leah (November 22, 2016). "From The Little Mermaid to Tarzan: Ranking the Disney Renaissance". Consequence. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  45. ^ a b Bancroft, Tony (2013). Directing for Animation: Everything You Didn't Learn in Art School. United States: CRC Press. p. 148. ISBN 9781136126543. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024 – via Google Books.
  46. ^ a b Pearlman, Cindy (June 14, 1998). "'Mulan' earns her stripes // Disney banks on a brave new girl". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2024 – via HighBeam Research.
  47. ^ "17 Secrets About Mulan Revealed". E!. June 16, 2023. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  48. ^ "Eddie Murphy's $10 Million Payday For Shrek". Shrek the Musical. September 8, 2022. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  49. ^ a b Rowney, Jo-Anne (September 11, 2020). "Mushu's songs were cut from Disney's Mulan after Eddie Murphy 'refused to sing'". Radio Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  50. ^ Gold, Gina (2019). Disney Princess Sticker Art Puzzles. United States: Thunder Bay Press. p. 18. ISBN 978-1684128716. Archived from the original on 2024-08-04. Retrieved 2024-05-07 – via Google Books.
  51. ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee (June 19, 2018). "Mulan: The story behind 'I'll Make a Man Out of You' and its other hit songs". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  52. ^ Gutoskey, Ellen (March 20, 2020). "11 Memorable Facts About Disney's Mulan". Mental Floss. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  53. ^ Sarkisian, Jacob (September 6, 2020). "20 details you might have missed in Disney's original 'Mulan'". Business Insider. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  54. ^ Polowy, Kevin (November 9, 2020). "Ming-Na Wen says she still hasn't met 'Mulan' co-star Eddie Murphy, talks surprise cameo in live-action version". Yahoo! Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  55. ^ Bulten, Izak (September 13, 2020). "Mulan (1998): 10 Behind-The-Scenes Facts About The Disney Classic". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on March 25, 2021. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  56. ^ a b c d e f g h Belz, Aaron (March 11, 2013). "The Maker of Mulan's Mushu Speaks". The Curator. Archived from the original on October 25, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  57. ^ Adekaiyero, Ayomikun (June 17, 2023). "Then and Now: The cast of 'Mulan' 25 years later". Business Insider. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  58. ^ a b Acuna, Kirsten (October 17, 2019). "The original 'Mulan' director and animator are happy that Disney's upcoming remake isn't a carbon copy of the animated classic". Business Insider. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  59. ^ a b c d e Minow, Nell (March 18, 2013). "Interview: Tom Bancroft of "Mulan"". Movie Mom. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  60. ^ Bacher, Hans (13 January 2020). "Mushu from Walt Disney's Mulan". The Harald Siepermann Archive. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  61. ^ Schütze, Silke (December 1, 2002). "The creator of Disney's fairytale creatures". Die Welt (in German). Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  62. ^ a b Lei, Zhang (March 12, 2022). "An animated character". China Daily. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  63. ^ "An animated character". China Internet Information Center. March 13, 2022. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  64. ^ a b McMullen, Jonathan (August 10, 2016). "How Disney Dragons are Drawn to Life". D23. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  65. ^ a b "Original 'Mulan' director in Manila to inspire young Filipino artists". Coconuts.co. June 30, 2017. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  66. ^ Korkis, Jim (August 26, 2022). "Remembering "Mulan"". Cartoon Research. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  67. ^ Korkis, Jim (January 24, 2014). "Animation Anecdotes #146". Cartoon Research. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  68. ^ Bates, James; Eller, Claudia (June 12, 1998). "Bridled Optimism". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 26, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2024.
  69. ^ Velasquez, Diana (September 13, 2021). "Super Specific | Shang-Chi and Disney's journey with Chinese dragons". The Pitt News. Archived from the original on September 25, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2024. While American audiences took to the character with ease and fondness, Mushu garnered ire in China for his cultural inaccuracy.
  70. ^ a b c Alter, Ethan (September 4, 2020). "'Mulan': No songs? Where's Mushu? All the big differences between the live-action remake and the animated classic". Yahoo! Entertainment. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024. Mushu was embraced by audiences at the time
  71. ^ Ebert, Roger (June 19, 1998). "Mulan". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  72. ^ McGurk, Margaret A. (June 19, 1998). "Magic of 'Mulan'". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on January 26, 2002. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  73. ^ Garabedian, Berge (June 23, 1998). "Mulan (1998)". JoBlo.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2017. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  74. ^ Turan, Kenneth (June 19, 1998). "'Mulan': Formula With a New Flavor". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  75. ^ Berardinelli, James (2005). Reel Views 2: The Ultimate Guide to the Best 1,000 Modern Movies on DVD and Video, Volume 2. United States: Justin, Charles & Co. p. 62. ISBN 9781932112405. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024 – via Google Books.
