We Can Be Heroes Christian Movie Review (2020)

Guidance: Talk Together

This superhero adventure stays in family-friendly territory overall, but it opens with sustained threat as heroes are attacked and children are moved into hiding while parents fight an alien force. Its strongest family discussion points are courage, belonging, and whether identity comes from powers and status or from character and love.

Why This Guidance Level

The main concern here is not graphic content but the repeated threat level: superheroes are struck down, an alien armada approaches, and children are separated from parents for protection. Language and sexual content stay light, and occult material does not stand out here. For many Christian families, the bigger issue is the film’s message about self-belief and identity, which can open useful conversations about finding worth in who God says we are and in hope grounded in Jesus Christ rather than in powers, status, or feelings of fitting in.

Faith & Worldview Perspective

The film leans toward familiar superhero themes of courage, teamwork, and believing in yourself. Those ideas can reflect real virtues, but they are framed in a way that can make inner strength and special ability feel central to identity. A more Christian reading would affirm courage and service while reminding children that worth is not earned by power or usefulness; it is received from God, and true hope rests in Jesus Christ. Parents may want to discuss the difference between confidence in self and confidence shaped by God’s truth.

Truths Reflected

• Children can show courage and help others in a crisis.
• Teamwork, humility, and serving others matter more than showmanship.

Tensions to Discuss

• The story leans on self-belief as a source of strength, which may conflict with a Christ-centered view of identity and dependence on God.
• Feeling different is treated as a problem solved mainly by belonging with the right group, while Scripture points more deeply to identity rooted in God’s love.

Content & Discernment Markers

Occult & Spiritual Content

• Occult material does not stand out here. The supernatural elements are presented as comic-book superhero abilities and sci-fi threat rather than spiritual practice or religious teaching.

Sexuality & Relationships

• Sexual content is not a notable issue in the material available. Family relationships and crisis response are the focus rather than romance or sexual humor.

Identity Themes

• Missy expresses insecurity about not fitting in with the other superhero children, saying, “I just don’t belong. I mean, I’m different from all of them.” This matters for Christian families because the film ties belonging closely to powers and group identity. Parents may want to discuss how our deepest identity comes from being made and known by God.

Violence & Intensity

• The opening has sustained superhero peril: a spaceship fires an energy ray, Tech-No reports, “It just blasted some kind of energy ray at me,” and then says, “Miracle Guy’s been hit!” followed by, “He’s barely conscious!” The tone is tense rather than graphic, but younger viewers may feel the danger.
• Threat escalates when the heroes realize, “There’s a whole armada out there,” and later, “We’re tracking over a hundred alien vessels.” The danger is large-scale and urgent, though still in a stylized family-adventure mode.

Language & Humour

• Language is mostly mild. There are a few put-downs and sarcastic lines, including “Do these clowns not know who I am?” and “the dumbest one” in broader dialogue around the film. The humor is light, but parents who are training children away from name-calling may want to note it.

Other Content Notes

• Children are separated from parents during the emergency and taken to an underground stronghold “where children of superheroes are kept safe while their parents fight enemy forces.” That setup can be unsettling for younger children, especially because Missy is anxious and trying to understand what is happening.
• There is a brief bereavement reference connected to Missy’s family background elsewhere in the film, and the opening narration says, “This was the day our heroes fell. All of them.” Even when the tone stays adventurous, loss and fear are part of the setup.

Notable Moments

• Heroes attacked: The film opens with the superhero team facing an alien assault, and one hero is struck and left barely conscious.

  “Miracle Guy’s been hit!… He’s barely conscious!”

• Armada revealed: The threat expands from a single ship to a much larger invasion force, raising the tension quickly.

  “There’s a whole armada out there.”

• Children moved to safety: Missy is taken away for protection while the adults prepare to fight, creating a strong children-in-crisis setup.

  “You’ll be staying in our underground stronghold where children of superheroes are kept safe while their parents fight enemy forces.”

• Belonging struggle: Missy voices insecurity about being different from the other children with powers.

  “I just don’t belong. I mean, I’m different from all of them.”

Discussion Prompts

• Identity and belonging: When Missy says she does not belong because she is different, what do you think she is believing about her worth? How is that different from what God says about us?
  • Biblical guidance: Scripture teaches that our value is not based on gifts, status, or fitting in, but on being made by God and loved by Him in Christ.
  • Scripture: Psalm 139:13-14, Galatians 3:26, Ephesians 2:10
• Courage and dependence: What is the difference between believing in yourself and trusting God to help you do what is right?
  • Biblical guidance: The Bible honors courage, but Christian courage is not self-powered; it is strengthened by God and anchored in hope through Jesus Christ.
  • Scripture: Joshua 1:9, Philippians 4:13, John 15:5
• Teamwork and serving others: Which characters seem focused on helping others, and which seem focused on image or reputation? Why does that matter?
  • Biblical guidance: God calls His people to humility, service, and looking to the interests of others rather than chasing attention.
  • Scripture: Philippians 2:3-4, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Mark 10:43-45
• Fear in a crisis: How would you feel if you were separated from your parents during an emergency? Where can we turn when we feel afraid?
  • Biblical guidance: Fear is real, but Christians can bring fear to God and remember that He is our refuge and help.
  • Scripture: Psalm 46:1, Isaiah 41:10, 2 Timothy 1:7