Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- earnest
- uplifting
- inspirational
- family movie night
- nostalgic movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as a poorly executed, overly sentimental family martial-arts comedy-drama.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Barry fantasizes about fighting alongside Chuck Norris, blending wish fulfillment with his real-world martial arts training.
Barry's asthma and social marginalization directly motivate his pursuit of karate and personal change.
The plot combines school bullying, karate lessons, and a martial arts tournament in a PG teen-oriented format.
Barry's admiration for Chuck Norris shapes his fantasies and his determination to learn karate.
Films like Sidekicks, and why
The Karate Kid
shared coming-of-age story, school bullying, martial arts training, and family-friendly inspirational tone
No Retreat, No Surrender
shared teen underdog narrative, mentor relationship, martial arts competition, and upbeat genre mix
The Mighty Ducks
shared family adventure, youthful protagonist, comic action, and overcoming physical limitations
Movie Details
- Director
- Aaron Norris
- Release Date
- 1992-12-17
- Runtime
- 101 min
- Rating
- 5.3 / 10 (205)
Cast
- Jonathan Brandis
- Chuck Norris
- Beau Bridges
- Mako
- Julia Nickson
- Joe Piscopo
- Danica McKellar
- John Buchanan
- Richard Moll
- Gerrit Graham
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Sidekicks about?
- An asthmatic Texas teenager turns his devotion to Chuck Norris into martial-arts training and a determined stand against school bullies.
- What is Sidekicks like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Sidekicks as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Sidekicks violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Sidekicks as mild.
- What did critics think of Sidekicks?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as a poorly executed, overly sentimental family martial-arts comedy-drama.
- Which films are like Sidekicks?
- Films with a similar feel include The Karate Kid, No Retreat, No Surrender, and The Mighty Ducks.
- How long is Sidekicks?
- Sidekicks runs 101 minutes.
- Where can I watch Sidekicks?
- In United States, Sidekicks streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
