Mulan was awesome. Likeable characters, nice dialogue, sense of humour, beautiful animation, great score. I don't think it's full of asian stereotypes as much as it is full of disney stereotypes who happen to be asian in this particular movie. The exact same characters show up in just about every disney movie with a new name and face. Make them into fish and set it under the sea, it's no longer an asian stereotype. If a movie is set in asia, it's gonna have some aspects of asian culture in there somewhere. While depicting Chinese people in China eating rice and wearing Chinese clothing could technically be considered stereotyping, I don't really think that things like this should be held against a movie. The movie would probably have been better if all the characters were wearing Levi 501s and eating hot dogs I guess, while talking in a wide variety of worldly accents.
Complaining about stereotypes in fiction is a lot like complaining about it being cloudy when it rains. Yes, it's a stereotype. It's a work of fiction. It's going to have some stereotype in there somewhere, whether it's one that offends you or not. The thing is that people desensitized to some stereotypes and not others. Either every stereotype offends you, or none do. Either way, nobody really has the right not to be offended ever, people these days seem to think they do. Something somewhere IS going to offend you. You and ONLY you. Nobody else will bat an eyelid. Some people might even enjoy it. When that time comes folks, just smile and nod.
Everybody has the right to be offended but nobody has the right not to be. Be offended and deal with it like a tolerant person.