  76. ^ a b c d Smith, Elliott (August 18, 2023). "The 21 best (and worst) Eddie Murphy movies". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  77. ^ a b McCarthy, Todd (June 8, 1998). "Mulan". Variety. Archived from the original on October 25, 2023. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  78. ^ a b Gleiberman, Owen (June 19, 1998). "Mulan". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on October 8, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2024. Eddie Murphy ... tries to jolt the movie with the same motormouth exuberance that Robin Williams brought to Aladdin.
  79. ^ a b Freer, Ian (1998). "Mulan". Empire. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  80. ^ Vice, Jeff (June 19, 1998). "'Mulan' zips along with humor, warmth". Deseret News. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  81. ^ "Eddie Murphy". Biography. September 13, 2022. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024. He provided the voice of Mushu the Lizard in Disney's animated picture Mulan (1998) to enormous critical praise
  82. ^ Mazurkiewicz, Greg; Rosen, Isaac (May 21, 2018). "Murphy, Eddie 1961–". Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024. Murphy's energy and attitude propelled glowing reviews of the movie
  83. ^ Corliss, Richard (June 22, 1998). "Cinema: An Ode to Martial Smarts". Time. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  84. ^ DiNicola, Dan (August 9, 1998). "Movie Closeups". The Daily Gazette. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  85. ^ Fitzpatrick, Eileen (July 4, 1998). "Mulan". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. ISSN 0006-2510. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved May 21, 2024 – via Google Books.
  86. ^ Shreve, Jenn. "Mulan". Salon. Archived from the original on April 23, 2008. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  87. ^ Shulgasser, Barbara (June 19, 1998). "'Mulan': Girl power from Disney". SFGate. Archived from the original on November 6, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  88. ^ Forde, Kisha (February 24, 2021). "Coming 2 America Cast Talks About Legacy of the First Movie and New Sequel". Essence. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  89. ^ Pius, Robert; Holland, Misty; Beachum, Chris; Laws, Zach (March 30, 2024). "Eddie Murphy movies: 13 greatest films ranked worst to best". Gold Derby. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  90. ^ Daniels, Robert. "The 14 Best Eddie Murphy Movie Performances". Okayplayer. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  91. ^ Ames, Jeff (February 15, 2023). "Eddie Murphy 90s Movies Ranked From Bowfinger to Vampire in Brooklyn". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  92. ^ Davis, Clayton (July 12, 2023). "13 Best Disney Voice Performances: Robin Williams as Genie, Idina Menzel as Elsa and More". Variety. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  93. ^ Watkins, Matt (August 8, 2022). "Best Voice Performances in Disney Animated Movies, Ranked". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  94. ^ Mullings, Nadia Grace (May 19, 2024). "Best Voice Acting Performances In Disney's Animated Movies, Ranked". Game Rant. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  95. ^ "14 of the Best Voice Acting Performances of All Time". Backstage. February 29, 2024. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  96. ^ Sanwari, Ahad (August 2, 2023). "Eddie Murphy - Biography". Hello!. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  97. ^ Smart, Jack (September 15, 2020). "Eddie Murphy, the One-Audition Wonder". Backstage. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  98. ^ Vo, Alex. "All Eddie Murphy Movies Ranked". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  99. ^ "Eddie Murphy". Britannica Kids. Archived from the original on May 24, 2024. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  100. ^ Jackson, Josh (November 30, 2023). "Every Walt Disney Animation Movie, Ranked". Paste. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  101. ^ Grierson, Tim (November 29, 2023). "Eddie Murphy's Very, Very Bad Family Films, Ranked". Cracked. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  102. ^ Fraley, Jason (September 4, 2020). "Review: 'Mulan' live-action remake debuts on Disney+, but is it worth $30?". WBCT. Archived from the original on August 4, 2024. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
  103. ^ Dietz, Jason (March 9, 2021). "Every Eddie Murphy Movie, Ranked". Metacritic. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  104. ^ Chacona, Hollis (June 19, 1998). "Mulan". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  105. ^ Beck, Jerry (2005). The Animated Movie Guide. United States: Chicago Review Press. p. 174. ISBN 9781569762226. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024 – via Google Books.
  106. ^ Beck, Jerry (July 1999). "Disney's Tarzan: A State of the Art Thrill Ride". Animation World Network. Retrieved September 10, 2024.
