▁songs ▁by ▁Matthew ▁W ilder ▁and ▁David ▁Z ipp el ▁( with ▁Le a ▁Sal ong a ▁and ▁Don ny ▁O sm ond ▁singing ▁for ▁the ▁leads ) ▁lack ▁the ▁spark ▁that ▁Z ipp el ' s ▁lyr ics ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁under app reci ated ▁Her cules ." ▁Ed ▁Gonz ale z ▁of ▁Sl ant ▁Magazine ▁critic ized ▁the ▁film ▁as ▁" s ou ll ess " ▁in ▁its ▁port ray al ▁of ▁Asian ▁society . ▁ ▁This ▁movie ▁was ▁also ▁the ▁subject ▁of ▁comment ▁from ▁femin ist ▁critics . ▁M imi ▁N gu yen ▁says ▁the ▁film ▁" p okes ▁fun ▁at ▁the ▁ultimately ▁repr ess ive ▁gender ▁roles ▁that ▁seek ▁to ▁make ▁Mul an ▁a ▁domestic ated ▁creature ". ▁N ady a ▁Lab i ▁agreed , ▁saying ▁" there ▁is ▁a ▁ly ric ▁in ▁the ▁film ▁that ▁gives ▁the ▁lie ▁to ▁the ▁bra v ado ▁of ▁the ▁entire ▁girl - power ▁movement ." ▁She ▁pointed ▁out ▁that ▁Mul an ▁needed ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁boy ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁accomplish ▁what ▁she ▁did . ▁Kath le en ▁Kar lyn , ▁an ▁assistant ▁professor ▁of ▁English ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Oregon , ▁also ▁critic ized ▁the ▁film ' s ▁port ray al ▁of ▁gender ▁roles : ▁" In ▁order ▁to ▁even ▁imagine ▁female ▁hero ism , ▁we ' re ▁placing ▁it ▁in ▁the ▁real m ▁of ▁fant asy ". ▁Pam ▁Co ats , ▁the ▁producer ▁of ▁Mul an , ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁film ▁a ims ▁to ▁present ▁a ▁character ▁who ▁exhib its ▁both