We Can Be Heroes: Sharkboy and Lavagirl review for the Avengers generation

We can be heroes is a sequel to the 2005 cult children’s film The adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D, but it has more in common with the family-focused, action-packed narrative of Robert Rodriguez’s first adventure for all ages, Spy Kids.

Sharkboy and Lavagirl are back, but the premise, about children taking on their parents’ legacy and striving to save them, reaches the emotional peak of when the Cortez family came together to fight thumb-shaped footmen. Instead of focusing on a family, Rodriguez brings together a large cast that resembles superhero teams like the Avengers, and an emotional message that develops the Spy Kids’ feelings for the current generation.

[Ed. note: This review contains some spoilers for We Can Be Heroes]

Photo: Ryan Green / Netflix

Missy Moreno (YaYa Gosselin), daughter of superhero Marcus Moreno (Pedro Pascal), is a little tired of the life of fighting crime. His father promised not to do any more heroic deeds after his mother’s death, but when the aliens arrived on Earth, he stepped in to help – and was finally kidnapped along with the other members of his Heroic team. So, when the Heroics administrator, Mrs. Granada (Priyanka Chopra), corner all super children in a safe place of the government, Missy embarks on a rescue mission for her parents. She has no powers, but she manages to prepare to lead the children.

With 11 kids exercising 11 different superpowers (well, 10 since Missy doesn’t really have any powers), as well as all parents, We can be heroes juggles a huge cast. But Rodriguez breaks his own “Avengers montage” moment in one of the most perfect superhero introduction sequences imaginable. Missy enters the classroom of superpowered children and knows each child and their powers – immediately afterwards, all the children watch their parents fight the alien invasion on television. Each time a father is captured, Rodriguez shows us his son reacting, reminding us of who’s who and also giving a small reminder of what his powers are. We have a good sense of his personality, his relationship with his parents, and the end of that scene immediately puts the plot into action, while the kids plan to escape and save their parents. It presents and solidifies the characters, but continues to drive the plot. The film rarely stagnates and Rodriguez effectively uses every moment to reach its climax.

Photo: Ryan Green / Netflix

Children’s superpowers are also extremely creative and fun. The most traditional is Noodles, a child with powers of elasticity, but Rodriguez dreams of children who can move forward and backward in time, sing so low that they are able to move objects and manipulate water at the same time that they have shark force. (The guy loves shark powers.) A tricky part of the films of kids with superpowers depends on balancing the cast and their powers, especially when some are much more useful than others. We can be heroes elevates each child, giving them distinct personalities, which is even more impressive considering its expansive cast. All children have a special moment to shine in the final battle, which takes place in an alien spaceship that looks like it came out of a children’s coloring book.

Like Rodriguez’s other children’s movies, We can be heroes it’s a visual treat. It’s bright, bold and looks more like a comic book than any modern superhero movie. HQ Heroics has a big, old “H” shining and its agents’ badges come in similarly styled letters. All adult superheroes wear bright, bright costumes (something shaded by children, who note that colorful costumes make them easy targets for aliens). The alien ship glows a brilliant purple and channels the same fun, but sinister vibrations from Floop’s castle in Spy Kids years ago. The action sequences make the most of the funky powers of children – as well as the many aliens with tentacles and, eventually, some pencil-drawn creatures come to life. In that sense, they follow the crazy punches of Sharkboy and Lavagirl. It’s fun and dynamic to watch.

And true to Rodriguez’s previous films, the heart of We can be heroes comes from parent-child relationships. The large cast leaves little room to build specific connections between the children and their parents, but the main line between Missy and her father is strong enough to carry the film forward. The other pairs of parents and children reinforce this emotional crux, even if they are a little one-dimensional. And a beautiful twisting end brings a moving punch.

We can be heroes is a rarity: a children’s film really made for children, bringing what was special about Spy Kids for a new generation, and a complete treat on their own. Rodriguez explores more specific themes of childhood and parenting, while creating a film in which the young cast does things as cool as famous adults. It is also a reminder that while being a child is fun, it is also important.

We can be heroes is available on Netflix today.