Review: G-Force

G-Force

OPENING: 07/24/2009

STUDIO: Disney

ACCOMPLICES:
Trailer, Official Site

SOUNDTRACK:

The Charge
The world needs bigger heroes.

Opening Statement
Fans of all things film have probably looked at the increasing promotion for G-Force with seething disdain, everything about the production looking like a cynical and toxic attempt to gut parental wallets worldwide. Nothing about the previews looked funny or exciting and the massively popular cast of actors committed to the project appeared astoundingly wasteful. So is the movie as terrible as it looks, or does it equate to a surprisingly enjoyable piece of cinema?

In truth, it’s neither.

Facts of the Case
The film follows a government unit called G-Force, consisting of humans Ben (Zach Galifinakis) and Marcie (Kellie Garner) working alongside a group of genetically engineered mammals and a fly. The resourceful rodents are Darwin (Sam Rockwell), Juarez (Penelope Cruz), Blaster (Tracy Morgan), and Speckles the mole (Nicolas Cage) who after discovering an evil plot by electronics mogul Saber (Bill Nighy) have their unusual operation shut down by the FBI. Unwilling to give up and receiving secret aid from Ben, G-Force continues to investigate the Saber case whilst being hunted by Federal Marshals and meeting other crazy creatures along the way.

The Evidence
G-Force is lodged firmly in the field of mediocrity. The film does more right than I expected, but still takes multiple missteps in an unfortunate counterbalance. For adults and cinema goers with more than a dozen years under their belts, I can’t see this offering up anything of substance, its primary ability to entertain young imaginations with colorful bursts of cartoon action and juvenile potty humor. I admired the project’s undiluted pursuit of manic goofiness, but the story is depressingly familiar and the live-action performances are (for the most part) shamefully bad.

The actors and actresses attached to G-Force are of a caliber most Oscar-baiting films can’t attract, something which only further compounds one’s disappointment with this aspect of the picture. The voice work from Rockwell, Cruz, Cage, and Jon Favreau (playing Darwin’s chubby and domesticated brother) is all fine, but Tracy Morgan grates from start to finish, while the usually reliable Will Arnett, Bill Nighy, and Zach Galifianakis are wasted in badly written and depressingly flat live-action roles. Nighy does his best to inject a little flavor into this bad guy, but simply isn’t given enough screen time. Meanwhile, Galifianakis is handed a part so far outside his comfort zone it should be a crime, the raunchy and loudmouthed comedian forced to play the timid and cuddly father figure to a selection of CGI guinea pigs. Following his hysterical work on The Hangover, this is an undesirable change of pace.

The script is the product of six minds (including director Hoyt Yeatman) which is depressing given how routine and predictable it is. The storyline moves along at a fast pace, but the plot developments are mostly nabbed from better films — an instance where some of the team are adopted by kids at the local pet store is more than a little reminiscent of Toy Story for example. Kids might not mind these similarities too much, after all at 8 years old you can only have seen so many movies. Those with a slightly longer grounding in the realms of cinema may find complaint in the intensely generic plot. On the moral front, the importance of family is a key message that emerges from this menagerie of bubblegum action and silly slapstick. The film presents its ideals simply, so children can understand and appreciate the importance of such ethics, one of the movie’s stronger facets.

The comedy G-Force offers will definitely be more in line with a child’s view. It’s often infantile but parents needn’t fear as the filmmakers keep it clean and innocent. Several recent family films (Land of the Lost springs instantly to mind) have been unable to keep a singular comedy tone, vacillating awkwardly between child friendly and decidedly adult gags. G-Force never commits that sin, audiences treated to insanely silly supporting characters and a fair share of fart jokes. I didn’t find myself laughing often, but the children around me were in paroxysms of joyful howling. The film never pretends to be anything other than a big slab of kid-friendly summer fun, so to over-criticize its comedic style would be churlish and moot.

The Rebuttal Witnesses
Irrespective of your age it’s hard not to congratulate Yeatman for cooking up such an appropriately colorful and frenzied world for his CGI critters to inhabit. G-Force is an average film at best, but the filmmakers have applied coatings of earnest energy. The various action scenes that sporadically break-up the picture benefit a lot from the clear directorial enthusiasm leaking from its helmer’s lense. There is something fabulously frolicsome about the way the film has been visually stitched together, and its deployment of CGI is surprisingly accomplished and effective. Yeatman rarely has anything particularly unique to offer, but his set-pieces have a determination and sincerity which allow them to rise above the kiddy norm.

The film wraps up with a barmy conclusion — imagine Transformers with more espionage and cute furry creatures and you’d be on the right tonal path. If Michael Bay ever makes a film about Guinea Pigs it’s bound to look and sound like these final 15 minutes, all wham-bam action followed by a dollop of unwanted patriotism. The movie even offers a kid-friendly twist, but it’s one this viewer predicted from the first big action scene.

Closing Statement
Kudos to G-Force for being better than expected, even if as a whole it’s only average. Kids will definitely appreciate it more than adults, and for that reason its best left for DVD.

The Verdict
5/10

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