We Can Be Heroes isn't like any other superpowered team-up you've seen.
While most costumed adventures focus on the world's mightiest heroes, Robert Rodriguez's
new adventure-comedy puts the focus on their kids.
Good thing, too, because a whole fleet of alien invaders arrive on Earth and capture
the Heroics, the world's premiere super-team.
No matter how old you are, We Can Be Heroes offers a fresh spin on tried and true superhero
tropes, and it's a lot of fun for viewers of all ages.
It's also full of Easter eggs and other references for all kinds of viewers.
Like the movie itself, there's something for everyone hidden among the movies' smallest
details.
For anyone who grew up on Robert Rodriguez's family films, We Can Be Heroes is an extra-special
treat.
While the tone is very different, the movie features appearances from the heroes of Rodriguez's
surreal 2005 fantasy escapade The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl.
We Can Be Heroes is full of subtle nods and references to the heroes' original movie,
even before they enter the story.
A graphic novel called Lavagirl Adventures rests on Missy's bedside table alongside some
action figures.
The cereal Missy eats for breakfast is called Great White Bites, and has a mascot that looks
a lot like the CG creatures from the 2005 movie.
Robert Rodriguez didn't make We Can Be Heroes alone.
He had some help — and much of it came from his ultra-talented family.
Most notably, We Can Be Heroes was co-produced by Rodriguez's son Racer Max, who is a fundamental
part of the Sharkboy and Lavagirl legacy.
When Racer was just a kid, he created Sharkboy and illustrated his earliest adventures.
You can also catch him in a quick cameo in We Can Be Heroes as a helicopter pilot.
But Robert and Racer aren't the only Rodriguezes who show up in We Can Be Heroes' credits.
In fact, every single one of Robert's five children contributed to the film.
We Can Be Heroes is all about family, after all.
"You see what my son just did?"
"Unfortunately, I was too busy looking at my own cool kid."
A Capella, played by actress Lotus Blossom, has one of the coolest power sets in We Can
Be Heroes.
Like her mother, the Heroic known as Mrs. Vox, A Capella can control matter by singing.
If she hits the right note, A Capella can even create vibrations that make her, her
friends, and inanimate objects fly.
"Show her how you make things float."
But powers aren't the only thing that A Capella and Mrs. Vox have in common.
They also share a voice.
While Blossom is extraordinarily charming as the young superhero, she only delivers
A Capella's speaking lines.
When she sings, her voice is provided by musician Haley Reinhart, who also appears in We Can
Be Heroes as Mrs. Vox herself.
"We can be heroes, just for one day.
Sorry, it was there for the taking."
1975's Jaws didn't just catapult Steven Spielberg's career into the stratosphere.
It also pretty much invented the now-ubiquitous summer blockbuster, forever changing how movies
are both made and consumed.
Jaws also happens to be one of Rodriguez's favorite movies.
As he told Rotten Tomatoes, the film premiered on his seventh birthday, and he couldn't have
gotten a better present.
Over 30 years later, he also had a great time sharing the movie with his kids, cementing
the film as a Rodriguez family favorite.
Given all that, it's not too surprising to see a subtle Jaws Easter egg pop up in We
Can Be Heroes.
Early in the film, when Guppy is showing off her powers, she creates the image of a clueless
swimmer being hunted by a shark that just happens to look exactly like Roger Kastel's
original Jaws poster.
If you're a film fan, there's no mistaking it.
We Can Be Heroes borrows its title from the lyrics of a classic tune, but if you're in
the movie's target age demographic, there's a decent chance you haven't heard it before.
After all, David Bowie's "Heroes," the title track on his 12th studio album, was released
all the way back in 1977.
Even if you're not familiar with Bowie's original recording, you've already heard the tune.
A cover of "Heroes" plays over We Can Be Heroes' super-powered training montage, while A Capella
belts out another just before the movie's climax.
"Can you hear them?"
"Yes, it sounds like...they're rocking out."
Instead of donning fancy outfits like their parents, the kids in We Can Be Heroes decide
to go stealth.
However, funnily enough, many of them are already wearing low-key costumes, although
they may not realize it.
Most of the Heroics' children sport clothing with superhero-like emblems right on their
chests, giving a small hint as to their powers.
Fast-Forward has the TV remote icon associated with her code name on her shirt.
Wheels' polo is adorned with a lightning-bolt pattern, indicating both his superior strength
and his high-tech wheelchair.
Noodles' tee has a picture of a steaming bowl of ramen, while Slo-Mo's says "Fully Charged,"
playing off of the idea that his speed powers are functioning at full capacity, which has
him trapped in some kind of time warp.
Of course, at the very end of the movie, the young heroes get their own set of uniforms,
and they're notable for what they don't have.
No capes, bright colors, or masks.
Instead, the new costumes are sleek, functional, and extremely practical — proof that, in
the end, these kids really did learn something from their parents.
Thanks for watching.
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