Despite its vintage Spielbergian vibes, Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman’s family-friendly escapade doesn’t bother with essential storytelling devices like world-building, emotional climaxes, or even basic character development.

| Original Score: D+ | Aug 24, 2022

There's probably enough going on in "Secret Headquarters" for some young audiences to have a good time, but parents, please: Have your kids' best interests at heart and steer them elsewhere.

| Original Score: 1/4 | Aug 17, 2022

It’s lighthearted, formulaic, and cute — your kids will like it and you can look up from the book you’re reading during the dialogue scenes.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 15, 2022

The problem with this film is that it can't decide if it's for children the age of these characters [13-14] or younger [7-9], and those are different kinds of kids. You can't have both.

| Aug 12, 2022

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.

| Aug 12, 2022

Secret Headquarters is as bland and forgettable as its title would suggest.

| Original Score: 1/4 | Aug 12, 2022

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.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Aug 11, 2022

It doesn't pander to teens — ahem, young adults — but rather it meets them where they're at, and it's made with warmth rather than cynicism. That makes it stand out...

| Original Score: B | Aug 11, 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.

| Original Score: B+ | Aug 11, 2022

The effort strikes me as somewhat redundant.

| Aug 11, 2022

This action-adventure delivers a modicum of skill and smarts, though it ultimately winds up as forgettable as its generic title.

| Aug 10, 2022

As basic as its title.

| Aug 10, 2022