Sidekicks

An underrated feel-good martial arts gem

Sidekicks was a blind buy for me during Vinegar Syndrome's 2026 No Sleep 'Til Summer Sale, and I'm so glad I took a chance on it. I wasn't expecting much, but it ended up being a surprisingly great movie and one that deserves a lot more love. The dream sequences with Chuck Norris are incredibly fun and really well done, adding a lot of charm and imagination to the film. At its core, it's just a genuinely feel-good martial arts movie with plenty of heart, making it an easy film to sit back and enjoy. As always, Vinegar Syndrome knocked it out of the park with the VSU release. The presentation is beautiful, and it's another fantastic edition of an underrated gem that I'm happy to have in my collection.

Family friendly fantasy / action flick with loads of chin and muscle

Got this flick b/c my 7 year old has been getting a kick out of karate / kung-fu flicks, but I went into this without ever seeing it before. The packaging is INSANE. Why this feature got such an extravagant release is beyond me, but im here for it… wish I had more movies with this kind of packaging treatment. Attractive artwork on an oversized box held closed by magnetic clasp, and packed with an essay book and the UHD / BD’s in a reversible cover case. The movie itself is really goofy and entertaining and one of the few I’ve chosen from Vinegar Syndrome that is family friendly and safe for kids of most any age. 
The karate is not as dynamic and insanely choreographed as the stuffs found in other family friendly films we’ve watched (Steven Chow and Jackie Chan releases for example), but it is all pretty engaging and often (purposefully) humorous. 
If you are looking for something along the lines of The Karate Kid (which this film unabashedly apes), but with an even less serious tone, 100% more Chuck Norris square-jaw, and a cast made up entirely of 80’s sitcoms actors, then add this VSU release to your cart now.

Houston, TX from 1992

A wholesome karate film from 1992 with a straightforward, predictable story. Chuck Norris has a smaller role than you might expect, and the ending plays out exactly as you'd imagine. Still, it's a fun nostalgia trip for late Gen X-ers. As always, VSU packaging is among the best in the business.