Underdog Kids

Underdog Kids follows a group of children from a poor inner-city neighborhood who take up martial arts. Training under a former champion, they set their sights on a showdown with the unbeaten junior karate squad from Beverly Hills. The story centers on the young fighters' efforts to earn respect and prove themselves against wealthier, more polished opponents, with their instructor guiding them toward the big contest.

Phillip Rhee directed, wrote and produced the film, and also stars as Jimmy, the mentor figure known as "The Lightning Bolt." The cast includes Mirelly Taylor, Max Gail, Adam Irigoyen, Ryan Potter and Ted McGinley, among 24 credited performers. The film runs 94 minutes and belongs to the action and family genres. It was made in the United States by Itsy Bitsy Film and Group Hug Productions.

The film arrived in 2015, two decades after Rhee's previous directing credit, Best of the Best 3: No Turning Back, released in 1995. Audience response has been modest: on IMDb it holds a rating of 4.4 from 483 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 5.3 from 18 votes. Those figures point to a small viewership and a mixed-to-negative reaction rather than a widely embraced family sports drama.