Mulan Photo:VCG

The Disney film Mulan gained support from some people in Hong Kong at its debut in the city on Thursday, despite separatists' calls to boycott the movie. 

Some Hong Kong residents were unaffected by criticism of the movie, saying that the film has been maliciously given a political meaning, and they will watch the movie to show their support.

Victor Chan, 34, a Hong Kong resident, told the Global Times on Thursday that he and his family will go see the movie as they believe that there is nothing wrong with Chinese movie stars expressing their patriotism and support for Hong Kong police for safeguarding public order in the city last year. 

Another resident, surnamed Huang, said that the story of Mulan has been his favorite since childhood, and the image of Mulan disguising herself to join the army shows a combination of strong masculine spirit and feminine tenderness. 

He said he is happy to see the story being put on the big screen and would love to watch it with friends when he has time. 

Hong Kong separatists have been urging the public to boycott the film on social media since Chinese actress Liu Yifei showed public support for the Hong Kong police last year amid riots in the city. 

The much-anticipated Disney film has achieved a high box office in some other regions, despite similar calls to boycott the movie. In Taiwan, it ranked first on the "New Film" list during its first week. 

Attendance for the film in Hong Kong at its debut on Thursday did not appear to be high, seen from online ticket sales for cinemas in the city, as most of them were less than half full, with ticket prices ranging from HK$38 ($4.9) to HK$130.  

But the modest performance of the movie may not be a surprise for the city's ravaged theater industry, hit by the coronavirus, when other movies show similar attendance, said observers and Hong Kong residents reached by the Global Times.