Sidekicks

Barry Gabrewski is a troubled, bullied asthmatic boy who lives with his widowed father in Houston, Texas. He endures taunts from classmates like Randy Cellini and the apathetic school system, which compounds his sense of isolation. The combination of asthma and bullying shapes his everyday life.

He escapes into vivid daydreams where he is Chuck Norris's sidekick and battles the movie's enemies. In these fantasies, Noreen Chan often becomes the damsel in distress while Barry imagines heroic feats. The daydreams help him cope with fear and give him a sense of power.

Barry longs to learn martial arts but is rejected by arrogant dojo-master Kelly Stone for being too weak. The rejection leaves him without a proper teacher who understands his asthma and fears. He begins searching for another path to defend himself.

An old Chinese man named Mr. Lee notices Barry's potential and agrees to take him as a student. He is Noreen Chan's sly uncle and owner of the Frying Dragon restaurant. Lee uses creative training methods that build Barry's endurance, helping his asthma, while weaving Barry's Norris daydreams into realistic drills.

Lee discovers Barry's hero-worship of Norris and designs scenarios that feel dangerous so Barry will feel heroic when he succeeds. The drills push Barry beyond his limits, strengthening both his body and resolve. The training blends martial arts with Barry's daydreams.

Lee enters Barry, Chan, and himself into a local karate team tournament, hoping to test their skills in a real competition. They soon learn a team must have four members, complicating their plan. Norris, invited by Chan, agrees to join as a guest to support his fan and teach a lesson in humility.

Norris attends the tournament as a guest and joins the team at Lee's urging. He has his own motivation: to teach Kelly Stone a lesson in humility. Barry is stunned to be teamed with his hero, realizing the unlikely path his dream has taken him.

In the Breaking event, Lee defeats Cellini, one of Stone's students, showing that experience can overcome ambition. The victory gives Barry a glimpse of how a team can win through strategy and grit. Barry begins to feel more confident in his own abilities.

In Female Kata, Stone's team narrowly defeats Chan, keeping the competition intense. The result demonstrates the level of skill and pressure each participant faces. The loss fuels Lee and Barry's determination to keep pushing.

Norris defeats Stone in Freestyle fighting, delivering a humbling lesson and a momentum shift for the team. His victory validates Barry's growing belief in himself and in the plan they've constructed. The crowd sees an unexpected turn in the tournament's favor.

Barry, aided by a vivid daydream, wins the Men's Weapons event. The moment shows how his imagination and training converge under pressure. Lee's preparation helps him seize the opportunity and prove his worth.

With four events finished, the teams are tied. Lee chooses the participants for the tie-breaker, selecting Barry and Cellini, saying Barry has something to prove. Stone counters by selecting the Breaking event for the tie-breaker.

In the final challenge, Barry faces Cellini in Breaking, but Lee uses lighter fluid to illuminate Barry's bricks and tilt the odds in his favor. Barry performs with a sharpened sense of heroism and wins the match. The victory secures the overall win for Lee's team.

After the tournament, Barry thanks Norris for his help. Norris vanishes, leaving Barry with a new sense of strength and independence from his daydreams. The episode marks a turning point in Barry's life as he begins to live more in reality.

A young boy in a wheelchair finds Barry's Chuck Norris magazine and exclaims 'Wow!', showing the wider impact of Barry's story. The film ends with a note of hope as Barry seems ready to pursue his life beyond fantasy.