Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

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Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made

PG

2020

1h 39m

Kids & Family

Adventure

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

33 Reviews

62%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Eleven-year-old Timmy Failure and Total, his imaginary 1,500-pound polar bear partner, operate Total Failure Inc., a detective agency in Portland, Oregon.

Critics Consensus

A fun, fast paced film for all, Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made celebrates the power of imagination with a delightful sense of humor and just the right amount of bears.

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Robbie Collin

Daily Telegraph (UK)

11/27/2020

3/5

For a seemingly innocuous project, there's substance here for adults to unpack with younger viewers, which is a boon.

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James Dyer

Empire Magazine

03/25/2020

3/5

A frothy fantasy about a boy and his bear that makes up for in style what it lacks in substance.

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Kevin Crust

Los Angeles Times

02/07/2020

There's a sequence about an hour in when "Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made" is briefly jolted from its hard-boiled slumber... More such scenes may have elevated it from simply being fodder for a streaming service.

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Jamie Healy

Radio Times

05/09/2024

3/5

With his overactive imagination and deadpan demeanour, Fegley's pint-sized private eye makes for a quirky hero in the Wimpy Kid mould.

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Lonita Cook

KCTV5 News at 9

09/15/2021

An odd, but enjoyable flick... This film is what happens when ridiculous and amazing collide.

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Tim Brayton

Alternate Ending

01/13/2021

2/5

It has a wildly, indescribably unlikable protagonist.

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Jak C.

@Baguette-Cement Mar 27

Great movie! Absolutely brilliant and hilarious!

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Aluna U

@RT14704568 Sep 24

Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made delivers a charming and imaginative story based on Stephan Pastis’ popular book series, blending humor, fantasy, and heart through its quirky main character and his polar bear sidekick. While the film’s creativity and strong performance by Winslow Fegley shine, certain mature themes and cultural portrayals may require parental guidance and raise sensitivity concerns. Despite minor flaws, the film succeeds in celebrating individuality, friendship, and viewing “failure” through a surprisingly uplifting lens. Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com)

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Zach S

@RT91612084 04/18/2025

It’s kind of funny, but it’s kind of not. The title is amazing. The movie is not really.

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Dale R

@iromulus9 07/07/2024

Adapted from a book series by Stephan Pastis. A Portland, Oregon fifth grader creates a detective agency to help solve the mysteries of being a kid. Winslow Fegley plays the titular kid and does a great job holding up the movie playing a quirky kid. There are actually some good special effects in this film. The story was engaging and got a few laugh out loud moments from me. I believe this film is worth your time.

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jackson p

@RT31954783 11/23/2023

this movie is amazing! I love the books, read every one, even the prequel, and the movie nailed the feeling of the books. I love the movie, it was really fun to watch, and it was just amazing to see my favorite book series get a movie. but I was weirded out why the cast looked different. the mom had curly hair, Timmy didn't have a mullet, and yeah, that's it. I do recommend it to anyone that likes dumb detectives.

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Jeffrey M

@RT01695930 06/22/2023

Timmy Failure : Mistakes Were Made was an amazing movie. I watched it kind of a long time ago, but I remember this movie was amazing. Timmy Failure was super funny, and I LOVE funny. It's the best. I remember I read the book series of Timmy Faulure after the movie, which was so good. But what I don't understand is how this movie got a 60% for audience. This movie doesn't deserve a 60% for audience, that's barely a bad audience score. Timmy Failure needs higher audience scores. Anyway, what a good movie.

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Tom McCarthy

Director

Winslow Fegley

Timmy Failure

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Synopsis

Eleven-year-old Timmy Failure and Total, his imaginary 1,500-pound polar bear partner, operate Total Failure Inc., a detective agency in Portland, Oregon.

Director: Tom McCarthy
Producer: Alexander Dostal, Tom McCarthy, James Whitaker
Screenwriter: Tom McCarthy, Stephan Pastis
Distributor: Disney+
Production Co: Walt Disney Pictures, Etalon Film, Whitaker Entertainment
Rating: PG (Mild Action|Thematic Elements|Some Language)
Genre: Kids & Family, Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 7, 2020
Runtime: 1h 39m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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