Robert Rodriguez's new Netflix original movie We Can Be Heroes has remained among the most-viewed titles on the streamer since making its debut on December 25, 2020. As such, Netflix recently announced plans to make a sequel. The loose spin-off of the 2005 film The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl is a PG-rated children's sci-fi action-adventure dealing with superheroes, aliens, and a group of kids on a dangerous mission of a lifetime.
While Rodriguez is no stranger to children's action-adventure movies, his newest joins a long lineage of kiddie-centric sci-fi fare going back to the 1970s. Here are just a few perfect companion pieces to We Can Be Heroes.
10 Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief (2010)
A perfect starting place for fans who want to see more movies like We Can Be Heroes is Percy Jackson & The Lightning Thief. Directed by Chris Columbus, the PG-rated film traces the epic quest of Percy (Logan Lerman), a learning-disabled young teen who is given 14 days to return Zeus' stolen lightning bolt.
If the falsely-accused thief Percy does not return the bolt in two weeks, an all-out war among the Greek Gods will ensue. Along with the radiant Annabeth (Alexandra Daddario), Percy goes on an action-packed adventure of a lifetime.
9 Escape To Witch Mountain (1975)
Remade as Race to Witch Mountain with Dwayne Johnson in 2009, the 1975 Disney movie Escape To Witch Mountain is an ideal companion piece to We Can Be Heroes.
Directed by John Hough, the film follows Tony (Ike Eisenmann) and Tia (Kim Richards), a pair of orphaned siblings with mysterious supernatural powers. When the evil businessman Aristotle Bolt (Ray Milland) plots a scheme to harness their powers for his own benefit, Tia and Tony are assisted by a local widower named Jason (Eddie Albert) to flee to Witch Mountain.
8 Dora And The Lost City Of Gold (2019)
Nearly two-decades after Dora the Explorer debuted on Nick Jr., the long-awaited live-action Dora and the Lost City of Gold was released in the summer of 2019.
Just like We Can Be Heroes, the film follows Dora and her group of friends on a perilous journey to rescue their parents. Their obstacle-ridden sojourn takes them to the heart of the Amazon jungle where they discover Parapata, the Lost City of Gold, where Dora and her friends must defeat quicksand, deadly booby traps, ancient puzzles, and the like.
7 The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)
Another recent example of a movie akin to the tone and tenor of We Can Be Heroes is The Kid Who Would Be King. The Joe Cornish film centers on Alex (Louis Ashbourne Serkis), the leader of a gang of kids who set out to quash a medieval monarch.
When typical preteen Alex stumbles on the Sword of Excalibur one day, he's transported to King Arthur's Court in medieval Britain. Along with the help of his friends and Merlin the wizard (Patrick Stewart), Alex rises to the occasion to defeat the evil witch Morgana (Rebecca Ferguson).
6 Sky High (2005)
Just like We Can Be Heroes, Sky High concerns the children of superheroes. In particular, the story centers on William Stronghold (Michael Angarano), the young son of the world-famous heroes Steve the Commander (Kurt Russell), and Josie Jetstream (Kelly Preston).
As Will attends Sky High, a school in the clouds for gifted children, he is unsure of whether or not he will obtain superpowers and become a hero. Along with his new friend Layla (Danielle Panabaker), Will learns to be himself no matter the outcome.
5 Ready Player One (2018)
Although geared toward the slightly older crowd, Steven Spielberg's Ready Player One is a colorful, fast-paced thrill-ride sure to appeal to fans of We Can Be Heroes.
Tye Sheridan stars as Wade, a virtual reality gamer who goes by the online handle Parzival. While playing the immersive video-game OASIS, the deceased creator challenges players to find a hidden Easter Egg inside the game that will enrich their lives forever. Along with his online pal Samantha aka Art3mis (Olivia Cooke), Wade goes on a virtual journey for the ages.
4 Spy Kids (2001-2011)
Despite each entry waning in quality, Robert Rodriguez's decade-long Spy Kids franchise is the ideal series to watch alongside his newest Netflix original. In a roundabout way, without Spy Kids, there may very well be no We Can Be Heroes.
The best Spy Kids movie remains the original, in which the children of top-secret espionage agents, Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino), are forced to rescue their imperiled parents after they disappear. Alexa PenaVega and Daryl Sabara play Carmen and Juni Cortez, the titular tykes.
3 Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)
Dubbed as Jumanji in outer-space, Zathura: A Space Adventure marked Jon Favreau's first foray into big-budget PG-rated filmmaking. Although the movie flopped at the U.S. box-office, it drew positive reviews among critics.
Adapted from Zathura, the 1981 children's book written by Chris Van Allsburg (Jumanji), the story follows Danny (Jonah Bobo) and Walter (Josh Hutcherson), two young brothers who are transported to the cosmos after finding a mysterious gameboard in their house. With the help of their older sister Lisa (Kristen Stewart), the three attempt to complete the game and return home.
2 Explorers (1985)
Akin to the sci-fi version of The Goonies, Joe Dante's Explorers is a great PG-rated 1980s children's adventure film for the whole family to enjoy.
Ethan Hawke stars as Ben, a boy who watches '50s sci-fi B-movies and dreams of traveling to outer space. When he has a dream about a mysterious spacecraft, Ben draws the design and shows it to his best friend Wolfgang (River Phoenix), a skilled inventor. After building the craft, Ben and Wolfgang recruit their friend Darren (Jason Presson) and go on a secret quest through the galaxy.
1 E.T. The Extraterrestrial (1982)
Steven Spielberg's E.T. The Extraterrestrial is the definitive sci-fi children's adventure film of the 1980s. While We Can Be Heroes features aliens kidnapping adult superheroes, E.T. finds a lost alien in the company of a heroic child named Elliot (Henry Thomas).
The four-time Oscar-winning film redefined how alien lifeforms are portrayed in cinema. As Elliot meets and befriends E.T., his sister Gertie (Drew Barrymore) and neighborhood friends mount a compassionate attempt to send the alien back to his homeland.
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January 09, 2021 at 06:30AM
