G-Force (DVD)

...to watch new films and G-Force probably wouldn't have been at the top of my list of films to watch. My oldest son had set his heart on a visit to the cinema with three of his friends, for his seventh birthday, and this was the film of his choice.

G-Force is an action-packed Disney production which combines live (human) action with the antics of three animated highly-trained talking guinea-pigs (not to mention a fly and a mole!) The ...
...animals to undertake secret agent activities but, when funding is cut, they end up in a local pet shop. Will they escape and, more importantly, will they save the world from the activities of the obligatory 'bad guy'? You'll just have to watch and find out!

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this film at all, not just because the idea of an action film starring guinea-pigs didn't do much for me but also because I would be watching with a ... more

*Film only review*

I very rarely have the opportunity or desire to watch new films and G-Force probably wouldn't have been at the top of my list of films to watch. My oldest son had set his heart on a visit to the cinema with three of his friends, for his seventh birthday, and this was the film of his choice.

G-Force is an action-packed Disney production which combines live (human) action with the antics of three animated highly-trained talking guinea-pigs (not to mention a fly and a mole!) The animals are part of a government-funded project to use these animals to undertake secret agent activities but, when funding is cut, they end up in a local pet shop. Will they escape and, more importantly, will they save the world from the activities of the obligatory 'bad guy'? You'll just have to watch and find out!

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this film at all, not just because the idea of an action film starring guinea-pigs didn't do much for me but also because I would be watching with a group of 6/7 year olds. It was a relief as well as a pleasant surprise to discover that this film was engaging enough to capture the attention of my young audience for pretty much the whole 90 minutes. More surprising was how much I enjoyed the film myself! I must admit the fact that we went to a 3D showing was part of the appeal for me as I'd never seen a full-length feature film in 3D before and this really helped to bring the film and characters to life giving it, literally, another dimension.

The film itself started off at a really fast pace with lots of action shots of the animals undertaking a secret mission. The action was accompanied with a vibrant soundtrack featuring, most notably for me, some Black Eyed Peas tracks which helped to give the film a real upbeat feel. I was a bit concerned that the kids wouldn't be able to follow the storyline at first as it all seemed a bit complex for six year olds, with discussions about the FBI, sabotage, genetic engineering and suchlike. I'm not sure that they were able to follow all of the nuances of the plot but the most important thing was that the film captivated their attention and they really seemed to enjoy it.

The animal characters really stole the show and were very cute and likeable (okay, perhaps not the fly or the scorpions!) Two of the guinea pigs were voiced by Penelope Cruz and Nicholas Cage but the real beauty of the film was in the way that their personalities came across, even in a film that was pretty action-filled. There was even a sassy female guinea pig, which the cynic in me feels was added to broaden the appeal of the film and make it more attractive for young girls.

This film is a PG and I did think there were a couple of scenes that I'd be wary about showing very young children. There are some rather scary scenes where machines come to life and try to attack people and I was worried that my oldest, who can be a bit of a sensitive soul, might end up having nightmares (which he did after watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, of all things!) Luckily, none of the children batted an eye during these scenes and we had no problem at bedtime. There are also some scenes showing the guinea pigs being driven round in children's remote control cars which did make me cringe a little at the thought of suggestible youngsters 'trying this at home.' I do have to admit that that particular scene, along with lots of others, was actually very funny and there were some great one-liners as well as lots of references to pooing and farting which kept the boys amused!

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this film at all and I certainly wasn't expecting my group of four young boys to enjoy it, or even sit through the whole thing without getting fed up, so I was very pleasantly surprised with this. It isn't your typical 'Disney' offering at all - more like a bizarre cross between Mission Impossible and The Rescuers!

I loved watching this in 3D and seeing the combination of animated animal super heroes with live action but the best 'special effects' were, for me, being able to keep four six year olds quiet for the best part of 90 minutes!

Official website: http://disney.go.com/disneypictures/gforce/

 

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