Sidekicks (1993)    Triumph/Action-Comedy    RT: 101 minutes    Rated PG (mild violence, some language)    Director: Aaron Norris    Screenplay: Lou Illar and Galen Thompson    Music: Alan Silvestri    Cinematography: Joao Fernandes    Release date: April 30, 1993 (US)    Cast: Chuck Norris, Beau Bridges, Joe Piscopo, Jonathan Brandis, Mako, Julia Nickson-Soul, Danica McKellar, Richard Moll, John Buchanan, Gerrit Graham, Dennis Burkley.    Box Office: $17.1M (US)

Rating: ***

 See if this scenario sounds familiar. A bullied boy gains self-confidence when he starts taking karate lessons from an eccentric but wise old Asian man. It sounds like The Karate Kid, doesn’t it? Well, as it so happens, I’m actually referring to Sidekicks, a low-budget piece that tweaks the formula by adding fantasy to the mix. This karate kid has vivid fantasies about battling alongside his favorite action hero Chuck Norris in scenarios out of his movies, most notably Missing in Action and The Hitman. Although it predates Last Action Hero by two months, the comparison is inevitable. Unlike Ah-nuld however, he’s not brought to life by a magic ticket but a boy’s imagination. It makes a familiar story feel a little less so.

 Barry (Brandis, The NeverEnding Story II), a lonely asthmatic teen who lives with his widowed workaholic father Jerry (Bridges, The Fabulous Baker Boys) in Houston, is routinely bullied at school by jock jerk Randy (Buchanan) and put down by all but one of his teachers, Ms. Chan (Soul, Rambo: First Blood Part II). He’s a dreamer who frequently gets lost in his own fantasies. He wants to learn martial arts, but not at the dojo run by comically psychotic Sensei Stone (Piscopo, Dead Heat). Instead, he learns under the tutelage of Mr. Lee (Mako, Conan the Barbarian), Ms. Chan’s uncle who’s come to America to run the family restaurant Frying Dragon. Like Miyagi before him, he has creative ways of teaching Barry the finer points of martial arts.

 There are a few other pertinent plot points. One, Barry likes a cute girl named Lauren (McKellar, The Wonder Years), the only classmate who doesn’t make fun of him. Two, Jerry seems to have something romantic going on with Ms. Chen. Three, Barry is challenged by Randy to compete in a big karate tournament that, if nothing else, will afford him the opportunity to prove himself. Oh, it’ll also allow him to meet his hero face-to-face.

 I didn’t know this until now, but Sidekicks was independently produced by Norris and local furniture outlet owner Jim McIngvale (aka “Mattress Mac”) in conjunction with the actor/martial artist’s anti-drug campaign “Kick Drugs Out of Schools”. That explains its cheap look. Directed by younger brother Aaron Norris (Braddock: Missing in Action III, Delta Force 2), it’s a well-meaning little movie that stays well within the confines of its PG rating making it okay for nine and up. It has some karate violence, but it’s bloodless and never OTT. It doesn’t go overboard with cursing either. I don’t recall anything harsher than “damn”, “hell” or “ass”. You hear worse on network TV.

 What Sidekicks lacks in pricey special effects or big action set pieces, it makes up for in pure spirit. It’s a fun movie with a heart as big as the budget of Jurassic Park. It’s well known that Chuck is a nice guy in real life (right-wing politics notwithstanding). He plays himself in the movie; first in Barry’s fantasies and later when he agrees to join Barry’s team in the tournament. It isn’t just out of altruism either; he wants to teach Stone “a lesson in humility” after he gets in Chuck’s face. He gets to show off his martial arts skills in a few well-choreographed scenes including the showdown match against Stone. Although he tends to flounder in lighter material like Firewalker, Chuck does a fine job in Sidekicks. He’s clearly having a ball poking fun at his own image. I love it when he shows up in his Hitman guise. He’s a good sport. There’s nothing to NOT like about him here. A nice guy is a nice guy. What’s to criticize?

 Brandis, who tragically took his own life in ’03, is likable as Barry, a kid that just wants to be like the rest of the kids. He’s determined to overcome his health problems, stop people from picking on him and winning the heart of his crush. He finds a real mentor in Lee, a bit of an odd bird himself. Look at the way he handles the rough biker types threatening to trash the restaurant. Mako is perfectly suited to the role. Bridges is okay, he can play a role like this in his sleep. Piscopo goes OTT as the villainous sensei with a grudge against Chuck. He takes it to the point of comic absurdity. He’s a walking cartoon. Richard Moll (Night Court) has some funny moments as a sadistic gym teacher. McKellar projects sweetness as Barry’s crush. Soul, whose character features prominently in Barry’s daydreams, is good as the kindly teacher.

 A few minor problems though. First, I wanted to see a final fight between Barry and Randy. It would have been great to see Barry give the creep a taste of his own medicine. Don’t get me wrong, the brick breaking contest is cool, but a fight would have been cooler. Second, the final scene is a bit vague. I’m not 100% sure what it was supposed to mean. Did Barry imagine Chuck helping him? Did it really happen? It’s not clear. Otherwise, Sidekicks is a good movie. It’s no Karate Kid or Karate Kid II, but it’s better than Karate Kid III. It’s fun, sweet, good-natured and kind-hearted. Kids ought to enjoy it. So will some of the adults.