An aspiring homecoming queen discovers that in order to win the coveted crown she must first learn the way of the warrior in this action-packed Disney Channel production that the whole family will enjoy. Wendy Wu has a one track mind, and that track leads directly to the title of homecoming queen -- no unscheduled stops, and no unnecessary detours. When a mysterious Chinese monk named Shen arrives to mold Wendy into a fearless kung fu warrior, however, her royal aspirations suddenly jump the track as she desperately attempts to juggle her boyfriend, her homework, and of course, the fierce competition to become homecoming queen. Now, as Wendy begins to train her mind, body, and spirit in the ancient tradition of the martial arts and her inner warrior gradually begins to emerge, the girl who once obsessed over popularity finally begins to put that popularity into perspective as she gradually realizes what truly matters in life. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
Review by All Movie Guide
While no one will ever confuse Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior with a genuine Hong Kong action flick, this Disney Channel movie does provide some surprisingly effective martial arts sequences. Again, one has to look at this in the proper context -- meaning that the kicks, the slow motion, the slicing are not going to have the same visceral impact as the "real thing," if for no other reason than the fact that this would alienate the target audience of teen-aged (or thereabouts) girls. But within this limitation, these sequences are very good and provide some genuine excitement and thrills. This is especially fortunate because the rest of the film is mired in Disney Channel formulaics about the importance of family and heritage and learning both what is important and how to be true to oneself. These are good and worthy messages, but they're presented in such a by-the-numbers manner that older viewers can't help but wince, even as the younger ones gobble it up without a question.
Wu is also fortunate in its leading player,
Brenda Song, who is a charming and appealing personality, even when playing a shallow airhead -- and who did far more of her own stunts (and quite believably) than one would imagine. Shin Koyamada does not win any acting awards, but his physical performance is quite impressive. Its target audience will love
Wu, and the action sequences should keep older viewers entertained. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide