Movie review
December 25, 2020 · 97 min · PG · Kids · Fantasy · Comedy · Action · Family
Missy Moreno is a young girl whose superhero father is captured by aliens. She joins other children whose superhero parents have also been captured. The children escape government control and travel to rescue their parents and protect Earth. The movie uses a bright, silly, and fast style for younger viewers.
The movie gives many children heroic roles, including a female leader, children from several ethnic backgrounds, and a boy who uses a wheelchair. Missy leads the group even though she has no powers, and the children solve problems after adults fail to cooperate. The story shows the president, adult superheroes, and government workers as confused, selfish, or unreliable. These ideas support teamwork and child leadership more than they support a detailed political message.
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Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for We Can Be Heroes.
Woke representation / casting
The film uses a large and visibly diverse group of child heroes. The group includes a female leader, several Black, Asian, and Latino children, and a boy who uses a wheelchair. The story does not present diversity through a political speech. The repeated focus on many kinds of children becoming heroes gives representation a clear role for viewers.
38%
Woke political dialogue
The film shows a United States president who is slow, confused, and unable to lead well. The story also says that adults have damaged the world and failed to work together. The movie presents these ideas through jokes and broad lessons. The ideas do not become a repeated modern political message.
16%
Identity-driven story themes
The film repeatedly tells children that they can lead and that every child has something valuable to offer. Missy becomes the main planner even though she has no powers. The story connects this message to a visibly diverse group of children. The story focuses more on teamwork and age than on race, gender, or sexuality.
22%
Western institutional / cultural critique
The film portrays the president, adult superheroes, and government staff as unreliable or selfish. The children succeed after adults fail to cooperate and try to control them. The movie presents this conflict mainly as a simple joke about children facing adults. The criticism does not become a deeper attack on Western institutions.
20%
Woke character or canon changes
Not present in this title.
0%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Not present in this title.
0%
Creator track record context
Robert Rodriguez has a mild record of Latino, immigrant, and civic themes in past work. Mary Vernieu has spoken about representation and diverse role models. The other cached creators have little known activist or identity driven history. The title therefore receives only a mild creator context score.
22%
Production
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