Secret Headquarters
Paramount+ | Release Date (Streaming): August 12, 2022 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
47
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
3
Mixed:
7
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
IndieWireJude DryAug 12, 2022
With a PG-rated humor that parents can enjoy too, Secret Headquarters feels like the movie equivalent of the fun uncle who speaks to you like an adult, but also drives a mean Mario Kart. Read full review
77
PolygonPetrana RadulovicAug 18, 2022
When Secret Headquarters indulges the fun of kids with superpowered gadgets, it shines. When it narrows the focus to the conflict between Charlie and his dad, and the toll that being a masked vigilante takes on family life, the movie stands out from other entries in the “kids discover superpowers and/or super-gadgets” subgenre. Read full review
70
We Got This CoveredMartin CarrAug 10, 2022
Secret Headquarters is aimed squarely at young adults, takes a leaf from the 'Spy Kids' franchise, and is never less than engaging when affectionately leaning into genre cliches without trying too hard. Read full review
60
NMEPaul BradshawAug 12, 2022
It might not be much of an Owen Wilson movie, or even that much of a superhero flick, but if you ignore the poster and trailer and the casting and premise, there’s a fun little Sunday afternoon family film here just begging for a sequel. Read full review
60
Screen RantRachel LaBonteAug 11, 2022
Aided by an excellent young cast, Secret Headquarters is a fun adventure for all ages, even if certain elements feel superficial in the end. Read full review
50
VarietyCourtney HowardAug 12, 2022
With a solid cast, healthy sense of humor and polished visual effects, the film rises above so many of the sub-cinematic slogs littering the streaming fray. Expecting it to be memorable proves to be a big ask from the filmmakers, despite their hunger for a Marvel-style, Amblin-esque franchise starter. Still, the ease with which we forget its blights might just be the project’s real superpower. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterDavid RooneyAug 12, 2022
With less pedestrian writing, there might have been some genuine uplift in the outcome of a family reinforcing its bonds while taking on future missions as a unified team. But Secret Headquarters is mostly just meh. Read full review
50
The New York TimesCalum MarshAug 12, 2022
When the kids are just doing kid stuff . . . Secret Headquarters has the playful, mischievous air of something like “The Goonies.” When the kids acquire some of the Guard’s superpowers and start flying around and fighting baddies, it has the air of … well, of just another superhero movie. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeMark FeeneyAug 11, 2022
Secret Headquarters is uneven but consistently lively. There are moments of real wit (when was the last time you saw a movie use Pig Latin?), though not enough to compensate for the fairly tired, somewhat confused action sequences. Read full review
45
CNNBrian LowryAug 12, 2022
Some of the elements in “Secret Headquarters” are mildly pleasant, but the film seems too content to color completely within the lines. The resulting picture might be enough of a diversion for younger kids, but even they won’t be missing much if what’s in the movie stays secret. Read full review
38
Movie NationRoger MooreAug 12, 2022
It’s a violent, noisy, slangy and pricey superhero movie that’s for fankids, not fanboys or fangirls or the lactose intolerant. Talk about cheesy. Read full review
33
The A.V. ClubTomris LafflyAug 10, 2022
Between all the cool gadgets—a vintage VW van serving as The Guard’s G-Mobile being the best of them—a devoted cast and a well-meaning spirit, you desperately want Secret Headquarters to be a fun and swift adventure like the one Joost and Schulman clearly conceived on paper. But that imaginary film is unfortunately trapped somewhere inside this clumsy wreck, waiting for its superpowers to be restored. Read full review
25
RogerEbert.comChristy LemireAug 12, 2022
Secret Headquarters is as bland and forgettable as its title would suggest. It’s so generic, it almost sounds like the name of a better movie translated awkwardly from another language into its simplest terms in English. Read full review
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