Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made Review - Doesn’t Fail You, Despite What The Name Says

I don’t remember the book being this good. I thought that a lot while watching this movie. I enjoyed reading the misadventures of the comically unintelligent Timmy Failure when I found those books in the library, but this movie takes that goofy kids’ book concept and mines so much heart and charm from it that I can’t shake the feeling that I really missed something while reading the book.

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made is a Disney+ original about a fifth grade boy named Timmy Failure living in Portland, Oregon who runs an imaginary detective agency with an imaginary 200-pound polar bear named Total (gettit? Total... Failure...?). Timmy is stoic, professional and never says two words when one would do, which are all great traits for a detective, but not-so great when you’re a 10 year-old boy. This attitude strains his school performance and his relationship with his family and friends but even when things get rough and is asked to be a normal kid he steadfastly believes that: “normal is for normal people” a saying that his single mother (Ophelia Lovibond) taught him. 

Honestly there’s not a lot to say about this movie so I’ll keep it short. The cast is all pretty solid. There is some wooden acting from the child actors at points (that’s a demerit) but it’s all easily ignored. The plot is rather straightforward but is so full of heart and charm that you forget how straightforward it is while watching it and are constantly wondering what’s going to happen next. The ending is a bit forced (that’s a demerit) and the climactic car crash that serves as a sort-of cold-open doesn’t quite live up to expectations (that’s a demerit) but once again these are all easily ignored. 

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made is very different from the source material. And that’s a good thing. What could’ve been a mediocre, whacky kids comedy that Disney put out to round out the Disney+ originals ends up being a really heart-felt, enjoyable hour-and-a-half that I wish more people were talking about. If you have the time, definitely watch this.

P.S. The one thing I do miss is the lack of Garbanzo Man (that’s a demerit)

P.P.S. Also “That’s a demerit” is going to find it’s way into my every day vocabulary.

Personal Rating: 8/10

Entertainment: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ☆

Depth: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ☆ ☆

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ☆

Comedy: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ☆ ☆

Tension: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ☆ ☆

Acting: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ ☆ ☆

Directing: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ☆