Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Rocker is hired to impersonate famed country star; language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Zero to Hero (2024)
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In ZERO TO HERO, Hero (Lucas Lucco) is a struggling rock musician who's lucky to play a prom now and then. The wildly successful country music star Sandro (also played by Lucco) is hailed as Brazil's greatest singer. He's also a cheating, self-absorbed, falling-down drunk. On the eve of a three-month tour, his managers check him in for a quick rehab, but he falls into a coma. With the multimillion-dollar tour at stake, they stumble onto Sandro's seemingly identical twin, Hero, and rope him into impersonating Sandro. Reluctantly, he agrees—and a makeover, wardrobe, and rehearsing of the kind of country sound he hates proceeds, until he's good enough to fool Sandro's old friends. Then he falls for Lulli (Carla Diaz), the woman whose heart Sandro broke. Of course, the new Sandro seems so different, but until the old Sandro inconveniently wakes up and the secret switch is revealed, Lulli remains hard to get.
Is It Any Good?
What feels off about Zero to Hero is best expressed by a title that suggests a man is a "zero" if his life amounts to anything short of fame and wealth. What's most appealing about the story is the opposite insight: that in a perfect world, a decent person should be considered a success just for being a decent person. While nice guy Hero poses as the fabulously wealthy and famous Sandro, lives in his mansion, and enjoys the adulation of his fans, all Hero wants is Lulli's love. But the baggage of her experiences with the real, caddish, disloyal Sandro gets in the way. One of the nicest touches is when Hero, who we already know is a good guy, recognizes his mistakes and apologizes for them—the already good guy wants to be a better guy!
Performances by appealing actors help us get past the flaws. When Hero implausibly achieves the whole package in the end—professional success on his own terms and the love of a good woman—that result almost undermines the best of the movie's message, that goodness ought to be its own reward.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the appeal of doubles and twins. Why do we like stories that explore how people who look identical act differently?
As in Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper, Hero moves into a famous person's world of luxury and privilege. What is appealing about the confusion that situation causes for a character?
Do you think in real life that people who knew Sandro well would realize that Hero was an impersonator?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : April 3, 2024
- Cast : Lucas Lucco , Carla Diaz , Felipe Hintze
- Director : Marcela Antunez
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Netflix
- Genre : Romance
- Run time : 109 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : April 20, 2024
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