G-Force Hits the Spot
Written by: Andreus Narain, Special to CC2K
If you get the joke in the title…the movie's not for you. But that doesn't stop it from being pretty fun nonetheless.
I’ll admit it. I had very low expectations for this movie. I frequently saw posters for the film, G-Force, as I walked in and out of my local cinema. I didn’t think it would be anything more than a “dumb hamster movie.” Then, when I heard that it was going to be shown in 3-D I thought of it as that “dumb hamster movie in 3-D.”
As I sat down and waited for it to begin, there were streams of children with their parents eagerly anticipating it. I thought to myself that I might as well give it a chance and break down wall of doubt I had set in place. G-Force is aimed at being a family film, so I should judge it so. I should expect simple fun without much thinking, and that is what I got.
From the start G-Force doesn’t take long to get going. You are first introduced to Darwin (Sam Rockwell), the leader of the guinea pig spies. Director Hoyt Yeatman makes a wise decision in quickly introducing us to the protagonist of the movie to get things going quickly. His audience is primarily children, who don’t need to have much exposition.
In the following scene we are introduced to the rest of the G-Force. Juarez (Penelope Cruz) is the lead female, but can fend for herself and never acts as the damsel in distress. Blaster (Tracy Morgan) acts as the main source of comic relief. He comes off as very loud and crass (if you have ever seen him in30 Rock then you know what to expect). Hurley (John Faverau) comes off as the “big guy.” For a guinea pig, he is bigger than everyone else, doesn’t have many talents and seems to be concerned the most about cake. And last, is speckles the mole (Nic Cage). It is worth mentioning that Cage does not sound like his usual self. He really altered his voice for the role of Speckles. The group is diverse which helps them not to blur together. None of the characters are complex. They are simple and easy to remember, which is all that is necessary.
The story is pretty typical stuff. First, there is the tried-and-true underdog tale of the novice group attempting to prove themselves. Ben (Zach Galifianakis) created the G-Force. He wants to prove the group’s worth to the FBI, but of course they have severe doubts about his efforts (Who would really trust a guy that talks to guinea pigs?). Second, the top appliance manufacturer in the world, Saber (Bill Nighy) has plans to link all appliances across the globe that he has manufactured in an effort for world destruction called Clusterstorm.
I don’t think it would be possible for me to describe the story in a less absurd way, because it is incredibly silly. The head of the largest appliances manufacturer in the world is going to somehow take over the world with coffee makers and dishwashers. I don’t want to give too much away, but the story really isn’t the focus of the film. Because it is geared toward children, the story just needs to be simple enough for everyone to understand, but also interesting enough to not cause the audience to lose interest. The story will keep you interested largely, because you will be wondering what will happen next.
G-Force does have some impressive actions scenes. The infiltration mission in the beginning really demonstrated what the team can do. Guinea pigs breaking into Saber’s house as he demonstrates Clusterstorm to the unknowing audience with the help of a surveillance fly and a super genius mole was quite the feat to watch. When the G-Force acquired the RDV, rapid deployment vehicle, you are taken on a pretty exhilarating chase sequence that ends with a nice light show.
If you’re watching the movie in 3-D then you are in for an added treat. The 3-D aspect complemented the scenes very well. It didn’t feel like a gimmick. There were plenty of times that I noticed people in the audience jump back as objects flew into the screen. Scenes with Mooch the Fly (Edwin Louis) are especially engaging. Just imagine seeing from the perspective of a fly, with the world moving fast around you.
Ultimately, G-Force was a lot better than I thought it would be. Given, that I had no expectations for the film, it did not have to do much to impress me. Yes, the story is pretty absurd: Spy guinea pigs are going to save the world. However, in this circumstance story is really not much of a concern. The characters are pretty diverse – well they are diverse enough for this story. If you go into the movie expecting simple fun, then you probably won’t feel like you wasted your money. This movie does have heart and will surely appease kids, who won’t wonder why anyone would want to take over the world with appliances. I shouldn’t discredit the story too much. The ending did put a smile on my face. And that what movies are for – right?