We Can Be Heroes
When it was announced last year that there was going to be a sequel to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, I was skeptical. If you have seen Sharkboy and Lavagirl you already know that it is kind of awful. Between the weird story, bad acting and scary graphics (2005 CGI is the stuff of nightmares), it just is not a well done film. However, despite the aforementioned shortcomings, writer and director Robert Rodriguez does one thing really well. He creates worlds that spark kids' imaginations and helps them believe that they can do anything. Thus when We Can Be Heroes was announced, I skeptically wondered if Rodriguez could recapture the world that so many grew up with and if he could recreate it, how would it hold up?
We Can Be Heroes is about a group of Superhero‘s children, including Sharkboy and Lavagirl’s daughter. These children are forced to work together to save the world after all of their parents are captured by aliens. These kids are untrained and while most of them have super powers of some sort, Missy (YaYa Gosselin) does not. Missy is the daughter of Marcus Moreno (Pedro Pascal) the leader of the Heroics, the off brand version of the Avengers, and she has spent most of her life in public school not fitting in because her dad is super. When she meets all the kids of other superheroes she finds she is the only one who is normal. One of the best messages in this movie is that you do not need powers to make a difference, Missy is clever and a natural leader like her dad, but other than that is a normal kid. This makes it even more heroic when she, as her dad says, leads by example, Missy jumps into danger head on, she fights bad guys and helps her friends because it is the right thing to do. She does not hold back or wait for her super friends to save the day.
So often we see movies where the hero is special or powerful in some way (Looking at you live action Mulan), so that when they overcome an obstacle, it isn’t as relatable or inspiring as some like to think. Whereas watching a normal person overcome something hard hits us differently, especially kids. When a kid sees themselves in a character they tend to emulate them. This is who Missy is, a character for kids to emulate and aspire to be like. A character who does the hard thing because it is right and she leads by example.
A hallmark of a Robert Rodriguez film has become children saving their parents. His films also often include a point where the parents get to watch their kids in action. This is always the most touching part of his films, watching parents cheer on their kids and just bust with pride at the great things they are accomplishing. This is something that is sadly lacking in mainstream media. So often the parent child dynamics in movies is antagonistic or the parents are unaware. In this film we get to watch 12 superheroes sit and watch their kids be heroes and watch these same heroes geek out over how awesome their own kids have grown to be. This reminds us of how meaningful a parent child relationship can be and might encourage all of us to take time and cheer on the kids in our lives.
We Can be Heroes is not without faults. The acting is uneven, There are some really beautiful moments between Pedro Pascal and YaYa Gosselin. Andy Walken who plays Wheels the disabled son of Miracle Guy also shines. He did a fantastic job with not only the humor, but made a lot of exposition really interesting. The cast of kids range from 8 year old Vivien Lyra Blair to 16 year old Nathan Blair (no relation). This means that while some of the kids are old pros at TV and film, some are young and just getting started. This shows. They are all enjoyable and as a group are very fun to watch, there are just a few clunky moments.
As for the plot, it is corny. The villain is corny, the graphics are corny, the whole movie is corny, but that is kind of part of the charm. This is a movie about kids and was made for kids to enjoy and just like its predecessor, it captures something in kids' imaginations and hooks them in for the whole corny ride. It is a self aware movie as it mocks itself very subtly, and that makes all the difference. Everyone involved knows it is corny and no one takes themselves too seriously. This makes fun since the audience is let in on the joke. We Can Be Heroes does not pretend to be something that it is not. It is a cornball family movie that strives to inspire kids to do great things and believe, not only in themselves, but in their friends and family too.
Sixteen years after The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, We Can Be Heroes successfully captures the hearts and minds of the next generation of kids. It is not a perfect movie but it is what it needed to be. Also, if you grew up with the Spy Kids franchise or Sharkboy and Lavagirl get ready for all the nostalgia. There are many subtle nods to both franchises, the classical guitar, the sound effects. the costumes, Sharkboy’s dream song playing in the background when his daughter fights. (If you don’t know this song, look it up, twelve year old Taylor Lautner kind of singing/rapping an awkward lullaby is something to behold).
It is refreshing in today's world to find a movie that encourages parents to love and cheer on their kids and tells kids they are enough just as they are. This is a movie that reminds all of us that with family and friends by our side combined with a little bit of imagination and hard work, We Can Be Heroes.
Content Overview
Language: Oh My God is thrown out a few times. A Kid says Doo-Doo instead of crap
Violence: Cartoonish superhero fighting. The kids go out of their way not to hurt good guys and even give them cushions to land on when they have to attack them.
Sexual Content: None
Other Objectionable Content: None
