Secret Headquarters - Blu-ray Review

[Michael Scott]

Secret Headquarters


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Movie:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Final Score:


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Movie
After the deluge of ‘streaming only” movies that came about as a part of the pandemic I was pretty much burnt out on them. Just about every single one of them were underwhelming compared to the Hollywood theatrical counterparts, and after getting disappointed time and time again I wasn’t exactly keep on watching another. When I saw the Paramount+ trailer for Secret Headquarters I told myself that it looked like a modern superhero version of Spy Kids, and promptly decided a viewing wasn’t in order. Well, when Paramount decided to release the physical disc I figured now was as good a time as any to check it out and confirm or deny my suspicions. Well, suspicions confirmed, as Secret Headquarters mimics Spy Game to a T, just with alien gear and your typical super hero tropes, albeit on a much smaller budget. However, I WAS surprised to find out that it was actually semi decent, and enjoyable as a popcorn watch.

After an alien probe crash lands on earth and gives family man Jack Kincaid (Owen Wilson) a super powered suit to become the guardian of the planet, his family life sort of goes to pot. The whole overwhelming duty of being a super hero shreds his marriage with wife Lily (Jessie Mueller), and ostracizes him from his son Charlie (Walker Scobell). But with Charlie in High School Lily and Jack decide that it’s time that their son know just why Jack was such an absentee father. That is, if work doesn’t call Guardian (Jack’s super powered alter ego) away on an important mission right in the middle of guy talk.

This naturally leads to the opportunity that we all saw coming. That is Charlie and his friends (whom he invites over for an unsanctioned party) finding the entrance to Guardian’s secret head quarters underneath his dad’s house. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the kids playing around with all of the super secret gadgets leads a paramilitary force straight to the cave, and lucky for them, they hit the jackpot.

Secret Headquarters is straight up a kids movie. It’s not meant for adults really, but caters straight to the modern era of children who would have been entertained by Spy Kids 21 years ago (sheesh, has it been that long?). It’s silly, goofy, tons of awkward teen moments and teen romances, but at the end of the rainbow is a fairly competent kids super hero movie. The budget is pretty low though, so don’t go in expecting Marvel level graphics (well, unless you’re thinking of She-Hulk level). If you were to look at the movie critically I’d give it a solid C- for delivery, but the movie is saved by the chemistry and personality of all involved. Walker Scobell does quite well for a kid actor, but it’s really Owen Wilson and Michael Pena’s affable personalities that save the film. Both men are veterans with comedic action roles, and the two play off each other quite nicely (though Pena can be over done just a bit).




Rating:

Rated PG for violence, action, language and some rude humor.





Video:

Sadly no 4K UHD for us even though it was shown on 4K streaming, but the Blu-ray has nothing to be ashamed of. The 2.39:1 AVC encode is extremely rich and vibrant, with lots of deeply saturated primary colors, even down in the midst of the lair. Fine details are usually very good, though sometimes the cheaper looking CGI makes things look a little soft around the edges. Blacks are deep and inky, and I can’t really find anything wrong with the shadows except the occasional bout of banding. Crush is near nonexistent and the shadow detail levels are superb. An all around great looking Blu-ray.








Audio:

Probably the most exciting part of the whole package is the inclusion of a Dolby Atmos track for the Blu-ray. It’s a really punchy and bass heavy mix that grabs you right from the opening scene with the space ship crashing (seriously woke up my subs) and doesn’t let go until the very end. Dialog is quite impressive and locked up front where you would expect, and the surrounds are extremely active throughout the film with sounds of explosions and falling alien tech everywhere. Gunshots ring with authority when Argon’s paramilitary forces take over the bass, and explosions will rock you back into your seat. The overheads get used a moderate amount when Alien 3D printed panels fall on top of our your heroes, and the score seems to use all channels with equal aplomb.












Extras:

• BFFLs—Join the cast of Secret Headquarters as they reflect on their characters and how they developed unshakeable bonds as Best Friends For Life.
• The Secret Headquarters—Go behind the scenes and discover how the crew brought the set of Secret Headquarters to life.
• Panic! At the Moon Dance—The production team discusses how the set, stunts and special effects came together to create the most important sequence of the film.
• Who is the Guard?—Owen Wilson explains who The Guard is and how the guardian came to be.
• Gag Reel—Outtakes and bloopers from Secret Headquarters.
• Deleted & Extended Scenes

Final Score: ​

Silly? Yes. Goofy? Yes. Worth watching? Well, probably as a solid baby sitter or as a PG level family movie night. The movie is NOT going to blow anyone away. In fact, it’s quite bland at times, but for some reason the film hits enough right beats to at least enjoy itself on a fairly lizard brain level. Things blow up, the kids are decently likable, while Owen and Michael steal the show. The Blu-ray looks and sounds great to my eyes/ears, and for once there’s actually a moderate amount of extras on the disc. Rental time in my personal opinion.


Technical Specifications:

Starring: Owen Wilson, Michael Pena, Jesse Williams, David Lengel, Jessie Mueller, Keith L. Williams
Directed by: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Written by: Henry Joost, Ariel Schulman
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: Arabic: Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Core), French, Spanish DD 5.1
Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Rated: PG
Runtime: 104 minutes
Blu-Ray Release Date: December 20th, 2022

Recommendation: Rental