G-Force MPAA Rating: PG Entertainment: +2 Content: +4

Voices of Sam Rockwell, Tracy Morgan, Penelope Cruz, Nicolas Cage. Animated action adventure. Written by Cormac Wibberley, Marianne Selleck Wibberley. Directed by Hoyt Yeatman.

FILM SYNOPSIS: Producer Jerry Bruckheimer brings his first 3-D film to the big screen with G-Force, a comedy adventure about the latest evolution of a covert government program to train animals to work in espionage.  Armed with the latest high-tech spy equipment, these highly trained guinea pigs discover that the fate of the world is in their paws.  Tapped for the G-Force are guinea pigs Darwin (voice of SAM ROCKWELL), the squad leader determined to succeed at all costs; Blaster (Voice of TRACY MORGAN), an outrageous weapons expert with tons of attitude and a love for all things extreme; and Juarez (voice of PENELOPE CRUZ), a sexy martial arts pro; plus the literal fly-on-the-wall reconnaissance expert, Mooch, and a star-nosed mole, Speckles (voice of NICOLAS CAGE), the computer and information specialist.  Directed by Academy Award winning visual effects master Hoyt Yeatman – G-FORCE takes audiences on a high-octane thrilled ride, proving once and for all that size really doesn’t matter.

PREVIEW REVIEW: By now, we’ve become spoiled by Disney. We expect their animation to appease and even blissfully entertain us adults as well as those of a younger persuasion. UP is certainly one of the best films so far this year, Bolt was from last year and Wall-E was the year’s best the year before that. So, I expected G-Force to rise above straight-to-DVD quality. It disappoints there. The 3-D is not only unnecessary, as it only seemed to "wow" youngsters for the first five minutes, but it also looked of low quality. I’ve seen much more effective technical dimension in the recent past when it comes to this process. Same goes for the storyline. The villain has given a will-of-their-own to household appliances and a bunch of gerbils or hamsters, or whatever they are, sport spy gear and…well, I’m not sure what it is they’re supposed to be doing. It’s muddled from beginning to end.

I get the picture’s message – friendship and working together are good. And we should embrace those different from ourselves. Okay, fine. But they want me to be pals with moles. Sorry, when it comes to creatures who destroy my lawn, I’m downright bigoted.

The film failed to hold my attention. I kept looking at my watch. Let that be a warning for moms and dads expecting another Over the Hedge or Shrek. It isn’t. That said, it’s a kid pleaser. Little kids. They were entranced and found the minimal humor to their liking. It’s a clean film with caged bedroom rodents who talk. I think kids relate.

DVD Alternative: Over The Hedge. Bruce Willis, Garry Shandling, Steve Carell, and William Shatner lend their voices to this animated tale of Woodland varmints are led to believe that the gateway to the good life, where peculiar creatures called humans live to eat rather than eat to live, lies just beyond the hedge in a place called Suburbia. All the elements came together on this one. It is superb, loving work by DreamWorks, their computer animators, the cast and filmmakers. Buoyed by a nifty storyline, one containing positive messages about the importance of family and community, Over the Hedge does what a family film should it gives us solid entertainment.

Phil Boatwright is the author of MOVIES: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE REALLY, REALLY BAD. For details on the book, go to the Preview home page.

Preview Reviewer: Phil Boatwright
Distributor: Buena Vista