Headspace

Story

Norman (Bonko Khoza) is just a normal science geek. He’s infatuated with his beautiful friend Charlene (Nelisa Ngcobo), gets picked on by the school bully, and is interested in all sorts of conspiracy theories involving space and extraterrestrials, much to the amusement of his classmates.

Meanwhile, in another galaxy, microscopic peacekeepers, Captain Max (Chris Van Rensburg), Special Officer Sophie (Jana Louw) and Tech Specialist Gus (James Cairns) are trying to defeat the evil alien Zolthard (Zak Hendrikz). Zolthard is determined to attack every planet and subdue every life form in his quest to gain absolute control over the entire universe.

After thwarting Zolthard’s plans, the trio of peacekeepers is chased by Zolthard’s ship into a wormhole that leads to Earth. Their damaged ship is engulfed in flames and crash lands in Norman’s iced tea. From there, the peacekeepers and their ship are sucked into Norman’s mouth and make their way to his brain. Norman can hear them and they can control Norman when necessary but no one believes that tiny aliens are living inside him.

That is, until Zolthard possesses Mrs Witherington (Zak Hendrikz), the overbearing high school Principal, and uses his mind-control powers to turn some of the teachers into his personal, zombie-like henchmen. With help from Norman and his friends, the peacekeepers must find a way to stop Zolthard from contacting his mother ship and sending the coordinates to Earth, or the entire population of the planet will be turned into mindless zombies.

Themes

Alien life forms and their intent to control the human race; abuse of power; conspiracy theories; bullying

Violence

Headspace has some violence. For example:

Zolthard shoots many of his own alien robots in the head. This happens nearly every time they do something that displeases him. The robot heads are blown off.
In a fit of rage, Zolthard shoots randomly around his spaceship with his gun.
A laser beam targeting a planet explodes and damages the ship it was transmitting from.
Zolthard shoots at the peacekeepers’ spacecraft, repeatedly hitting it.
Zolthard tells the peacekeepers to surrender or he will pulverize them.
Sophie launches their trash shoot in retaliation and Zolthard’s spaceship is hit with flying rubbish.
The peacekeepers’ spaceship bursts into flames as it approaches Earth.
Principal Witherington repeatedly slams her phone on the table and then throws it through a window.
Two zombie teachers pursue Norman and Charlene as they try to escape on a golf cart. They are repeatedly hit, sometimes grabbed, and eventually forced sideways into a car, where Norman smashes his head into a side window, cracking the glass.
Charlene kicks one of the teachers repeatedly as he is trying to climb into their cart to grab them.
Sophie possesses Norman and causes one teacher to be launched from the golf cart and fly into the side of a street vendor’s business. She then makes the other teacher crash the cart into a fountain, the impact causing him to fly into the water.
A character rips a door off a car.
Zolthard puts a robot alien creature into Norman’s ear and attempts to take over his mind.
Sophie kicks a robot in the head.
A robot strangles and repeatedly punches Max.
A robot slaps, punches, throws, pushes, and slams the peacekeepers around their ship. Eventually, one of the peacekeepers manages to rip out all the wires at the back of its head and incapacitate it.
Sophie shoots a robot with a powerful gun, blasting its body and leaving only its head.
Max tries to throw the head away but is knocked out when the head ricochets back into him.
Max shoots the robot head with a gun, and it explodes.
Zolthard keeps getting a helmet shoved down on his head.
A teacher is hit in the groin with a basketball.
A character angrily screams: ‘I will tear you apart!’
Norman and Zolthard are nearly crushed by falling scrap metal as a giant transmitter crashes to the ground.

Sexual references

There are no sexual references in Headspace.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

There’s no substance use in Headspace.

Nudity and sexual activity

There’s no nudity and sexual activity in Headspace.

Product placement

There’s no product placement in Headspace.

Coarse language

Headspace has some coarse language. For example, ‘butt’ and ‘ass’. Name-calling includes ‘mindless metal’, ‘incompetent’ and ‘scum bag’.

Ideas to discuss with your children

Headspace is an animated adventure with a predictable plot and some very intense characters. While it might appear to be geared towards younger audiences, this is not a movie for small children. It will be better enjoyed by children aged 10 and over, and parental guidance is recommended for children aged 7-9 years.

These are the main messages from Headspace:

Stay true to yourself and to your beliefs, no matter what anyone else thinks.
You will never know your true potential until you try.

Values in Headspace that you could reinforce with your children include friendship, teamwork, courage, persistence and helpfulness.

Headspace could also give you the chance to talk with your children about real-life issues like these:

Trying to control other people.
Being angry and aggressive, as opposed to kind and patient.
Taunting, teasing or bullying others.
Ridiculing others because of their beliefs.