SECRET HEADQUARTERS

Secret Headquarters is not a special superhero movie, but it is somewhat enjoyable. Its strongest idea is simple and worthwhile: a father’s heroic deeds mean little to his son when he will not make time for his family. The story ultimately points toward restoration.

The movie’s script is weak and slightly convoluted. It also includes too much light foul language, several references to bodily functions, and frequent action violence. Most of that violence is cartoonish and suited to teenagers, though a wound being cauterized and a villain killing his sidekick are more serious moments.

If your family includes older children or teenagers who can handle those concerns, this is a reasonable light adventure for a movie night. For younger children or families avoiding profanity, choose something else.

Jack is a family man whose life changes when he discovers an alien object that turns him into a superhero known as the Guard. His secret missions gradually distance him from his wife and young son, Charlie.

Years later, Charlie and his friends discover Jack’s hidden headquarters. Their discovery draws the attention of a wealthy industrialist who wants the superhero’s power source for his own plans. The children must face the danger created by their discovery.

Three stars means this is somewhat enjoyable but not special. The movie has a good team behind it and delivers constant action once the villains find the children. Its advanced technological weapons create battles that are often cartoonish and sometimes funny.

The script is weak, and the jeopardy takes too long to begin. The story is also slightly convoluted. Still, the humorous superhero premise, action, and light moral focus give the movie enough promise to make it a passable choice for older children and teenagers.

The film presents a light moral worldview centered on family restoration. It stresses that a father needs to spend more time with his son, even when he is doing good deeds for other people. It also shows lying being called out and rebuked, while teenage crushes and a father hiding his secret identity from his son are part of the story.

The movie presents Jack as a man chosen to save the world, not in a general spiritual sense, but by rescuing people, stopping bombs, and performing other Superman-type tasks. That heroic framework is distinct from a biblical understanding of salvation, but the film’s emphasis on family responsibility is consistent with Scripture’s concern for fathers and children.

The film’s central longing is for a broken family to be restored. Scripture likewise speaks of reconciliation within families: “And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6).

Secret Headquarters is a pleasant but imperfect superhero adventure. Its weak script and language keep it from being special, but its family-restoration theme gives it worthwhile heart. For families with older children, the answer is WORTH THE TRIP — OLDER CHILDREN AND UP.