The Lion King (2019)

We have chosen our favorite soundtrack songs from the modern music period (2010+). We hope you enjoy the diverse soundtrack music represented here by artists spanning different genres, countries, and continents.

*Warning, some songs are sexually suggestive, viewer discretion is advised.

With the live-action Mulan coming to Disney+ next month, I thought it would be nice to look back at the original, 1998 classic. Mulan (1998) follows the titular character on her quest to save China, and while doing so, she disguises herself as a young man to join the army.

The character of Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) is one of Disney’s best heroines. She’s brave, kicks butt, and has a kill count. What other Disney character has killed hundreds of Huns by crushing them with an avalanche? No one. Take that, Elsa, Mulan didn’t need ice powers to take down an army.

Another great aspect of the film is the music. It’s a real shame that the live-action version isn’t a musical. The song “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” is awesome. If I’m watching this film with someone and they’re not singing that song along with me, I’ll be severely disappointed.

The live-action movie also cut out Li Shang (BD Wong) which is just inexcusable. Shang and Mulan had great dynamics in the film, and they’re one of the only Disney couples who don’t marry in the end. Shang is also a pretty cool character who also kicks butt.

The reason why he’s cut out is due to Disney executives being uncomfortable with a commanding officer as the love interest. This was all in the wake of the #MeToo movement so there’s some justification, but it’s not like Shang’s written terribly. He has flaws like any other character, but he at least learns from his mistakes and grows. It seems silly that they would cut out of the most important characters in the film, and he’s not the only one.

At Incluvie, we provide movie reviews and ratings through a lens of representation. When the world lost Chadwick Boseman on August 28, 2020, we all saw the enormous and powerful impact of representation in film. The announcement of his untimely death on Twitter was the most liked tweet as of August 2020 [Source]. Why? Because Boseman was not only a Black superhero leading a Black cast in one of the most successful films in history; but his successes paved the way for more, long-overdue diversity in Hollywood.

As the industry posts tributes to their friend and colleague, we can only remember him through the grace and integrity he left on screen. Boseman was necessary to the film industry; we needed him. Every systematically oppressed person needed him, and his strong, well-rounded characters. Boseman was more than an extremely talented actor — he was the embodiment of representation’s effect. The writers of Incluvie wanted to do our best to pay a small tribute to his image on screen. Let’s review some of his roles and his impact.

For many people, Disney+’s debut show, The Mandalorian, was a breath of fresh air for the Star Wars universe. It featured a look at brand new characters in a brand new part of the universe. I enjoyed the season, though I felt it had its weak points. While we wait for season two, which is scheduled to drop on the service later this year, Disney+ is releasing an eight part behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Mandalorian. The first episode dropped on May the 4th, and the series concluded on June 20th.

I love watching behind-the-scenes featurettes for movies and shows. As an aspiring filmmaker myself, there is something utterly captivating about watching creators create. I love seeing the whole process of creating a piece of content, from pre-production to production to post-production. It shows you just how much teamwork and effort goes into making something, and it imbues me with an immense amount of appreciation for the filmmaking process.

Disney Gallery: The Mandalorian is eight half-hour episodes taking a look at the making of The Mandalorian.

Episode I: Directing

While this debut episode has a few dry parts, I found it to be largely interesting. The Mandalorian assembled an eclectic group of directors for the season, and it was with this round table discussion that I really processed how diverse their team is. It is mostly comprised of women and people of color. No woman or person of color has directed a Star Wars movie before, which is something that will hopefully be corrected soon. With this series, however, they brought together as diverse and talented of a team as they possibly could.