Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

mfalcone-3 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!!!

minoui Finally a comic book genre movie that has a worthwhile storyline. This film does not rely on explosions to keep the audience interested- instead it reverts to the past, when movies were made to tell a story. And what a story. This was one I actually wanted to hear and was not disappointed in. I wonder why I don't support home-grown talent more often as opposed to wasting a minimum of eight dollars to see a Hollywood big budget movie that I am always disappointed in? Go see this movie, it reminds me of Canada's relationship with the US. Although Canada is seen as a measly "sidekick" they actually have all of the... well, I won't explain further for fear of spoiling the movie but if you keep this in mind while viewing you will easily grasp my train of thought.

terramoreland A brave foray into a genre that traditionally requires big budgets. It is amazing what these folks did on so little. What a great independent film! Strong acting by the leads. Norman really gets you feeling bad for him and for all the people who are stuck in their little worlds with big imaginations and big hearts. Add a nice little twist and voilà! If only more big films showed the same sense of heart. You can relate to these guys. You can empathize with them, stuck in their boring jobs, looking for more, hoping to find it, and then realizing that not everybody cares like you do. A great Canadian film with great images of Toronto! It was excellent to see the effort they made to bring as much of the comic book world into it as they could. I especially like Ken Lashley's cameo. I also think it was great of Danny Baldwin to appear as well. I hope to see more from these talented new comers.

roland-104 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.