We Can Be Heroes (2020 film)

Last updated
We Can Be Heroes
We Can Be Heroes 2020 film poster.png
Official Netflix release poster
Directed by Robert Rodriguez
Produced by
  • Racer Rodriguez (as Racer Max)
  • Robert Rodriguez
Written byRobert Rodriguez
Starring
Music byRebel Rodriguez
CinematographyRobert Rodriguez
Edited byRobert Rodriguez
Production
company
Troublemaker Studios(as Double R)
Distributed by Netflix
Release date
  • December 25, 2020 (2020-12-25)(United States)
Running time
97 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

We Can Be Heroes is a 2020 American superhero film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez. It is a standalone sequel to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D (2005) [1] . Rodriguez was also cinematographer and editor of the film, which stars Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Pedro Pascal, YaYa Gosselin, Boyd Holbrook, Adriana Barraza, Sung Kang, Taylor Dooley, and Christian Slater. It was released on December 25, 2020, by Netflix.

Contents

Plot

Missy Moreno is at home with her dad, Marcus Moreno, when they receive word that aliens are invading. Missy is taken to Heroics Headquarters and placed in a vault with other children of the Heroics, a team of superheroes. Marcus, who retired from the Heroics, is reinstated as a member by Mrs. Granada, leader of the Heroics Program.

Missy meets the other children: Wheels, who possesses super-intelligence; Noodles, who can stretch his body; Ojo, who is mute and only communicates through art; A-Capella, who moves objects by singing; Slo-Mo, who is always in slow motion; Face Maker, who can make any face; Rewind and Fast Forward, twins that can alter time; Wild Card, who has immense power but no control over it; and Guppy, who has "shark strength" and can shape water into anything. The kids watch the battle between the aliens and Heroics on television, which ends with all the Heroics being captured. Missy realizes that Ojo's drawings tell the future five minutes in advance. When a drawing shows aliens breaking into the vault, the kids hatch a plan to escape.

Face Maker tricks the guards into coming into the vault where Guppy subdues them, but not before one of the guards triggers an emergency lockdown. Rewind sends them back in time, Wheels stops the guard from pushing the button, and Noodles steals their security badges. Mrs. Granada spots Missy in the hallway and seals the doors, but A-Capella makes a staircase to the roof, allowing them to escape. Noodles is able to secure a vehicle, and the kids are able to evade capture.

The kids land at the home of Missy's grandmother, who used to train the Heroics. She helps the kids master their powers and work as a team. Missy gives up on figuring out her own power, but her grandma encourages her to keep trying. The aliens arrive and Grandma sends the kids through a tunnel that leads to an empty field before she is captured. The kids spot an empty alien craft and use it to reach their mothership. They locate at a room with a purple pyramid at the center, and see the president and Ms. Granada speaking with each other. The two reveal that they are actually alien spies, sent to prepare Earth for a "takeover". The kids are then placed in a secure cell. Guppy is able to make a replica of the cell key from the children's tears and opens the door. A fight between the kids and the aliens ensues and Wild Card is caught and taken for questioning, while the other kids make their way to the pyramid.

Wheels hacks into the motherboard, but Ojo reveals that she can speak and is secretly the Supreme Commander of the aliens. Missy manages to communicate with Wild Card in the control room; Face Maker had managed to switch places with him. Granada goes after Wild Card, but not before the protective shield around the motherboard is deactivated. With the kids holding off the aliens and their forces, Wheels and Noodles remove the motherboard and swap it with a new one to deactivate the alien's rocket, foiling their takeover. To the kids' surprise, their parents emerge from the rocket. Ojo reveals that she and Ms. Granada faked the "takeover" in order to train the kids to be the new Heroics. The kids reunite with their parents, and soon the kids are ready to save the day once more.

Cast

Production

Robert Rodriguez wrote, directed, and produced We Can Be Heroes through his Troublemaker Studios for Netflix. [3] Priyanka Chopra, [3] along with Christian Slater and Pedro Pascal, were announced to star. [4] Principal photography began in August 2019, shooting in Texas. [4]

Release

The film was released on December 25, 2020, [5] pushed forward from a January 1, 2021 release date. [6]

Critical response

On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 69% based on 39 reviews, with an average rating of 6/10. The site's consensus reads, "Although it may be too zany for adults, We Can Be Heroes balances its sophisticated themes with heart and zealous originality." [7] According to Metacritic, which compiled nine reviews and calculated an average score of 53 out of 100, the film received "mixed or average reviews". [8]

Sequel

On January 4, 2021 it was reported that Netflix was developing a sequel. [9]

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References

  1. Thompson, Simon (December 23, 2020). "Robert Rodriguez Talks "We Could Be Heroes," More "Alita" and the Appeal of Pedro Pascal". Forbes . Archived from the original on January 1, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  2. 1 2 Sanchez, Omar (June 10, 2020). "Remembering Sharkboy and Lavagirl: The on-set antics that defined the 3D kids' classic". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Wiseman, Andreas (August 21, 2019). "Priyanka Chopra Jonas To Star In Netflix Superhero Movie From 'Alita: Battle Angel' Director Robert Rodriguez". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved January 22, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Ramos, Dino-Ray (August 21, 2019). "Christian Slater, YaYa Gosselin, Akira Akbar, Pedro Pascal And More Join Robert Rodriguez's 'We Can Be Heroes' At Netflix". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  5. Goldberg, Matt (December 4, 2020). "'We Can Be Heroes' Takes Us Back to the World of 'Sharkboy and Lavagirl'". Collider . Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  6. Hemmert, Kylie (November 12, 2020). "'We Can Be Heroes' First-Look Photos Released for Robert Rodriguez's Superhero Movie". ComingSoon.net. Archived from the original on December 27, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2020.
  7. "We Can Be Heroes (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  8. "We Can Be Heroes Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  9. White, Peter (January 4, 2021). ""Bridgerton" and "We Can Be Heroes" Join "The Midnight Sky" As Top Netflix Festive Titles, Streamer Lines Up Sequel To Robert Rodriguez Kids Film". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2021.