MovieChat Forums > Mulan II (2004) Discussion > Shang's Personality (or lack thereof)

Shang's Personality (or lack thereof)

posted 18 years ago by Waltbr10
23 replies | jump to latest

First of all, let me start by saying that I absolutely loved Shang in Mulan. I thought it was about time a Disney heroine fell in love with somebody who actually had a personality.

Which is why Mulan II distressed me so much. I understand that people change when they fall in love, but Shang's sudden personality shift really annoyed me. I mean, go back and watch Mulan and listen to "I'll Make a Man Out of You" and then compare that Shang to the Shang of the sequel. He shifts from being a simpering, love-stricken boy to being just plain mean over and over again.

And the parts where Shang and Mulan look at each other and laugh...it was really uncomfortable. Sort of made me want to look away. Although that may have just been the choppy animation.

I think this movie had great potential, but it sort of...flopped.

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] gypsygirl165 18 years ago

I agree. Shang was the first "Prince Charming" to actually have a distinct likeable personality. Unfortuneately, the makers of Mulan 2 didn't take much notice to how he was in the original. As you said, he was so goofy, and it was good to see that he was not always a strict drill sergeant, but i can't imagine him being that over the top. The animation on him wasn't very good, and his exressions were pretty insane. Especially when he was Yelling at Mulan for the Mushu puppet thing. He had lost a lot of his sophistication in the second movie.

[–] esther-eisenhauer 18 years ago

hellz yes... i must agree w/ you guys. i totally fell in love w/ the first Shang, and goddamn... what happened to Mr. "I LOVE U AND WILL DO ANYTHING FOR U"??? i miss him! *cries*

[–] monochrome-delirious 18 years ago

Yeah it ruined it for me because the original Shang was awesome. I mean he couldn't stop laughing and giggling in Mulan II. wtf?! But Shang wasn't the only thing this movie ruined. It stomped all over everything. I understand it was for kids, but still. *shudder* I can't even think of how terrible it was.

[–] monochrome-delirious 18 years ago

"The animation on him wasn't very good, and his exressions were pretty insane. Especially when he was Yelling at Mulan for the Mushu puppet thing."

^ I agree with that! When I saw it I rewound it and was like HOLY CRAP. So disturbing.

[–] flavia18 17 years ago

I must disagree with your opening remark. Philip in "Sleeping Beauty" has a distinct personality, starting from the very first time we see him, with the disgusted look on his face over Aurora's cradle. But I agree with you in general - neither "Prince Charming" nor Snow White's Prince have personalities - they don;t even have names!! Perhaps it's giving them a name that does it...? :-)

_____________________________________
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[–] fujikomine6 18 years ago

I don't hate Shang in the movie as much as I hated Mushu. Oh..my..god. They made him into a complete and utter jackass. He was nothing like this in the first one.

They'll love it in Pomona!

[–] SunnyTree 14 years ago

I don't hate Shang in the movie as much as I hated Mushu. Oh..my..god. They made him into a complete and utter jackass. He was nothing like this in the first one.

Me too, I absolutely HATED Mushu in this one.

[–] TheKittyFrog 17 years ago

I wasn't so much bothered by Shang but Mushu really pissed me off. He was alittle self-centred in the first but he was also funny which is why he is one of my favorite characters but I couldn't stand him in this one they made him look like a complete jerk.

"You brave little soldier, I acknowledge your pain. Come here. You're too precious for this world!"

[–] iguanaray 16 years ago

He was awesome in I'll Make a Man Out of You, I thought making him Mulan's love interest at the end of the first movie was a really cliche move on Disney's part. I haven't seen this yet but it sounded like a complete trainwreck and this post confirms it

[–] vvendettakat 16 years ago

Trust me, it is. I've been home sick w/ nothing to do and the first and second Mulan movies were on Disney channel, and I like the original, so I figured what the hell, I've got nothing better to do. I really just wish I hadn't. It was horrible the way that they changed their personalities, and their appearances. I noticed that they changed Mulan's face subtly to look more like the Western ideal of beauty, and Shang's face was so messed up! I particularly noticed this when Mulan was holding onto his hand after the bridge collapsed and he's like "It can't hold both of our weights...I'm sorry Mulan, blah blah blah" and lets go and plummets down to the abyss, did anyone else noticed his NOSE? It was sooo freaky looking. Jesus. And his expressions were way over the top and bizarre.

[–] KateB819 16 years ago

It wasn't so much Shang that pissed me off (although he was probably the second-most annoying character) as Mushu. Man, any love I had for him in the first movie was killed in this one.

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[–] invisible_love 15 years ago

Well,in the first movie,Shang was a boy trying to prove he is as good as his father and he's worth trusting.That's why he was always so tough and bad :D.
In the second Mulan,of course he'd change.I mean he's now a hero in China,he's goin to get married to the heroine of China and Emperor trusts him so much that he'd give him mission including his daughters.Of course he'd be laughing all the time and I see nothing bad at all.
And yes,I hated Mushu till the end ><" He was so selfish...Bleh

[–] chiibug 15 years ago

oh, i think it's there all right... they just over-did it. but i guess that's really shang's real self.

he's a little goofy and dorky, which is really unlike the other "disney princes". remember when he cleared his throat and came back to his more "professional" and "noble" self when his father, the general, made him a captain? he was so ecstatic that he babbled then! but he stopped himself.

since he was pretty much in front of his troops in the first movie, he has to put on this "professional-i'm-your-maker" type of face. when now that he's with mulan, note the last scene in the first movie with the "i-am-impressed-and-i-like-you-but-i'm-too-afraid-to-tell-you" scene, shang's well... his real self.

that's his personality, i think.

e.e. cummings style!

[–] Rileymoo1103 15 years ago

I agree with everything that you say, Waltbr10. I wanted to touch on what you said about the choppy animation, I didn't like how "cartoon-y" they animated Shang, especially when they were arguing.

It's like they made Mulan more feminine and beautiful and made Shange look like a goof ball.

[–] Joyful51485 15 years ago

I was telling my mom, it's sad when the animation gets worse 6 years later instead of better as you'd expect.

RIP MJ

[–] imhuntingforwitches 14 years ago

Well, I don't really think Shang showed much of his own personality until the end of the first movie (when he gets all shy around Mulan). I mean he shows his stern, rigid disciplined self, but he doesn't really reveal much else until the end.

But I can't believe him in this second movie! He's like a giggling adolescent boy! The parts where he and Mulan were supposed to be affectionate were written badly/animated horribly. It was awkward! I watched this film because of I'm a sucker for Mulan and I adore its characters, but after I watched it I try to forget this film was ever made...

[–] cumberpanda 14 years ago

Thank you so much. I could not agree more with your statement. I wanted to see it because I loved the first one so much. I HIGHLY REGRET THIS DECISION. Did the animators even remember the characterization in the first movie? Here's what Mulan, Shang, and Mushu had in common from the first film to the second: their names.

Mulan II is an epic disappointment and an utter failure all around. AVOID.