Netflix has released a new behind-the-scenes special effects video for Robert Rodriguez’s kid superhero movie We Can be Heroes. The film, a follow-up of sorts to Rodriguez’s The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl (2005), features a range of fun, lower-budget effects, similar to its predecessor and Rodriguez’s Spy Kids series. We Can be Heroes is currently streaming on Netflix.
Though technically set in the same universe as Sharkboy and Lavagirl, We Can Be Heroes is largely an independent film. Guppy, the daughter of the two original heroes, is a primary character, and her parents do cameo in the new movie. Taylor Dooley reprises her role as Lavagirl, though Taylor Lautner does not return to play Sharkboy. Other than that however, the movies don’t share much connective narrative tissue. The real pedigree passed down is the general concept of young superheroes, and Rodriguez’s trademark goofy CGI special effects.
In a new official behind-the-scenes video posted to the Netflix Film Club YouTube channel, Rodriguez explains how a number of the effects in We Can be Heroes were created. The video shows the various green screens, wirework, and CGI additions that turned a group of kids into cinematic superheroes. While the effects might not exactly be state-of-the-art, Rodriguez’s approach shows just how much can be done with creativity, even when the budget is relatively low. They aren’t the most realistic-looking superpowers ever put to screen, but they carry the definite charm and iconic style of Rodriguez’s previous kid-friendly work.
In some ways, seeing the tricks and ingenuity used in the special effects of We Can Be Heroes harkens back to a simpler time for superhero movies. The MCU and DCEU, among other smaller contenders, have made the genre king of modern blockbusters, with each installment attempting to rise above the last in its budget and box office take. While there’s certainly a place for those huge-budget, star-studded installments, there can also still be a place for the lighter, sillier side of superhero films.
We Can be Heroes may be a far cry from Avengers: Endgame, but it still has its own charm and unique appeal for a younger audience. The original Spy Kids trilogy wasn’t a hit because its effects were groundbreaking, but because it embraced the goofiness and fun of a wacky adventure. Seeing Rodriguez return to that medium is certainly fun for fans of his earlier films, and hopefully, We Can Be Heroes can stoke the imaginations of a new generation of kids as well.
Source: Netflix Film Club