Review: G-Force (cute rodents with spy gear)

With producer Jerry Bruckheimer on the job, I expected “G-Force” to be a high-action flick, even though the main characters are computer-generated guinea pigs. When I interviewed Michael Papajohn, who plays an FBI techie in the movie, he said as much: “It’s a Bruckheimer film, so trust me, there will be action.”

Still, “G-Force” struck me as two movies in one. The first half was all about the cute rodents with spy gear. We get to see some character development and watch the pigs infiltrate an “enemy camp” (a hot-shot electronics guy’s digs). The second half, however, picked up the pace and was more of the intense action I expected from Bruckheimer. Car chases and such.

Though I enjoyed “G-Force,” I wouldn’t say it was spectacular, and my 12-year-old daughter was bored silly. I think it’s good for kids in the 6 to 9 age range, especially those who like cute animal movies with a twist.

The story centers on a team of super-smart animal spies, including guinea pigs Darwin (voiced by Sam Rockwell), Blaster (Tracy Morgan), and Juarez (Penelope Cruz); a techie mole named Speckles (Nicolas Cage); and a surveillance fly named Mooch. The unit is trained by Ben (Zach Galifianakis, whom I fell in nerd-love with in “The Hangover”), who runs a small department of the FBI using animals as spies. Ben uses special language-decoding equipment to communicate with the animals. His supervisor is Kip Killian, played by Will Arnett.

The story begins with the team infiltrating the launch show of an electronic appliance hot-shot named Saber (Bill Nighy) who’s using home appliances to take over the world. Yes, take over the world.

But when things don’t go well, the department is shut down and the animals find themselves scattered to and fro – some landing in homes as pets and some trying to escape from a pet shop, where they meet another fatter guinea pig named Hurley (Jon Favreau), Bucky the hamster (Steve Buscemi), and a trio of voice-synchronized mice.

“G-Force” doesn’t deviate too much from the traditional messages of Disney films: family is important, ordinary creatures are special, you can find love and family in the least expected places, etc. Unfortunately, there’s nothing too remarkable about all of this.

For me, the highlight is dissecting the amazing CG animation that really brings all of these animals to life. I suppose it would have been even more amazing if we’d seen the 3D version, although given the choice, we (my kids and I) prefer a traditional film over 3D because it usually detracts from the story rather than adds to it. A lot of people we know feel the same way. Someone needs to tell Disney and Pixar that before they blow a bunch of money making everything 3D.

As mentioned, the second half of the film picks up with a bit more action, including a high-octane car chase, but with the filmmakers and cast involved, I was hoping for something more memorable. In summary, this is a cute movie, but you probably won’t remember it two days later.

Image: Copyright Disney Enterprises, Inc., and Jerry Bruckheimer, Inc. All Rights Reserved.