Mulan

Here's the thing about Mulan (and this is going to be my critique for the day): no matter how kickass she is, the film does everything it can to undermine her threat to the patriarchy, in order that we may like her, assured that society will be safe from disruption.

Mulan disobeys her father, but does she do it for herself? Does she do it because she has a desire to fight in the army? No. Even though she has shown that she desires to learn and think and be heard, privileges reserved in her society for men, she has not shown any desire to fight or kill or become a soldier. She disobeys her father, enforcer of the patriarchy, in order to save her father, to serve him.

This is true of China, the captain, and the emperor as well. These are all entities that have actively contributed to her oppression as a woman, and what she does, she does for them. She is fighting to save the system which is responsible for all the misery in her life, and because of that, her disobedience is acceptable.

Then, when it's all over, when she has fought through hatred and bigotry and danger to save China and the emperor, she is offered a job on the council. Does she take it? Does she take this opportunity to have what she most craves: respect, independence, acceptance, the opportunity to learn and think and be heard? No. The threat to this society which has spit on her so is passed, and now, well, "I think I've been away from home long enough." You certainly have, you uppity girl.

Then she goes home. She gets approval from her father (approval from her mother or grandmother didn't merit a touching scene, I guess), which is good. Then--you know what would make Mulan really happy? A husband, of course! You see, something just for you, Mulan. We all know how much you like marriage.

Seriously. What the hell? Now that Mulan is done with her silly excursion, she gets wholly enveloped back into the patriarchy, with the approval of all the men in her life. Her grandmother's line when she sees Shang ("Woo! Sign me up for the next war!") implies that the thing of greatest value that Mulan did while she was away was find a husband. Fuck this shit, I tell you what.