G-Force

Director: Hoyt Yeatman
Starring: Voices of Nicolas Cage, The Rock, Sam Rockwell and Penelope Cruz.
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Runtime: 88 mins. Reviewed in Nov 2011

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Rating notes: Mild Violence

Everybody knows the name of Walt Disney and the nicer films that have come from his studios. Not everybody knows the name of Jerry Bruckheimer but he has been famous for years for his huge, noisy and expensive action shows (like those starring Nicolas Cage, whose voice is featured here, The Rock, Con Air, National Treasure). The two names seem an unlikely combination but, in fact, the co-production works very well.

Some of G-Force is Disney cute. The central characters are guinea pigs who are a specially trained force under the auspices of the US government – and one is a mole (Nicolas Cage). The voices for the guinea pigs are excellent: Sam Rockwell the hero, Tracy Morgan the blusterer and Penelope Cruz the femme guinea pig fatale of the Force. They are joined by a largish and gawky pet shop guinea pig voiced by Jon Favreau.

Actually, the film moves from real life (well Secret Service etc real life) to animation. Zack Galifianakis (who made such an impression as the odd man out in The Hangover) is in charge of the Force. Bill Nighy is an ambitious techology manufacturer and Will Arnett is a humourless agent who is finally sent to Antarctica where he is described as an FBIcycle!

It has been filmed in 3D, sometimes unobtrusive but quite excitingly used for showing computer screens and information as well as the derring-do of the Force as they try to save the world.

Somehow or other, all this comes together in a plot that keeps the interest and has a surprising plot twist at the end. The characters are well developed and engaging. And the action is Bruckheimer-best.