In the original ballad Mulan runs away to join the army to spare her little brother and sick father (qtd. in “The Ballad”). The film references Mulan's brother by calling his dog little brother (Mulan). Another notable difference between the ballad and the film is that Mulan remained in the army for 12 years and did not fall in love with her commanding officer (qtd. in "The Ballad"). The main points of family, of love for one's country, of choosing to do the morally right thing are not lost amidst all the singing and fighting. Mulan is a film that has a strong female character but portrays women in a negative way and shows that sometimes to do the morally right thing, laws must be broken. Mulan is an excellent film to show to young children, but there are some things that are definitely worth skipping