Chuck Norris' Missed Opportunity: The Story of 'Sidekicks' and His Attempt at Family-Friendly Entertainment
Chuck Norris, known for his violent action movies in the 1980s, had a desire to entertain children, but his attempts were not well-received. Kids were fascinated by martial arts, especially after Bruce Lee's popularity, but when Lee passed away in 1973, the momentum for martial arts cinema in the US slowed down. Norris, along with David Carradine, became the go-to stars for martial arts-themed entertainment.
In his action movies, Norris didn't shy away from showing gruesome scenes that teenagers found thrilling. However, when he tried to create a child-friendly cartoon series called "Karate Kommandos," it failed to capture the audience's interest. Despite this setback, Norris made another attempt to appeal to families with the movie "Sidekicks" in 1992, a film reminiscent of "The Karate Kid" but received poor reviews.
"Sidekicks" was financed by a Texas businessman, Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale, with Norris endorsing his mattress commercials and anti-drug campaign. The film featured Jonathan Brandis as the protagonist, with Chuck Norris appearing as himself to help defeat the bullies. The movie also starred Beau Bridges, Mako, Danica McKellar, Richard Moll, and Gerrit Graham, but failed to impress critics.
The film, described as "sweet but predictable" by Roger Ebert, had a cast of talented actors who couldn't save the lackluster storyline. Despite the film's shortcomings, children watched it while being exposed to McIngvale's anti-drug message. "Sidekicks" was a missed opportunity for Norris to connect with a younger audience, unlike his action-packed movies that resonated with teenagers.
In conclusion, Chuck Norris' attempt to transition from violent action movies to family-friendly entertainment with "Sidekicks" fell short of expectations. The film, despite its talented cast, failed to engage the audience and missed the mark in delivering a compelling storyline. Norris' foray into children's entertainment did not achieve the success he had hoped for, leaving a gap between his action-packed past and his attempt at family-friendly content.