Film
After Much Anticipation, ‘Mulan’ Opens With Stinging Reviews in China
- ‘Mulan’ China box-office outlook lags sci-fi thriller ‘Tenet’
- Disney has bet big on $200 million remake of 1998 movie
After days of controversy, Walt Disney Co.’s “Mulan” received mixed reception at its Friday debut in China, a crucial market for the $200 million live-action remake based on a Chinese folk song.
Stinging local reviews criticizing the way the movie presents Chinese culture -- particularly the makeup of female characters that some found too comical or scary -- have discouraged some movie goers from heading to the cinemas. The film’s trailer was enough to put off Rachel Li, a 31-year-old entrepreneur running a short-video advertising startup in Shanghai.