Secret Headquarters review: Owen Wilson is a superhero with family issues

movies like spy kids When catch that kidIt does the difficult job of putting kids at the center of a big blockbuster-esque plot. It’s harder than it looks to make a movie appeal to both child and adult audiences at the same time. Leaning too much into children’s adventures without adding enough substance makes the film something that adults put in the background. there is a risk ofParamount Plus Superhero Adventures secret headquarters is the latest film to fall into this particular category that will delight both children and adults.

Most often directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Shulman (their collaboration includes catfish When Paranormal Activity 3 When Four) manages to create a worthy addition to the children’s film genre. secret headquarters Staying with its child hero and its core family relationships.

[Ed. note: This review contains slight setup spoilers for Secret Headquarters.]

secret headquarters It begins with normal dad Jack Kincaid (Owen Wilson) stumbles upon an extraterrestrial energy source, which quickly bonds with him. Ten years later, Jack was estranged from his family while protecting Earth as the mysterious superhero known as the Guard. He and his wife are divorced and only see his son Charlie (Walker Scobell) during custody visits. But Charlie is Gard’s biggest fan. After Jack is away for a few days due to a “work emergency”, Charlie makes a decision. No He wants to invite his friends to an empty house for a small party, so he calls his mother to pick him up and stays at his father’s house instead.

While exploring the place, Charlie and his friends — his best friend Burger (Keith L. Williams), social media-savvy Lizzie (Abby James Witherspoon), and rebellious Maya ( Tamada Momona) — the secret headquarters of the Guard (ba-dam tss!) at Jack’s house. At first, it’s all fun and games as they’re fiddling with high-tech gadgets. But they soon catch the eye of defense mogul Ansel Argon (Michael Peña), who wants to use the Guard’s skills for his own good.

The film’s biggest flaw is its bland design. The guard’s overall visual aesthetic, from his HUD display when Jack flies through the air, to the arc of his lights and armor in the center of his chest, his plate in the Marvel Cinematic Universe his version of Iron Man. Fully inspired by. His costume looks pretty cool, but it’s also familiar. The same goes for the famous secret headquarters, which feels like a recycled property. It doesn’t help the fact that it’s done in The lighting is dim and cramped, so the action scenes are mixed. Thankfully, they cheer up when the fight shifts to Charlie’s Middle School on Big School Dance night. The scene where the guards face off against their opponents in a school gymnasium full of dancing decorations is some of the film’s most memorable scenes, juxtaposing the more familiar setting of the school hallway with the high-stakes fights. increase.

Photo: Hopperstone/Paramount Pictures

secret headquarters almost fall into a similar trap Enola Holmes When Second generation royal secret society: introduces a heavier theme without fully addressing it. (In the latter two films, “Well, maybe it’s bad that Congress is ruled exclusively by wealthy, white landlords, but we’re not really going to do anything” and “Oh, I don’t think I should have a rally.For my country’s monarchy to be dismantled because I patched up with my sister!” respectively.

of secret headquarters, Argon points out that no one person should be responsible for saving the entire world. However, it became clear early on that what he mainly said was to manipulate others, and that his main concern was to make a profit. , but thankfully the film focuses primarily on Jack and Charlie’s broken relationship. Being so realistic makes the movie relatable even if the viewer doesn’t have a secretly superpowered father.

Photo: Hopperstone/Paramount Pictures

Jack is absent halfway through the film, but Charlie continues to grapple with mixed feelings about his father’s secret identity. Kids try out cool gadgets, but they use them for kid-friendly purposes, like passing a test or winning a baseball game. The children all have very fun, balanced personalities and work well together. Lizzie, in particular, can easily fall for the mean and popular girl trope, but ends up being the most academically inclined and adept at escape rooms of the main cast. The movie is equally enjoyable when they use their innovative thinking to get around, but it slows down when the fight focuses more on the adults and leaves the kids on the sidelines.

when secret headquarters Indulge your kids in fun with super powerful gadgets, it shines. Focusing on Charlie’s conflict with his father, and the toll that masked vigilantes take on family life, the film is well-suited to the “kids discovering super powers and super gadgets” subgenre. stands out from the entry of It could also be a little less focused on adult serious issues. secret headquarters It proves to be a fun and heartwarming binge.

secret headquarters will be available on Paramount Plus on August 12th.