We Can Be Heroes: Review, Sequel, Age Rating & Guide

Netflix’s We Can Be Heroes delivers exactly what 44 million families wanted in 2020: a plucky kid with shark powers, a girl who breathes fire, and a fresh take on what happens when the adults need saving. Robert Rodriguez’s superhero ensemble reunites familiar faces from 2005’s The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl while centering an entirely new generation of kid heroes.

Director: Robert Rodriguez · Release Year: 2020 · Platform: Netflix · Lead Actor: Pedro Pascal · Rotten Tomatoes: 74% critics

Five questions immediately come up for families considering this 2020 Netflix release: Is it any good, does it connect to that childhood favorite, is it appropriate for young viewers, what’s happening with the sequel, and why didn’t the original star return?

The key facts table below summarizes the essential details parents and fans need before streaming.

Is We Can Be Heroes a good movie?

The honest answer depends on who you ask. Critics gave We Can Be Heroes a 74% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 46 reviews, with an average score of 6.00 out of 10 (The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl Wiki). Metacritic compiled eight reviews and calculated an average score of 53 out of 100, indicating mixed but generally favorable critical reception.

Critical reception

The Rotten Tomatoes consensus captures the divide: “Although it may be too zany for adults, We Can Be Heroes balances its sophisticated themes with heart and zealous originality” (The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl Wiki). The film plays to its target demographic — younger children who want colorful action and simple moral lessons — while frustrating adults expecting the Rodriguez polish of Sin City or Alita.

Audience reviews

General audiences scored it lower: the Rotten Tomatoes audience rating sits at 41% based on over 500 ratings, averaging 2.8 out of 5 (The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl Wiki). Parents on review platforms generally praise the messaging while noting the CGI-heavy style and campy dialogue won’t appeal to everyone. One pattern emerges across reviews: families who watched together reported higher enjoyment than individuals screening it alone.

The split verdict makes sense when you consider the audience: children aged 8-13 report high engagement, while adults without kids in the room tend to check out. The film delivers on child empowerment and teamwork themes, according to Raising Children Network, which describes the narrative as aliens kidnapping Earth’s superheroes and forcing their children to save the world — ultimately revealing the invasion was a test to prepare the next generation.

Were SharkBoy and LavaGirl in We Can Be Heroes?

Yes — but not in the way you might expect. Taylor Dooley returns as Lavagirl, reprising her role from the 2005 original, and the film explicitly features both Sharkboy and Lavagirl as characters. However, We Can Be Heroes is not a sequel to The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl Wiki).

Cameo appearances

Lavagirl appears as one of the adult superheroes who gets captured, while Sharkboy shows up in the background with other established heroes. They’re part of the ensemble cast of parents, not central to the plot. The children — led by Missy Moreno, played by YaYa Gosselin — take center stage as they discover their own powers and work together to rescue their captured parents.

Connection to 2005 film

The film shares characters and thematic DNA with the 2005 original, but exists in a separate universe with different continuity. Nerdly described it as “essentially a superhero spiritual sequel to Sharkboy and Lava Girl,” capturing how the film leans into nostalgia while charting its own course. Robert Rodriguez, who wrote, directed, and produced both films, returns to helm the sequel as well.

Can a 7 year old watch We Can Be Heroes?

Most 7-year-olds can handle We Can Be Heroes, though parental guidance matters. The MPAA assigned a PG rating specifically for mild action and violence (Kids-In-Mind), which tracks with what parents report in practice.

Age rating details

Raising Children Network describes the film as best suited to children aged 8-13 years, not suitable for children under 5 due to frightening scenes and mild violence, with parental guidance recommended for ages 5-8. Australian classification mirrors this: the film received a PG rating with consumer advice lines noting “Mild Themes, Mild Violence, Scary Scenes” (Children and Media Australia).

Screenwise, which tracks media appropriateness for children, recommends the film for ages 8-12, while noting that “6-7-year-olds who handle mild superhero action well can watch with a parent nearby” (Screenwise).

Parent reviews

For a 7-year-old specifically: if your child handles the animated superhero genre without distress — meaning they’ve sat through films like Incredibles 2 or Shazam without needing breaks — We Can Be Heroes should pose no problems. The “scary scenes” parents flagged tend to involve brief alien encounters and standard superhero peril rather than sustained threat or violence.

Is there a We Can Be Heroes 2?

Yes, We Can Be Heroes 2 is confirmed. Netflix officially ordered the sequel on January 4, 2021, with Robert Rodriguez returning as writer and director (The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl Wiki). The first film drew 44 million families in its first four weeks on the platform, making sequel development a straightforward business decision.

Sequel confirmation

Rodriguez has publicly confirmed he’s directing the sequel, though no specific plot details or timeline have been announced. The question now isn’t whether the sequel exists, but when it arrives and which characters return.

Filming status

No official production timeline or casting announcements have been released as of this writing. Development status remains unclear — the sequel is confirmed, but production hasn’t begun in any documented capacity. Check back for updates as Netflix announces release windows.

Why didn’t Taylor Lautner come back for We Can Be Heroes?

No public statement from Taylor Lautner explains his absence from We Can Be Heroes. Research notes offer no confirmation about whether he was offered a cameo and declined, or whether the production simply didn’t pursue the original Sharkboy actor.

Casting changes

The film brings back Taylor Dooley as Lavagirl — who appears prominently in the adult superhero ensemble — while Sharkboy actor Taylor Lautner does not appear. The asymmetry suggests either scheduling conflicts, contract terms that didn’t fit, or a creative decision to feature Lavagirl without the male lead.

Original cast updates

Dooley’s return functions as the nostalgia anchor, giving longtime fans at least one familiar face from the 2005 film. Lavagirl appears in full costume and captures much of the original character energy, even if the story doesn’t depend on her. Without official comment from Lautner, the precise reason remains one of the film’s unanswered questions.

Timeline

The timeline below tracks major milestones from the 2005 original through the 2021 sequel announcement.

The pattern shows Netflix moving quickly from release to sequel greenlight based on viewership metrics rather than critical reception.

What reviewers say

“A charming family film created in a style I have not seen in an age, but it just works.” — TL;DR Movie Reviews

“Although it may be too zany for adults, We Can Be Heroes balances its sophisticated themes with heart and zealous originality.” — Rotten Tomatoes consensus

“We Can Be Heroes is essentially a superhero spiritual sequel to Sharkboy and Lava Girl and I can’t help but say shut up and take my money.” — Nerdly

The reviewers who connected with the film most strongly seemed to share a specific trait: they either watched it with children or approached it as nostalgic callback material rather than standalone cinema. The critical consensus lands somewhere between “perfectly adequate family entertainment” and “surprisingly heartfelt for what could have been cash-grab nostalgia.”

Bottom line

We Can Be Heroes is exactly what its viewership numbers suggest: a film that found its audience. Families with children aged 8-13 will likely enjoy the colorful action, simple themes, and Lavagirl cameo. Adults watching solo or with older teens may find it forgettable. For parents wondering whether to queue it up this weekend, the calculus is straightforward: if you’ve got kids who loved Incredibles-style superhero films, this delivers. If you’re screening solo on a rainy afternoon, there are better options.