Sidekicks

PG

Released Apr 9, 1993

1 hr. 40 min.

Action

List

26%

19 Reviews

Tomatometer

48%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

An otherwise rejected or ignored boy (Jonathan Brandis) creates a fantasy pal (Chuck Norris) from his martial-arts movie hero.

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Marc Z

This 1990's Karate Kid inspired movie is not bad. It has a lot of heart. The story of a sickly boy who fantasizes about being in the world of Chuck Norris movies. He ends up inspired in the real world by an Asian martial arts instructor, inspired by Mr. Miyago-complete with cryptic wisdom and martial arts drills. The film pays nice homage the both the karate Kid, and the films of Chuck Norris. As a story of personal improvement it is good. Beau Bridges is decent as the boy's father. Danica McKellar is good as the quasi girlfriend-love interest. Some of the action is a little over the top, but the movie has heart. Norris is good every second on screen.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

12/25/23

Full Review

DanTheMan 2

God bless Sidekicks, it tries so hard. Playing to that nostalgic wonder of imagination, putting oneself into an elaborate and nonsensical situation alongside your favourite heroes. I can imagine that most of us will have been there at some point in our lives, so Sidekicks will resonate with many, as underneath that Karate Kid meets Rocky infused with some Last Action Hero hides an undeniable sense of dignity and emotional uplift. Backed by its loveable cast of characters, solid direction, endearing self-parody (the incredible daydream sequences taking points from Delta Force, Missing in Action and I assume The Hitman), a large amount of heart and another funky fresh Alan Silvestri score, Sidekicks cements its legacy as a forgotten gem that would inspire all those legendary facts about the man himself. Chuck inspires even the most crippled of us to both walk and overcome asthma like it was a minor cut.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/07/23

Full Review

Alex S

Objectively this is not a great movie. There are some funny parts but mostly I like it because I am like Barry. Always dreaming of being a bada$$. I doubt I would like this movie if I hadn't first seen it when it came out when I was about 10 and at the height of my love of ninja/karate movies.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/07/22

Full Review

Audience Member

it's a bad movie but not bad enough to be good. corny 90s karate kid ripoff feat. chuck norris with a few funny moments here and there.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I feel bad for this poor kid (Brandis) who is suffering from extreme delusions and breaks from reality, where he is fighting alongside Chuck Norris, and not one adult is capable of getting him the professional help he desperately needs. Just watched this with my brother again for the first time in probably 25yrs and at least the 10th time overall and we laughed more than ever and cringed a few times as well. And not for nothing, Joe Piscopo is always a treat. *Nostalgia Flick

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A shameless self-indulgent vanity project for the memetic badass to end all memetic badasses, Chuck Norris disguised a tired retread of The Karate Kid (with a Japanese mentor to boot), Sidekicks might be inspiring to little kids but at the end of the day it's just forgettable sports-themed family-oriented crap that has nepotism written all over it, what with the director being Chuck Norris's brother and the hero being a Chuck Norris-obsessed daydreamer. Is it really any wonder why it's so hard to come across this movie these days aside from as an easily glanced-over VHS tape in a bargain bin?

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

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Aaron Norris

Director

Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris

Beau Bridges

Jerry Gabrewski

Jonathan Brandis

Barry Gabrewski

Mako

Mr. Lee

Julia Nickson

Noreen Chan

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Michael Wilmington

Los Angeles Times

"Sidekicks" is amiable enough, even if cinematically, it makes "Cop and a Half" look like "8 1/2."

Jun 28, 2021

Full Review

Michael H. Price

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

Couched playfully amid all the hambone hokum and Rocky- style heroic flourishes of Sidekicks, there hides an undeniable sense of dignity and emotional uplift.

Jun 28, 2021

Full Review

Bob Fenster

Arizona Republic

Sidekicks is so predictable that you could leave the theater, break a few bricks of your own and not miss anything.

Rated: 2/5

Jun 28, 2021

Full Review

Candice Russell

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

It's soulful and funny and more than a few notches in quality above the films of those martial arts phenoms the Teen-age Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Jun 28, 2021

Full Review

Zac Hestand

Film Inquiry

The movie is just a Karate Kid knockoff too late to the party and used as a vehicle to give Norris something similar.

Sep 29, 2018

Full Review

Malcolm Johnson

Hartford Courant

Unfortunately, Norris also turns up in the flesh at the climax of this increasingly tiresome revision of Karate Kid. Never the most theatrical of martial arts stars, he acts too tentatively when required to show himself as a shy, low-key, caring human.

Jun 4, 2018

Full Review

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Synopsis

An otherwise rejected or ignored boy (Jonathan Brandis) creates a fantasy pal (Chuck Norris) from his martial-arts movie hero.

Director: Aaron Norris
Executive Producer: Chuck Norris, James McIngvale, Linda McIngvale
Screenwriter: Galen Thompson, Lou Illar
Production Co: Gallery Films, Vision PDG
Rating: PG
Genre: Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 9, 1993, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 25, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.5M
Sound Mix: Stereo, Surround

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