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Gamers and computer programmers definitely have a stereotype: quiet, awkward, loners, they tend to prefer the company of computers to people. And they’re often more familiar with fantasy worlds than the real world. But in the teen adventure Hero Mode, a determined teenage coder finally gets his chance to step up and be a hero in the real world, too.
Hero Mode sets out to save a struggling video game company with a mother and son. With just weeks to go before Pixel Con, where game companies introduce their latest releases, indie company Playfield Games has nothing to show. They’ve just lost their last possible investor, and their only concept is childish and full of bugs. As owner Kate (Mira Sorvino) reluctantly considers selling the company to a big-name competitor, her teenage son, Troy (Chris Carpenter), decides to step in and help. But, to save the company, he’ll have to work together with the reluctant staff.
Troy dreams of being the guy to swoop down and save the day—to earn the respect and adoration of his mom, his employees, his peers, and maybe even the cute girl in school. But that would make a really short movie. Instead, he has to deal with all kinds of obstacles and setbacks as the days pass. The odds are definitely against him. He’s got a small team that tends to create old-school games—nothing like the lifelike games of their competitors—and they have just days until their deadline.
But Troy has the overconfidence of the typical teenager. He’s convinced that he doesn’t need help—that everyone else will just get in his way—so he sends the rest of the team home to let him work in peace. Of course, that leads to even more problems—and Troy will have to learn some important lessons before he can overcome them.
Hero Mode definitely has its share of general teenage awkwardness—and the occasional oddly trippy coding montage, too. At its heart, it’s a cute against-all-odds story with a kid focus. But this certainly isn’t a big-budget release, and even some younger gamers may struggle with its low-budget cheesiness.
This isn’t a flashy summer release. With its lessons in teamwork and dedication, it’s more after-school special than summer blockbuster. Younger viewers will enjoy the charming story about kids working together to try to save the day, but its lack of visual sophistication will most likely cause young gamers to lose interest quite quickly.
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