This is a guilty pleasure of mine. It's not Enter the Dragon or Crouching Tiger, or even Clueless (In terms of High School Comedies)
Pluses: the Choreography is impressive. Shin Komida and Brenda Song have great chemistry and comedic timing. Brenda Song's perky cute style makes an otherwise annoyingly-written character likable, and she does most of her own stunts! Some of the jokes are giggle-worthy and the effects are good for a TV production. Power Ranger Fans will enjoy seeing the Blue Wind Ranger from Ninja Storm in a back-up role. The movie doesn't take itself that seriously, and you shouldn't either. The movie's "Don't forget your roots" message is effectively delivered.
Negatives: The movie does get hammy at times during the "serious" moments. The Chinese culture is boiled down, and some of the characters' motivation is very shallow. Strike that, a lot of the motivation is shallow, because the Disney Channel seriously underestimates the intelligence of its target audience.
This movie is for you if: You enjoy Disney Channel Original Movies for what they are. Parents who love Wired-Fu and Hong Kong action flicks and want to share that love with their younger kids, if they don't have the reading speed to enjoy subtitles. You ever wanted to suddenly discover you had mystical martial arts powers and beat up your high school tormentors This movie isn't for you if: You look at every movie as if you were the Academy Awards Panel. Just take it at face value, and have fun!
Pluses: the Choreography is impressive. Shin Komida and Brenda Song have great chemistry and comedic timing. Brenda Song's perky cute style makes an otherwise annoyingly-written character likable, and she does most of her own stunts! Some of the jokes are giggle-worthy and the effects are good for a TV production. Power Ranger Fans will enjoy seeing the Blue Wind Ranger from Ninja Storm in a back-up role. The movie doesn't take itself that seriously, and you shouldn't either. The movie's "Don't forget your roots" message is effectively delivered.
Negatives: The movie does get hammy at times during the "serious" moments. The Chinese culture is boiled down, and some of the characters' motivation is very shallow. Strike that, a lot of the motivation is shallow, because the Disney Channel seriously underestimates the intelligence of its target audience.
This movie is for you if: You enjoy Disney Channel Original Movies for what they are. Parents who love Wired-Fu and Hong Kong action flicks and want to share that love with their younger kids, if they don't have the reading speed to enjoy subtitles. You ever wanted to suddenly discover you had mystical martial arts powers and beat up your high school tormentors This movie isn't for you if: You look at every movie as if you were the Academy Awards Panel. Just take it at face value, and have fun!