  107. ^ Gantz, Jeffrey (June 18, 1998). "Romance takes a back seat to action in Mulan". Boston Phoenix. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  108. ^ Maslin, Janet (June 19, 1998). "Film Review; A Warrior, She Takes on Huns and Stereotypes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 3, 2023. Retrieved May 9, 2024.
  109. ^ Sewell-Peterson, Sam (August 15, 2020). "Mulan (1998) Review". The Film Magazine. Archived from the original on June 28, 2023. Retrieved May 27, 2024. The negative criticism the character received in China for cultural insensitivity is understandable
  110. ^ Leung, Phillip (February 28, 2020). "Recent Rewinds: Live-action 'Mulan' sacrifices Mushu and music for cultural accuracy, realism". Daily Bruin. Archived from the original on October 3, 2022. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  111. ^ a b Madison, Angel (November 15, 2023). "We Ranked the Best Disney Movie Animal Sidekicks—And We Broke Our Own Hearts". Country Living. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024. Unfortunately, though, his appearance didn't please everyone—as dragons are supposed to be stately, and many viewers found his character insensitive.
  112. ^ "Disney magic fails 'Mulan' in China; Cultures: The Americanized version of the famous folk tale is all too American for Chinese movie audiences". The Baltimore Sun. May 3, 1999. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  113. ^ Yi, Dennis E. (September 11, 2020). "Why Chinese viewers hate Disney's 'Mulan'". The China Project. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
  114. ^ a b Brett, Anthony (September 7, 2020). "The Mulan II misfire: inside the dismal straight-to-video sequel Disney would rather forget". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 20, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  115. ^ Radulovic, Petrana (March 28, 2019). "Every Disney direct-to-video sequel, prequel, and mid-quel, ranked". Polygon. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  116. ^ Wong, Kevin (March 5, 2019). "The Weirdest Disney Movie Sequels You Probably Forgot Existed". GameSpot. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  117. ^ a b Fincher, Annalyssa (October 6, 2022). "10 Best Dragons In Movies". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  118. ^ Chapman, Madeleine (December 23, 2016). "Moana is a rare and wonderful celebration of the Pacific islands – this movie is us". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  119. ^ Rahman-Jones, Imran (September 2, 2020). "Mulan: Disney remakes and the power of nostalgia during coronavirus". BBC News Online. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  120. ^ Weiss, Josh (February 21, 2020). "Mulan Remake Filmmakers Explain Why They Had to Slay Mushu and the Famous Songs". Syfy. Archived from the original on November 29, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  121. ^ Pirrello, Phil (January 25, 2023). "The 50 best Disney animated characters of all time – 44. Mushu". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  122. ^ "A Look Back at 10 Memorable Disney Dragons". Disney Rewards. March 3, 2021. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  123. ^ Stewart, Nikole (Mar 29, 2022). "Best Side Characters In Disney". Game Rant. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  124. ^ "The 29 most underappreciated Disney sidekicks". Entertainment Weekly. August 15, 2022. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  125. ^ Kinane, Ruth (June 17, 2016). "Disney Characters Who Deserve Their Own Spinoffs". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  126. ^ De Leo, Alyssa (April 5, 2023). "Disney's 12 Best Animal Sidekicks, Ranked". Collider. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved May 27, 2024.
  127. ^ Duca, Lauren; Goodman, Jessica (May 20, 2014). "A Definitive Ranking Of Disney Sidekicks". HuffPost. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  128. ^ Kupfer, Lindsey (February 20, 2024). "A Ranking Of All The Disney Sidekicks". Bustle. Archived from the original on June 22, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
  129. ^ Brown, Ayla (August 21, 2023). "9 Of The Greatest Disney Sidekicks, Ranked!". Country 102.5. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  130. ^ "TV and cinema's most famous dragons!". Stars Insider. March 3, 2018. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  131. ^ Renee, Cherylene (September 13, 2016). "6 of the most famous dragons in TV & movie history". Yahoo Life UK. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  132. ^ Rutigliano, Olivia (August 26, 2022). "The 50 Best Fictional Dragons, Ranked". Literary Hub. Archived from the original on May 1, 2024. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  133. ^ a b "Our Hearts Burn For These Unforgettable Disney Dragons". D23. August 5, 2019. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  134. ^ Zalben, Alex (December 13, 2013). "From Smaug To Mushu, Which Movie Dragon Is The Biggest Of All Time?". MTV News. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  135. ^ Lawler, Kelly (April 11, 2016). "The 5 best pop culture dragons". USA Today. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  136. ^ Volk, Pete; Radulovic, Petrana; Robinson, Tasha. "Our favorite dragons from movies and TV". Polygon. Archived from the original on February 26, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  137. ^ Fischer, William (April 3, 2022). "The Best Dragons Of Cinema, Ranked: 'Raya & the Last Dragon's Sisu to 'The Hobbit's Smaug". Collider. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  138. ^ Kagawa, Julie (May 5, 2016). "Top 10 dragons in fiction". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  139. ^ a b White, Cindy (March 28, 2023). "9. Mushu from Mulan". The A.V. Club. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  140. ^ "Blaze Through This List Of Famous Dragon Names". Dictionary.com. November 10, 2022. Archived from the original on January 19, 2024. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
  141. ^ Bancroft, Tom (2016). The Art of Disney's Dragons. United States: Disney Editions. ISBN 9781484747162. Archived from the original on 2024-05-28. Retrieved 2024-05-07.
