G-Force (Three-Disc DVD/Blu-ray Combo +Digital Copy)

Movie / Show Details

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G-Force just might be the best Jerry Bruckheimer action film in many a moon. The film is exuberant, and its premise–don’t think big for an animated caper film, think small–brilliantly upends the more-bigger-faster trope of American action films… with cute, little, furry guinea pigs.
Bruckheimer, the action genius behind the likes of the Pirates of the Caribbean, Con Air, The Rock, Armageddon, and many more, here teams with visual effects maestro Hoyt Yeatman, who writes and directs. The combo is potent, and the fact that they streamed their blow-’em-up vision through a film about tiny rodents saving the world makes the whole confection a hilarious family-friendly experience as well as a satisfying action adventure. The premise isn’t earth-shattering: oddball, unexpected heroes are called on to save the day (Men in Black, Underdog, etc.). But the lowly guinea pig has been long overdue to get its moment in the spotlight. And now the free world knows whom it can really trust. The film mixes the animated heroes with real-life actors, including the sardonic British character actor Bill Nighy, who plays an evil mogul out to take over and/or destroy the world. The U.S. government, it turns out, has been nurturing a special squad for occasions just such as this. It’s just that it’s been nurturing them in small pens with wood shavings on the floor and running wheels for exercise. Will Arnett, deadpan and spot-on, plays the human agent who has the unenviable task of wrangling the guinea pig G-Force, and is a deft foil for the bad guys as well as for the mini-heroes.
But the true powerhouse acting belongs to those giving voices to the guinea pig agents, including Sam Rockwell, Penélope Cruz, Steve Buscemi, and, as the voice of a domesticated layabout, Jon Favreau. The film’s standout, though, is Tracy Morgan, whose Agent Blaster is bellicose, fearless, and as full of malapropisms as Morgan’s character on 30 Rock. (In fact, the viewer keeps half-expecting Blaster to turn to Cruz’s female agent, Juarez, and yell “Liz Lemon!”) G-Force is full of belly laughs for kids, as well as their action-film-fan parents. –A.T. Hurley

Product Description

Buckle up for thrilling edge-of-your seat action and laugh-out-loud fun in Disney’s family comedy adventure G-FORCE. Just as the G-Force — an elite team of highly trained guinea pigs — is about to save the world, the F.B.I. shuts the secret unit down. But these next-generation action heroes — Darwin, loyal team leader; Blaster, weapons expert with attitude to spare; Juarez, drop-dead gorgeous martial arts diva; and tag-along Hurley — won’t be stopped. Armed with the latest in high-tech spy equipment, and with the F.B.I. on their tails, the fur flies as they race against the clock to save the world. From the producer of the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN trilogy and NATIONAL TREASURE, and filled with high-octane action, daredevil stunts, cutting edge special effects and outrageous comedy, G-FORCE is fantastic fun for the whole family.

Set Contains:

The Blu-ray offers three exclusive bonus features that go behind the scenes of the movie and delve into the world of animation and movie making. The “Cine-Explore” feature offers a full-length movie commentary by Darwin, Blaster, and creator Hoyt Yeatman accompanied by a ton of optional video files that delve into everything from the making of the lab set and the invention of the special chirpie-cam to discussions of voice talent recruitment and a look at how working together in the recording studio created inspired performances. The video files are interesting and quite well done and there are so many of them interspersed throughout the film that it’s almost like getting an entire disc of bonus features. Also exclusive to Blu-ray is “Bruckheimer Animated” which takes a look at the prolific Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer and how he blends visual effects with storytelling while continually pushing the boundaries of visual effects and animation. There’s also a tour of the normally off-limits animation lab at Sony’s Imageworks that features interviews with animation supervisor Troy Saliba and a host of talented employees from areas including layout, animation, hair and effects, and lighting. Bonus features included on both the Blu-ray and standard DVDs include 6 minutes of deleted scenes, a quick bloopers reel, “Blaster’s Boot Camp” which takes a look at the gadgets used in the film, “G-Force Mastermind” which tells the story of how director Hoyt Yeatman’s son first suggested the idea for the story in his preschool years and how the film became a father-son project, and music videos “Jump” by Flo Rida featuring Nelly Furtado, “Ready To Rock” by Steve Rushton, and “Go G-Force.” –Tami Horiuchi