Sidekick

Norman (Perry Mucci), a nerdy computer troubleshooter at an investment firm in Toronto, fills his personal time and imagination with comic superheroes; his best buddy runs a comic book shop where he often hangs out. One day in the coffee room at work, Norman sees Victor (David Ingram), one of the slicker salesmen, grab a toppling coffee cup in midair with such lightening speed that Norman guesses he must possess some sort of telekinetic powers. Turns out he guessed right.

Norman offers to train Victor to focus the use of these powers more intentionally, and, after initially spurning the offer, Victor acquiesces. Norman envisions training Victor to become a superhero, fighting crime with his paranormal skills, while Norman sees himself as a sidekick, his Robin to Victor's Batman. Trouble is, Victor does not share this vision: he has no scruples whatsoever and laughs off the idea of becoming a crimefighter in favor of accumulating corporate control and wealth through his powers, even if this requires violence.

Norman has inadvertently created a monster and now must attempt to pull the plug on him. The screenplay is cleverly written. Ingram is perfect as the narcissistic bad guy. Mucci is burdened by playing a character too naive to be believed, not in the big city of Toronto. My rating: 6.5/10 (B). (Film seen on 10/01/05 at the Idaho International Film Festival). If you'd like to read more of my reviews, send me a message for directions to my websites.

With the advent of superhero movies a new genre arose. Superhero movies that don't focus on super powers. They focus on the people who have them and those affected by them. As in Hancock, All Superheroes Must Die, etc. This is one of those. For a low budget movie, it was surprisingly well written and thought out. Well worth watching.

Watchable but nothing special. It reminded me of a sci-fi channel TV movie. Woulda made a mediocre Twighlight Zone or X-files episode.

I rate it a 3 because if you spent any money watching it, you might very well feel ripped off.

Some people might rate it higher because it's an indie, but I'm an average movie watcher, not a film-school teacher. I rate all movies by one standard.

It had a low-budget feel from the start. Camera and sound work were fine, The few small special effects were OK, so I guess it was the acting and directing that made it feel cheap. All the extras looked like acting students who like to stretch their lines out to get more face-time on camera.

The Baldwin brother looked like De Niro compared to the other actors, and no that's not a compliment. If you thought the movie "Unbreakable" was the bestest movie ever, then you might like this variation of the same theme.

You know I admit that when I was a kid I wanted to become a superhero. One day, I'd wake up to realize that I had superpowers and I'd be called on missions to save the world or damsels in distress.

I suppose for someone like Norman Neale, a nerdy computer technician living in the shadow of the "real men" in his office, the best he could do was to become a sidekick. Working in a competitive investment firm in Toronto, Norman discovers his co-worker Victor has the power to move objects from a distance. This discovery gives Norman's life new meaning as he sets out to train Victor to become "Victory Man" and prowl the city streets of Toronto to fight crime.

The only problem is that Norman's fantasy-come-true forces him to deal with the cold, hard facts of real life: sometimes super strength doesn't equal superhero.

I loved Perry Mucci's performance. It's worth renting just to watch him play the nerdy child-like guy who still gets bullied on the streets of Toronto or falls madly in love with the receptionist at work. I didn't know if I should feel sorry for Norman or just plain pray real hard for him.

However, that being said, David Ingram and Perry Mucci played a great "odd couple" performance. It was fun to watch the nerdy comic-book guy train the dumb jock who considered his greatest asset in life not to be his superpowers, but rather his ability to screw as many women while on his way up the corporate ladder. The training sequences are hilarious as we watch poor Norman take not one but two bottles in the head for the team. Good on you, Norman!

Sidekick is a great story; it's fast-paced, full of foreshadowing with comic-book like scenes scattered throughout the film. I'd love to get Baldwin's death-by-choking face in poster format. There are no boring or slow scenes in Sidekick and there were many witty lines of dialogue that belong on bumper stickers or business calendars (see Andrea Hicks dialogue below).

The music and soundtrack was amazing on this film and I loved the opening sequence with the title and credits! That must have made Sparaga feel tingly all over when he saw that. Nice touch!

I wish there was more of the Andrea character! I sense that the character had a larger role to play in the film, but sadly, remained the young, female receptionist desperately trying to make her way in a man's world. Although her line regarding being forced to pick locks with other guy's dicks is, as far as I am concerned, a work of art, I felt that Andrea could have contributed more to the story.

Sidekick is a low-budget film that's high on plot development and great dialogue. Make a sequel Mike!!!

For everyone who ever dreamed of being a super hero ... and then woke up! It's a hilarious take on what it takes to be a comic book style superhero in today's cynical world and what it takes to be one's sidekick. From the lighter side of herodom to the darker corners, this flick will keep you wondering whether to cheer or boo the hero and his sidekick as they try to work out the kinks of possessing extraordinary powers! Its black side makes it unsuitable for little kids but teens and adults will love its quirky characterizations and double-edged message. Does not require a love of comic books to appreciate it ... it fills you in on the superhero mystique as it goes.