What do the Jackie Chan movies, the Harry Potter movies, the National Treasure, and the Sahara movie all have in common? They all have their brave companions.
In the action comedy movie genre we have the smooth hero. The main star who can woo all the most charming women, fight evil villains with Bruce Lee tactics. A knight of knights who can also fire any weapon with pinpoint accuracy and drive, fly, operate any piece of equipment with the skill of a thirty year veteran.
Sometimes these soft characters are too serious. Too much action, little comedy and that’s where the plucky sidekick comes in. This sidekick provides the right chemistry to make the story work. He is always there right at that serious moment with his silly one-liners. Always on order.
Compared to the hero, the humble sidekick is not as handsome, not as smart and a bit clumsy, but without him the movie would be just another action movie. Also, let’s not forget how many times this brave sidekick has saved the hero from a horrible death.
Going through the archives of the movie world, I found some really good movies with a brave character. Movies like this first, pulled from the Jackie Chan movie archive.
Around the world in eighty days – 2004
London 1872, an English nobleman, inventor and genius, Phileas Fogg, makes a bet with the leading members of an elite gentlemen’s club that he can circumnavigate the world in eighty days. Mr. Fogg’s new assistant, by chance, is a Chinese thief on the run from English bobbies. He stole a jade Buddha from the Bank of England, which belonged to his village in remote China. Mr. Fogg hires Lau Xing, whom he called Passepartout, and takes him on a worldly adventure filled with humor, wit, and great Jackie Chan fight scenes.
Usually Jackie Chan movies have plucky sidekicks accompanying him. Not in this movie. He Kung Foo’s comedic and fighting talent prevailed here as the goofy sidekick.
Jackie Chan, real name is Chan Kong-sang. Born on April 7, 1954 in Hong Kong.
Credits- Since 1960, in more than a hundred films. He started out as a stuntman on Bruce Lee movies. Some of the other movies he did were Snake In The Eagles Shadow, Cannonball Run, Police Story (1-4), Rush Hour (1-3), Shanghai Knights, Karate Kid (the new one).
When you think about it, long before the Jackie Chan movies and the Harry Potter movies, plucky sidekicks have been around movies for a while now. Abbott and Costello, Bud Abbott is much more serious than the energetic Lou Costello. The same can be said for Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. These two comedy teams have to be mentioned. Let’s go to the next movie.
National Treasure – 2004
Benjamin Gates is a historian searching for a lost treasure with his faithful assistant and computer expert Riley Poole. A vast treasure once protected by the Knights Templar is what Ben and Riley seek to solve all adventurer spells., historical tracks.
Justin Bartha plays the plucky sidekick and Nicolas Cage plays Ben Gates. Also starring: Diane Kruger, Sean Bean, Jon Voight.
Justin Bartha was born on July 21, 1978 in Michigan, United States.
Credits: Hangover (1 and 2), Dark Horse, Holy Rollers, Rebound, Tag, Gigli, Trust The Man and New York I love you.
Harry Potter movies – All titles begin with ‘Harry Potter and the…’
Philosopher’s Stone – 2001
Chamber of Secrets – 2002
Prisoner of Azkaban – 2004
Goblet of Fire – 2005
Order of the Phoenix – 2007
Half-Blood Prince – 2009
Deathly Hallows – 2010 (new) Part One
Deathly Hallows – 2011 (July 15) Part Two
Throughout all the Harry Potter movies, the young wizard always has his two friends. One was his loyal friend and sidekick, the perfect definition of a plucky sidekick, Ron Weasley. Together they encountered all kinds of mysteries, spells, creatures, and evil masters. Ron, scared of everything, a bit clumsy, but shows his true worth in any situation as Harry Potter’s best friend.
Rupert Grint was born on August 24, 1988 in Harlow, Essex.
Credits- Apart from the Harry Potter films, Rupert only did theater at the Top Hat Stage School.
Sahara – 2007
Master explorer Dirk Pitt and his war buddy, partner and accomplice Al Giordino search for a secret cargo from a lost 1865 Confederate warship. Dirk and Al, with the permission of their boss (and commander of their speedboat from anyway), they embark on an adventurous treasure hunt. which finally ends in the Sahara desert. Lots of ‘blow things up’ action and great comedy. Steve Zahn is plucky sidekick Al Giordino and Matthew McConaughey plays suave hero Dirk Pitt. Also starring Penelope Cruz and William H. Macy.
Steve Zahn was born on November 13, 1967 in Marshal, Minnesota.
Credits: That Thing You Do, National Security, Daddy Daycare, Riding In Cars With Boys, Comanche Moon (TV miniseries), one of Phoebe’s husbands on ‘Friends’, voice on ‘Chicken Little’.
Many more plucky sidekick movies in the movie world. Some examples are: Judge Dredd (1995), Rob Schneider as Herman Ferguson; Scorpion King (2002), Grant Heslov as Arpid; Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), Alan Ruck as Cameron Frye.
Kings of plucky supporting characters are Ron Weasely from Harry Potter Films, Riley Poole from National Treasure, the movie Sahara has Al Giordino and one of Jackie Chan’s best movies Around the World in Eighty Days has Passepartout. I definitely recommend watching all four movies.