Secret Headquarters – A Fun Yet Disposable Family Feature

The trailer for Secret Headquarters presents a superhero film geared for children wrapped in an attempt to resonate with a more emotional chord. At the end of the day, it is still a kid’s superhero film but never seems interested to want to hit a deeper emotional chord than previously released streaming efforts have been able to do thus far.

Secret Headquarters centers around a family who is torn apart after strange alien technology lands on Earth and imbues Jack (Wilson) with its power in order to serve as a protector over Earth known as The Guard though without the knowledge of his family. Naturally, this leads to divorce and an ostracized son named Charlie (Scobell) who attempts to continue his life as ten years have passed. But upon a visit to his father’s house, he and his friends discover that Jack is actually The Guard which explains his erratic fatherly habits but makes them nonetheless forgivable. What follows are predictable beats where the villain, Argon (Peña) seeks the technology in order to take over the world but instead of finding it, he is met by a group of young adults who found it just before him and have enough of an understanding with it to use it against Argon and his minions.

At no point are there any real stakes for Charlie and his friends, which doesn’t severely hurt the film’s overall appeal but remains essentially nonexistent in stretches where it is clearly needed. A perfect example is the relationship (or lack thereof) between Jack and Charlie which presented so much potential when it cam to expounding on their emotional states over the past 10 years they were estranged but does very little until a predictable ending. Though even then, it feels rushed in order to meet the necessary happy conclusion. Despite all of that. Secret Headquarters delivers in two areas – its cast and its humor.

Scobell has proven his ability this year in The Adam Project and helps to bolster a young cast who does their best with what they’re given. Jesse Williams as Irons and Owen Wilson as Jack offer simple performances that are harmless. However, the film’s strongest asset is Peña as when it appears that he is allowed to improvise, he elevates Argon above anyone else in frame with him. So much so, one can’t help but find themselves cheering him on as he proves to be increasingly more entertaining any time he was onscreen. The humor, mostly provided through Peña, doesn’t fully land but plays a numbers game where the averages land in its favor by delivering enough laugh-out-loud moments to make up for others that aren’t as much.

In the end, Secret Headquarters shouldn’t be panned because it doesn’t deliver a box office-worthy watch. The film never tries to go beyond what it is – an enjoyable streaming entry that can be easily watched, enjoyed, and just as easily forgotten. It’s a family-friendly film that can be perceived as a win for Paramount+ as a streaming service and if missed, is perfectly alright.

While there are some fun aspects to experience here, it’s difficult to recommend in full confidence as it certainly will not be for everyone. But if one finds themselves hard-pressed to find something to watch, they can do far worse than this one.

still courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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Critics w/o Credentials

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