Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2020

72%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A delusional 11-year-old detective and his imaginary polar bear solve crimes that may or may not exist—quirky Disney+ fare that divides audiences.

85%

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Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

movie

PG, 2020

72%

WISE Score

Avg. Tomatometer

A delusional 11-year-old detective and his imaginary polar bear solve crimes that may or may not exist—quirky Disney+ fare that divides audiences.

85%

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85%

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Screenwise Verdict

Here's the thing: critics loved this quirky little movie about a delusional kid detective and his imaginary polar bear. But audiences? Not so much. That 85% critic score crashes to 62% with regular people, and the 6.0 IMDb rating tells you this is... fine. Just fine.

It's got heart, it's got imagination, and it's genuinely trying to do something different with kid-detective stories. But it's also got that 'festival film that ended up on Disney+' vibe—a little too precious, a little too deadpan, possibly a little too in love with its own quirkiness.

Your kid will either think Timmy is hilarious and relatable, or they'll be bored within 20 minutes. There's really no middle ground here. It's safe, it's got positive messages about imagination and persistence, but it's not going to be anyone's favorite movie. More of a 'sure, we can watch that' than a 'CAN WE WATCH IT AGAIN?!'

Age Fit

Best for 7-11 year olds who appreciate weird, deadpan humor and aren't bothered by a protagonist who's kind of a mess. Older kids might find it too juvenile or just not funny enough.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

Features an 11-year-old protagonist navigating school and family life with heart and humor. The imaginary polar bear friend signals emotional processing rather than chaos. Common Sense Media's age 7+ rating and the premise suggest age-appropriate tone with positive modeling of friendship and perseverance, though the 'Failure' name and detective mishaps likely include some embarrassment humor.

Imaginative

A 1,200-pound imaginary polar bear detective partner is genuinely creative and whimsical. The kid-run detective agency premise invites problem-solving and fantasy play. Based on a book series, suggesting developed world-building. The concept celebrates childhood imagination without condescension.

Safe

Common Sense Media rates it for age 7, indicating minimal concerning content. Disney+ platform suggests family-friendly guardrails. No MPAA rating listed but the premise and platform suggest clean content. The 'mistakes' angle might include mild embarrassment or failure moments, but nothing that would shock or traumatize. No red flags in available data.

Enriching

Explores themes of imagination, friendship, perseverance through failure, and likely some emotional growth. The detective framework encourages problem-solving thinking. However, critics liked it more than audiences (85% vs 62% RT), and the 6.0 IMDb/2.9 Letterboxd scores suggest it may not fully land emotionally or entertainingly for many viewers. Enriching themes present but execution may be uneven.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Celebrates childhood imagination without making fun of it—the polar bear is treated as genuinely important to Timmy's emotional world
Explores failure and resilience in a kid-friendly way (it's literally in the title)
Quirky, offbeat humor that some kids will absolutely love and quote endlessly
Critics genuinely liked it (85% on RT), suggesting thoughtful filmmaking even if it's not a crowd-pleaser

⚠

What to Watch For

The 23-point gap between critic and audience scores suggests this might be more 'interesting' than 'fun' for many kids
Deadpan, quirky humor that will either land perfectly or fall completely flat—no middle ground
Some kids may find Timmy's obliviousness frustrating rather than endearing
It's from 2020 but already feels a bit forgotten—not much cultural footprint

Conversation Starters

"Do you think having an imaginary friend is babyish or actually kind of cool? Why do you think Timmy has one?"
"What would you name your detective agency? What kind of cases would you solve?"
"Timmy makes a lot of mistakes but keeps going—when have you messed up but tried again anyway?"
"If you could have any imaginary animal friend, what would it be and what would you do together?"

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