May the G-Force Be With You

G-Force snuck up on me. Undercover guinea pig spies—I think we can all agree it doesn’t sound good, even with Jerry Bruckheimer attached. So I was surprised to find myself laughing along with a theater full of 5-year olds as the highly trained CGI rodents in full Mission Impossible gear infiltrated the mansion of an evil appliance magnate. I didn’t expect to be interested when the team’s FBI funding was cut by an official who doesn’t want to be known as “that crazy hamster guy.” And, as the movie rolled along from pet shop escape to the inevitable saving of the world, I was stunned to find myself nearly cheering and absolutely caring about the fate of the oddly believable squad of what I normally consider glorified, tailless rats.

Some theaters will be showing G-Force in 3-D, and the special effects aren’t wasted, although a number of younger kids were unwilling to sport the glasses. This is an action movie with one full-on car chase, complete with flipped-over SUVs and plenty of flames, but it’s clear none of the characters are harmed. Other violence is minimal. Spy guinea pigs need something to fight, but the movie finds its bad guys in espresso makers and microwaves. The ending is a triumph of pacifist plot resolution. This is the kids’ movie of the summer, the one your kids will ask to see again and again. And come this fall, you’ll be buying the DVD.

Fear Factor: (Characters battle appliances that transform into scuttling robots with spinning blades and laser weapons, but because they aren’t personified, they’re more startling than scary. 3-D effects may bother some younger kids.)
Heart: (Believe in yourself. Watch out for one another. Everybody deserves a second chance.)
Attitude: (These characters are smart without being smart-aleck, and even their one-liners when pursued by the hapless FBI rarely come at the expense of the bumbling agents.)
Psst: I won’t spoil it for you, but take a moment to enjoy the Die Hard reference when Darwin the guinea pig battles the coffee maker.
If you like this: Revisit Toy Story for more CGI/live action interaction.