Ok, I’ll admit, this is an atypical movie to review for the site. However, I’ve seen it a few times now due to my oldest son’s love of it and there are some things worth highlighting.
G-Force came out in 2009 from Disney and was producer Jerry Bruckheimer first movie aimed specifically at younger kids. It’s a live action movie that mixes actors with CGI animals. Imagine Paddington but with more explosions. It has the over the top action and $150 million dollar budget you’d expect of a Bruckheimer movie but instead of bad boys or escaped convicts this one follows a group of super spy guinea pigs.
The concept is that the FBI has tasked scientist Zach Galifianakis to create technology that will allow humans to talk to animals. And he did it! Normally that would be enough and he’d take the day off to kick back and relax. Not Galifianakis, he takes it a step further and turns a group of three guinea pigs, a mole and house fly into a Mission: Impossible style special ops team. After the team undertakes an unauthorized mission against a super villain, the higher ups order the team disbanded. What’s a spy to do in that situation? Well, there’s nothing left but to go rogue and try and take him down on their own.
The lead guinea pig is voiced by Sam Rockwell with Penélope Cruz and Tracy Morgan as his fellow guineas and Nicolas Cage as the mole. Cage’s is the best of the voices. Taking on a wacky high pitched voice he throws himself into the role. Bill Nighy plays the villain as if he’s been waiting by the phone for his chance to play a Bond baddie and realized this is as close as it’s going to get. His performance reminds me of another “Brit in a kids movie” performance, Patrick Stewart in Masterminds. I think it proves that when you get the call for that kids movie, go big or go home.
There are plenty of nods to spy films but the best is also the most obvious, to adults at least. Nic Cage’s mole character, to the surprise of no one who has seen a spy movie, is also a “mole” working for the villain. It doesn’t matter that adults will see it coming a mile away, having the mole be a “mole” is still hilarious and the kids watching have no idea.
The end goes a bit over the top for a kids movie but is completely in line with every Bruckheimer film. In general kids movies require less explosions and frantic action than your typical entry in the National Treasure or Pirates of the Caribbean series.
Overall, this is not a bad movie. Do I rank it next to Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy? Of course not. But for a goofy kids movie about a spy team it’s pretty fun. Well worth the $1.50 to buy it from the thrift store dvd shelf, which is where I found my copy.