The explanation for that will initial distribution flight might be as simple since the fact that the film was produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who has a lengthy legacy of blockbusters. But everything else regarding the movie has a teenager vibe and feels scaled toward an even more modest venue plus expectations.
The story easily comes down to a quick description that reflects the generic nature of the exercise: Teenage Charlie (Walker Scobell, recently featured in another so-so streaming sci-fi/comedy, “The Adam Project” ) is irritated simply by his absentee dad (Owen Wilson), who has split from his mom and never appears to be around.
When dad takes off for “work” while Charlie’s visiting, a child and a trio of his friends find out dad’s secret lair, the haven for any superhero known as the Guard, who regularly will save the world using an Iron Man-like suit that consists of alien technology.
The quartet first revels in playing with their new and very great toys, before their snooping alerts a villain (Michael Peña, deserving better) who might be after the Guard’s gadgetry to their location, triggering an extended skirmish more than acquiring it. The majority of that unfolds within the headquarters, giving the whole movie a claustrophobic feel, while the different teen crushes — including Charlie’s towards Maya (“The Baby-Sitter’s Club’s” Momona Tamada) — play away along the way.
Directed simply by Henry Joost plus Ariel Schulman ( “Project Power” ), who have share script credit with Christopher Yost and Josh Koenigsberg, “Secret Headquarters” offers obvious parallels in order to Marvel’s recent teen-superhero series “Ms. Marvel. inch Having said that, the concept borrows liberally from the genre, which includes elements of “Jumanji” (the remake, not the original) plus “Shazam! ”
Granted, no one has a monopoly in the durable fantasy of kids getting to save the world, but that template has been used often enough to warrant trying to a minimum of bend the mildew, even in a PG-rated live-action package, otherwise necessarily reinvent it.
A few of the elements in “Secret Headquarters” are slightly pleasant, but the movie seems too content to color completely within the lines. The producing picture might be enough of a diversion just for younger kids, but even they won’t end up being missing much when what’s in the movie stays secret.
“Secret Headquarters” premieres August. 12 on Paramount+. It’s rated PG.