If anything, the Disney Channel is formulaic. That’s not a scathing criticism, but rather a statement of fact. The Disney Channel can afford to be formulaic, and it’s a necessity for their business. They are in the market of making films for young viewers, both pre-teen and teenage. If they weren’t formulaic, it would destroy their business.

Their latest made-for-TV film to hit DVD is “Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior.” This film stars Brenda Song as pretty and popular Wendy Wu. Her biggest dream is to become the homecoming queen of her school. However, the history of her family leads her down a different path. When an evil presence invades her town, she must use her ancestor’s knowledge to become a kung fu warrior.

Wendy is helped in her quest by a mysterious young Chinese monk named Shen (Shin Koyamada), who is following the evil presence. The problem Wendy has is that she has all but pushed aside her family history for more superficial things in a teenager’s life. As she fights her ancient enemy, she also learns to become more open-minded at school and to not focus on such superficial things.

For me, it’s a pleasure to see Brenda Song actually get her own vehicle on the Disney Channel. Too often, she’s played second fiddle to bigger stars like Lindsay Lohan and Ashley Tisdale. By staying out of the partying spotlight (at least for the moment), she might just find herself making the jump to major motion pictures the way previous stars Lohan and Hilary Duff had.

There’s a likeability about Song that makes things work for her on film. She can be appealing to look at but still be wholesome enough for a Disney film. Additionally, what helps her in this film is that Song did most of her own stunts. As a Tae Kwon Do black belt, Song was able to get involved in the film beyond just the acting.

This added a level of realism to what would otherwise have been a run-of-the-mill movie. It gave the filmmakers a chance to delve into the action moments without having to cut to the obligatory stunt person. (Imagine Lindsay Lohan dropping a full-speed spin kick on a bad guy in one of her films... not going to happen.)

The not-so-appropriately named “Kickin’ Edition” features an extended ending of the film as well as a bonus episode of Song’s show “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.” There’s also a featurette about Song’s training to become the homecoming warrior and a cast connection feature, which links Song to other stars in the Disney Channel universe.

“Wendy Wu: Homecoming Warrior” is not going to break any records at the Disney Channel. I think the Cheetah Girls and the High School Musical crowd has that all wrapped up. However, it’s a fun bit of television to watch if you get into the Disney Channel formula.



Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Full screen (1.3:1). English language subtitles for the hearing impaired.