Dolryeochagi

Side Kick is based on a down-on-their-luck, yet proud, high school tae kwon do team as they train for and fight in a tournament for many different yet meaningful character-specific circumstances. The plot participates in a long line of formulaic martial arts dramas (See summary title): somewhat absurd yet entertaining. Yes, Side Kick is more of drama told through the medium of tae kwon do, but does little in separating themselves in plot depth and meaning from other high school sport flick contemporaries such as Friday Night Lights, Remember The Titans, Love & Basketball, and Hoop Dreams. Side Kick is more on the level of Karate Kid and a high school version of Best of the Best. Watch Side Kick if you liked the latter two.

For better or worse, the story depends on plenty of plot twists (ala Armageddon), a youth-be-served mentality (ala Sister Act II), and the acting of Dong-wan Kim (Yong-gaek) to carry itself through. If you suspend your disbelief through some of the plot twists, you might find this a surprisingly refreshing tear-jerker.

This flick is an easy-to-watch mildly-involving action drama with plenty of teenage angst and kicking. 6/10