DVD review: Disney's hamster spies annoy in G-Force

When I heard Disney was making a G-Force movie, I was initially excited, thinking it was a remake of the popular 1970’s Japanese superhero cartoon.  When I found out it was yet another CGI-live action hybrid about talking animals, my enthusiasm was understandably dampened.  Produced by Hollywood titan Jerry Bruckheimer, G-Force promised to be loud, abrasive and generally forgettable. 

I was more right than I ever could have thought.

G-Force jumps right into the action as a well-intentioned but clueless scientist drops his team of genetically-altered guinea pigs into the middle of a top secret investigation focused on a shady weapons manufacturer. 

Despite a successful mission, a corrupted computer file prompts the bean counters at the bureau to shut down the team and turn the super rodents into test subjects.  On the run from the government, the G-Force team must reunite and stop the evil arms dealer’s plans for world domination.

Quentin Tarantino’s revisionist World War II film Inglourious Basterds was espionage for adults but G-Force could easily be called “Inglorious Hamsters.”  The only things missing are the carefully crafted dialogue, masterful direction and filmmaking skill.  Instead, G-Force resides in that dreaded zone halfway between a kid’s film and adult humor.  Films with these problems just about always fail and this one is no exception. 

As this is a Jerry Bruckheimer production, you know it’s going to be full of gadgets, car chases, and big action sequences.  Along with that, you get guinea pigs squabbling over the same girl and a lot of fart jokes.  It’s all much too infantile for any adult, yet the big action might be too much for kids.  It probably isn’t since contemporary children are bombarded with action and violence on a daily basis.  I guess I’m just a little conservative.  Regardless, I’m not sure what audience this film is geared for.  The cute talking animals are geared for kids, but G-Force doesn’t offer anything we haven’t seen before.

I’ve also never really understood by studios pay big bucks for celebrity voice-overs.  Do kids really care that Tracy Morgan, Penelope Cruz, and Nicolas Cage are voicing the rodents?  Probably not.  The live action humans are just as lost in this dumbed down production.  Zak Galifianakis (The Hangover) plays the scientist but while he had a lot to work with in the very raunchy hit The Hangover , he looks completely lost in this watered down kids flick.  Will Arnett is the same smarmy jerk you know from films and his recurring role on 30 Rock.  Lastly, Bill Nighy…what the heck is he doing here?  For an A-list actor, he takes a lot of questionable roles and he pops up in this one for a quick paycheck.  I don’t know, but that guy must have a lot of bills.

G-Force makes decent entertainment (at best) for tweens looking for cute animals and a lot of action.  Buy it for them if you must, but don’t be surprised when you find yourself looking through the days mail in between explosions.

Rated PG
2.5 out of 5

The Blu-ray Disc - Extra Content

As usual, Disney has fully loaded this Blu-ray set, packing the high definition disc with a DVD and a digital copy.  The movie is clean and looks great in high-definition.  In addition to the outstanding picture quality, the disc comes with a nice selection of bonus features for true fans.
Cine-Explore with Darwin, Blaster and the creator – This feature allows you to watch the movie and enjoy pop-ups and branching video taking viewers deep into the production process.

Blaster’s Boot Camp (4:41) – Tracy Morgan (as Blaster) shows what skills and gadgets it takes to be a globe-trotting superspy guinea pig.

G-Force Mastermind (4:00) – Bruckheimer and director Hoyt Yeatman discuss the “brains” behind the operation and the film’s inspiration.  It should come as no surprise to learn the film was envisioned by a 10-year-old.

Bruckheimer Animated (3:12) – An overview of the visual effects seen in the super producer’s biggest hit films.

Access Granted: Inside the Animation Lab (7:52) – Learn everything you wanted to know about the CGI needed to bring the action to life.

G-Force Bloopers (1:49)

Deleted Scenes (6:17)

3 Music Videos

Disney never skimps on bonus features, so this is a nice offering for fans.  There’s a lot to see and learn about, but it’s just too bad the movie isn’t better.

Bonus Features rating
4.5 out of 5
 

Tony Robinson is a past host of KATU's Movie Guys film review segment and currently reviews movies exclusively for KATU.com. He lives in Portland with his wife, son and action figure collection. He can be reached at tonerobe@hotmail.com.