  142. ^ "Disney opens its newest theme park in Hong Kong". 9News. September 12, 2005. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  143. ^ Foreman, William (September 12, 2005). "Hong Kong Disneyland opens". NBCNews.com. Archived from the original on February 8, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  144. ^ a b Phillips, Ian; Desiderio, Kyle (September 8, 2020). "Disney's "Mulan" live-action differences from animated movie". Business Insider. Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  145. ^ Larson, Tara (September 4, 2020). "The Real Story of Hua Mulan Is More Impressive Than Any Disney Version". Esquire. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024. any Chinese viewers disliked his character
  146. ^ Yuill, Bessie (September 16, 2020). "Before She Was a Warrior Heroine, Mulan Was Rescued by a White Savior". Slate. Archived from the original on January 21, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  147. ^ Yuill, Bessie; Delahoche, Florence (October 26, 2020). "Mulan narrowly escaped the arrival of a white savior". Slate.fr (in French). Archived from the original on May 7, 2024. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
  148. ^ Ford, Rebecca (February 26, 2020). "Inside Disney's Bold $200M Gamble on 'Mulan': "The Stakes Couldn't Be Higher"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  149. ^ Francisco, Eric (February 20, 2024). "The cultural reason Disney's Mulan remake got rid of Mushu". Inverse. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  150. ^ a b Pometsey, Olive (September 4, 2020). "A very serious ranking of the best animal sidekicks of all time". British GQ. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  151. ^ Evans, Nick (July 8, 2019). "Disney's First Mulan Trailer Doesn't Have Mushu, And The Internet Is Freaking Out". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024. Reactions to the lack of Mushu and the other changes made to the film ranged from disappointment, to anger, to sadness.
  152. ^ Evans, Mel (January 15, 2020). "Disney fans still livid Mushu is nowhere to be seen as stunt-heavy sneak peek of Mulan is released". Metro. Archived from the original on November 26, 2020. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  153. ^ Vaughan, Claudia (July 19, 2019). "In Defense of a Mushu-less Mulan: It's Time to Take Asian Leads Seriously [OP-ED]". ColorLines. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  154. ^ Tan, Yvette; Chen, Heather (July 19, 2019). "Mulan: Disney aims to win over China with second take on the legend". BBC News Online. Archived from the original on February 5, 2024. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  155. ^ Davis, Rebecca (July 11, 2019). "China Loves New 'Mulan' Trailer, Except Its Historical Inaccuracies". Variety. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  156. ^ Mustafa, Filiz (January 14, 2020). "Mulan director reveals whether Disney remake features Mushu". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  157. ^ "Two Characters Missing From Mulan Because Of Cultural Appropriation And The #MeToo Movement". AMC. March 10, 2020. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  158. ^ Tomicic, Imogene (September 3, 2020). "The duties of 'Mulan' (2020): Addressing 'Mulan' (1998) criticism". The Stanford Daily. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  159. ^ Ng Yong He, Gregory (September 2, 2020). "What Can We Expect From a Mulan Without Mushu?". Vulture. Archived from the original on April 26, 2024. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  160. ^ a b Lange, Jeva (September 4, 2020). "The real reason Mulan needed Mushu". The Week. Archived from the original on April 30, 2024. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  161. ^ Lewis, Olivia (July 10, 2019). "'Mulan' trailer gets mixed reactions". Shanghai Daily. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  162. ^ Davis, Rebecca (September 15, 2020). "China Hates Disney's 'Mulan,' but It Has Nothing to Do With Politics". Variety. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  163. ^ Hammond, Kelly (September 17, 2020). "Historian: I watched 'Mulan' so you don't have to". CNN. Archived from the original on March 22, 2022. Retrieved May 28, 2024.