Erik Matti dissatisfied with Disney's live-action 'Mulan'
Director Erik Matti aired his displeasure over the recently released live-action adaptation of Mulan on Facebook on Monday, September 7.
The 49-year-old filmmaker called the version a “disappointment” and said that it felt “old and backward than the animated version.”
He continued, “They never got the soul of the original. I guess this is what happens when you only want to cash in on a franchise.
"A movie made by numbers people second-guessing what China would love to see.”
Matti also compared the adaptation to that of “Lion King” which he argued, “didn't work as a musical.”
“This Mulan didn't work without the songs. Mulan live-action is neutered with all the humor, charm, excitement, and flamboyance gutted out.
“But what do I know? I'm sure the suits were right about this. It'll make tons of money in China.
“Even the action parts look tired and rehashed with lots of parts where the editing jumps here and there were probably edited to death on the floor by too many showrunners and producers.”
He ended his review by saying he'd most likely see the cartoon animation once more as a way to “preserve the best memory of how I want to remember Mulan.”
Read his full review below:
I've waited for a year to see #Mulan. I loved the trailer when it first came out. The animated version was a favorite....
Posted by Erik Matti on Sunday, September 6, 2020
In the comments, fans also aired their dissatisfaction with the movie.
One fan wrote, “Direk Erik, there are not a lot of Asians behind the camera…”
To whom he replied, “I don't mind that a Chinese story would be filmed by another nationality. Sometimes, you bring some fresh insights out of the perspective of a foreigner's eye.
“But, if you are doing a movie about another culture, the attention to detail and research should be more thorough to come up with something objective but still organic and authentic.”
Meanwhile, a netizen said, “Direk, I agree with closing off the experience by rewatching the animated version to 'preserve the best memory' of how we want to remember Mulan.
"My favorite line from the emperor didn't make it sa Jet Li version.”
Direk Matti responded, “The old version still stands. Ganda pa rin ng tone.”
Netizens' comments on Erik Matti's post / Source: Erik Matti (FB)
The 2020 version of Mulan is the live-action adaptation of Disney's 1998 animated film of the same name, and is based on the Chinese folklore The Ballad of Mulan.
It stars Yifei Liu, Donnie Yen, Tzi Ma, Jason Scott Lee, Yoson An, Ron Yuan, Gong Li, and Jet Li.
The film was released on September 4, 2020, on Disney's streaming service, Disney+.