Not having kids, I had a hard time writing reviews for films meant for families. In addition to my own reaction, I eventually learned that I just needed to pay attention to the kids’ reaction in the audience to see how much they were engaged with the movie and if their parents were also happy due to their kids’ reactions.
That said, I’m still glad this is a mostly forgotten movie.
THE ORIGINAL REVIEW
“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”… “Batman”… “Monster Squad”. These were the films that dominated may a childhood. The parents didn’t necessarily understand them but the children in the audiences couldn’t get enough. Now, a new film comes along for a new generation of kids that will be charmed by the characters while the adults will wish that they could have stayed at home.
The team is on a secret mission in "G-Force".
“G-Force” is a film about a team of government spies. The only catch is that they are guinea pigs. Along with a team of cockroaches, the primary team consists of Darwin (Sam Rockwell), Juarez (Penélope Cruz), Blaster (Tracy Morgan), star-nosed mole Speckles (Nicolas Cage), and a fly called Mooch (Dee Bradley Baker). They are genetically enhanced animals that can run, kick, and chop their way through any situation while following the orders of their human commander, Ben (Zach Galifianakis). The only problem for the agile critters is the fact that the FBI wants nothing to do with them.
In an attempt to stop the agency from shutting them down, Ben thinks it is time for his team to prove themselves in the field. He orders an unauthorized infiltration of the home of electronic and appliances mogul, Leonard Saber (Bill Nighy). Saber has been under FBI investigation for years. After the team infiltrates Saber’s home and successfully retrieves the data they are looking for, they call in to their superiors to warn them about an operation underway called Clusterstorm.
Unfortunately, Ben’s superior officer is Agent Kip (Will Arnett) and, upset at Ben for illegally authorizing the mission, he closes down G-Force. Soon, the rodents find themselves in a pet story with very little time to stop Saber’s plans.
That being said, the movie is very easy to follow. I mean, it is a movie intended for kids so it is never that confusing for their sake. I was even able to walk out of the theater a couple of times to go to the restroom and when I got back, I was still aware of what was going on. The story is just that simple.
Aside from a couple of big action sequences such as a car chase with a vehicle that Ben designed especially for the team, the small action sequences are too short to be engaging in any way. The kids will love it but the parents will be wishing that they were watching “Iron Man” instead. However, the car chase became a big standout scene in the movie when “O Fortuna” begins blaring in the background and one finds the audience laughing out loud.
That brings us to the humor in the movie. Many family films like “Shrek” and Pixar films, for example, have proven to us that family comedies can appeal to not only the kids in the audience but to adults as well. It is a delicate balance to mix humor that appeals to everybody and “G-Force” tilts a little too far into the kids’ department. There are a few moments where adults will laugh but they are far and few between. When the team is in the pest store, for example, it is like there is nothing to do except make a series of gags until the team gets out of the store. Some of it was funny but most of it was only for the children.
The story was simple and that was fine considering that this is a family movie. Therefore, I am going to let the story slide.
I will say that I also don’t have kids yet so I can only speak honestly about what adults might think of the movie. While I think kids would enjoy it, there is not really anything there for the adults except just a few scenes that barely keep them involved. In the end, I say save your money on the expensive popcorn, candy, and drinks and rent it for the kids when it comes out on home video.
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