An amazing set for a less than amazing movie
Summary
Before you laugh at the 4 star review, bear in mind this is for this amazing set that Vinegar Syndrome have put together; I would give the movie itself maybe 2.5 or 3 stars on a good day. It looks and sounds perfect with hours of special features, so if you’re a fan of this movie or a Chuck Norris completist then you’ll want this in your collection.
Plot: Barry isn’t your normal high school student, he is obsessed with action movies, specifically ones starring the great Chuck Norris. In order to escape the difficulties of his everyday life, such as the loss of his mother and the bullies he has to face at school, Barry finds himself daydreaming of being Chuck Norris’s sidekick and beating up the bad guys in order to save the day. With the help of his favorite teacher and her uncle, Barry begins training in martial arts in order to gain confidence and to ground himself in reality. However, reality hits hard when Barry enters a martial arts tournament and is forced to face the bullies that have been tormenting him. With a little help from a hero of his, Barry must overcome his fears if he wants to win the tournament as well as the heart of his longtime crush.
A true 90s nostalgia movie, SIDEKICKS stands out from other “family friendly” movies of the time thanks in part to the many recreations of iconic action scenes found in Chuck Norris’s filmography. Directed by Aaron Norris (brother and frequent collaborator with Chuck Norris) SIDEKICKS features a who’s who cast of 90s greats including: Jonathan Brandis (TV’s Sea Quest, 1990’s It), Beau Bridges (The Wizard), Danica McKellar (TV’s The Wonder Years), Julia Nickson (Amityville: A New Generation), Joe Piscopo (Dead Heat), iconic character actor Mako (Red Sun Rising), and the legend himself Chuck Norris (Missing in Action) in a role unlike any other that he has played. Vinegar Syndrome Ultra is proud to present this video store era classic on 4k UHD and Blu-ray, newly scanned and restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative.
Review: I think Vinegar Syndrome is my personal favourite of the boutique Blu-ray/4K labels as even the most obscure movies get some incredible box sets loaded with special features. I recently picked up the Chuck Norris movie Sidekicks on 4K and I’m not going to pretend this is a great film as it is really quite cringe-inducing at times; it still manages to be a mostly fun time and doesn’t take itself seriously at all with Joe Piscopo overacting to a hilarious degree.
Chuck Norris plays himself with the late Jonathan Brandis playing a young boy called Barry who has asthma but daydreams of fighting alongside Chuck on various adventures. During these dreams we get references to Missing in Action, Hitman and more, but the most painful part of the movie is when Barry wakes up from his fantasies and is mocked by his classmates; I’m literally embarrassed for him as it’s a school kid’s worst nightmare.
This feels like a parody of The Karate Kid with Piscopo playing the John Kreese character and Mako playing Mr. Miyagi. Rambo: First Blood Part 2’s Julia Nickson plays Barry’s school teacher Ms. Chan who wants to help him become the best he can be. Beau Bridges plays Barry’s father who doesn’t quite know how to handle Barry’s detachment from reality, but he slowly bonds with Ms. Chan and they work together to help the boy.
There is a nice inspirational side to this movie as it encourages people with disabilities that they can still succeed if they believe in themselves especially that final shot.
Jonathan Brandis was perfectly cast as Barry capturing his vulnerability and I love the scene where he stands up to the bully Randy Cellini (John Buchanan); it’s a little disappointing they don’t get a showdown at the martial arts tournament but instead they smash bricks which is cool, but less satisfying.
In terms of action we get a few fight scenes and the dream sequences include moments from Chuck Norris’s movies with the addition of Barry; there are explosions and shoot-outs but it’s all in a PG-13 fashion.
The 4K looks and sounds great and it’s amazing that such an average film gets such loving treatment from Vinegar Syndrome; check out all the special features below.
• 4K UHD presented in High-Dynamic-Range
• Newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative
• Brand new commentary track with director Aaron Norris
• Fan commentary track with filmmaker Joe Begos and friends
• “Butch on Sidekicks” (36 min) – an interview with director Aaron Norris
• “Producing Sidekicks” (19 min) – an interview with producer Don Carmody
• “Kata Queen” (40 min) – an interview with actress Julia Nickson
• “Designing Sidekicks” (47 min) – an interview with production designer Reuben Freed
• “Editing Sidekicks” (34 min) – an interview with film editor Bernard Weiser
• Original video trailer
• Original 10-minute promo reel
• Still gallery
• Reversible sleeve artwork
• English SDH subtitles
Overall, Sidekicks is hardly a great movie but this is the best it’s ever going to look or sound with plenty of special features that will keep you viewing for hours. Vinegar Syndrome never disappoint and they really have done a fantastic job of remastering the film, so if you’re a Chuck Norris fan then this is a must-have.