Friendship and courage take center stage when Charlie and his friends stumble upon the headquarters of the Guard (Owen Wilson) and realize the world’s most powerful superhero is Charlie’s dad. When an evil businessman (Michael Peña) sends in a team to infiltrate the lair and retrieve the Guard’s energy source, the youngsters spring into action and turn the tables on the intruders.
For thoughts on Secret Headquarters, please check out my colleague Cody Allen’s review from its streaming debut here.
Video Quality
Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment brings Secret Headquarters to Blu-Ray with a lovely 1080p video presentation. The image is clean and clear with a vivid color palette radiating off the screen. The film shows off with numerous splashes of color within the clothing and production design which makes for a gorgeous image. The black levels are deep, but digital noise does pop up briefly at certain moments in the film. Flesh tones are natural with subtle nuances showcased well in close-ups and medium shots. The presentation provides a significant amount of depth on display, especially when exploring the secret headquarters. Paramount has provided this film with a rock solid presentation which is every bit as great as a modern movie should look in HD.
Audio Quality
The Blu-Ray comes with a formidable Dolby Atmos track that brings this world to life perfectly. Everything is mixed with precision which allows all sounds to be accurately rendered across all channels from the expected direction. The sounds of the adventure provide a substantial amount of activity in the rear channels, and the low end is more forceful than you might expect from a kids film. The height channels add some nice depth to the world as you get a more expansive soundscape. Dialogue comes through clearly without ever falling victim to competing environmental factors. Music does a nice job of establishing the tone of the narrative as the track fills the room in a truly enveloping way. This track knocks it out of the park. There are an array of optional subtitles provided including English, English SDH, Spanish, French and more.
Special Features
- BFFLS: A six-minute look at the familial atmosphere fostered on set, how that helped with the characters and their bonds, and much more that makes this seem like it was a joy to film.
- The Secret Headquarters: A six-minute look at the construction of the titular headquarters and all of the interesting details included within.
- Panic! At The Moon Dance: A six-minute featurette which takes a look at the crafting of the finale including the production design, the stunt work, the visual effects and more.
- Who Is The Guard?: A nearly six-minute piece which delves into who The Guard is, the struggle to balance family life with heroics, and much more.
- Gag Reel: A four-minute collection of flubbed lines, giggle fits, malfunctioning props, goofing around and more.
- Deleted and Extended Scenes: Four unused scenes totaling 10 minutes are provided here which includes more moments with the kids including an extended bit with cheating on the test.
Final Thoughts
Secret Headquarters provides a decent time for families looking for something to watch together, but there is much about this adventure that feels rather stale and manufactured. The young performers mostly do a fine job of endearing themselves to the audience, but the dialogue and overall narrative they are given does not catch fire in the way you want it to. The adult characters add an even greater layer of fun to the proceedings, but they are not featured very prominently and are likewise saddled with iffy dialogue. The film is not terrible, but there are ways in which the script could have been shaped a little more effectively to make it more sustainable for older audiences. Paramount Picture Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray that sports fantastic A/V presentation and a few brief special features. If you are in need of something for family movie night, there are worse options out there.
Secret Headquarters will be available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD on December 20, 2022. The film is currently available on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.