The mission is a big success, or so it appears. The next day, at the review, things go horribly wrong and the project is shut down. The rodents manage to escape to a pet store, but the FBI wants them to keep the entire project completely secret. Can the rodents escape and foil the plot they’ve uncovered? Or will the FBI track them down first?

I talked into seeing this movie by my roommate. The previews just never convinced me it would be great. And I was right.

Now don’t get me wrong. There were some genuine laughs in the film. The mice we meet in the pet store stole the show, for example. I couldn’t stop laughing at them. The effects were very well done, too. But the majority of the movie wasn’t that great.

The plot was full of cliches from start to finish. That’s not necessarily a deal killer for me, but the rest of the movie has to be good enough to make up for it, and it wasn’t.

One of the big problems was that the movie just didn’t feel like it was going anywhere. There were lots of jokes and pop cultural references, and I felt like they were designed to hide the fact that the plot was weak from us. Even the characters were flat and dull. And I really feel sorry for the humans in the movie who were little more than cardboard characters. Even the dialogue the characters had was so trite it was cringe worthy.

If you can see this movie for free, you’ll find a few good laughs. But it isn’t worth paying any money for.

It is my prediction–but what do I know?–that “G-Force” will NOT win an Oscar for Best Picture. It may not even pack ‘em in the theaters the way “Cars” did. What it will do is entertain children–AND adults–and even teach a lesson or two.

It is a summer ritual that I take my great-nieces (2) and -nephew to see a movie at the theater. We all chose “G-Force” because of television ads. Prior to going, Carolina (age 5) went up to everyone she knew and quoted–with great voice intonation and perfect facial expressions–this line from the movie: “You put a bow on me, you lose a finger!” After we saw the movie Carolina added the second line: “You put a dress on me and you lose the whole hand!”

It won’t be a bad spoiler, will it, if I say that not only does this character get a bow and a dress, but she gets lipstick as well! That’s the final insult, but Juarez (the character), must play along to win her freedom.

And that’s one vital point of the plot: Win their freedom. They’ve been sold as pets! Blaster and Juarez, guinea pigs–make that scientifically and genetically altered guinea pigs–are actually government agents trained by Ben (a human) to use sophisticated weapons to obtain secrets for the government. In short, they are spies with special talents.

Although the plot is fun and perhaps a little scary for wee ones (not my 5-year-old Carolina), the older crowd (5 and older) seemed to really enjoy the movie. Obviously, the humor is meant for all ages because I heard myself laughing–out loud (I’m grandparent age)! Even Carolina kept whispering, “This is awesome!”

Of course, Colby (the 9-year-old) loved Blaster. He always loves the “goofy” ones (because he considers himself a “goofy” one). Tracy Morgan wonderfully delivers this voice–and sometimes steals the scene. The main character, Darwin, the capable leader, is narrated by Sam Rockwell, and is deliberate, yet carefully heroic.

In fact, I was sure Nicholas Cage voices Darwin, but no, Nick plays the mole, the brilliant technology character. Who would have thought it?

But the real surprise is Juarez, voiced by Penelope Cruz! Juarez was my particular favorite, who plays the keep-’em-guessing governmental agent with exactly the right tempo–a little mild flirting, but focused concentration on the job at hand. It is this character with the “lose a finger” line. Delivered perfectly! Juarez is totally delightful!

However, the best thing about “G-Force” is the message. Bottom line: Everyone is special. Everyone has talents. It sometimes takes a skilled person to instill that self-confidence and bring out those talents. The scientist Sam is the one in the film. In “ordinary” life (there is much talk of being ordinary), it is often teachers who bring out these talents. It was a good lesson.

One neg about the movie: The poster accompanying this review is a very weak choice for advertisement (that little blue one next to the reviews). When the picture is small, the front guinea pig (Darwin) looks like an elephant or perhaps a Jewish man from the Old Testament. I know the poster depicts a brave scene, but I suggest replacing it with one of color that shows the courage and derring-do of these wonderful guinea pigs.

Note: Parents, please don’t buy your child a guinea pig just because they are so cute in this film. Animal activists are worried about this. You know, the-bunny-and-chicks-at-Easter syndrome.)

You might also rethink your kitchen appliances! If you ask why, you might lose a finger…or a hand…or worse!

First off, I would give it 3 ½ stars. I’ve only done level one but it is a good, very intense work out. I felt great afterwards. Also, I really like the trainer. She motivated me to push my hardest to try and finish each exercise, which sometimes I couldn’t do (and I consider myself to be in good shape). My biggest complaint about the DVD is that you are told to start with level 1 and then progress up to level 2, then level 3. But there is only one level 1 workout, one level 2 workout and one level 3 workout. As a result, you are doing the same workout every day until you can move up a level. This can get boring. In addition, you are working the same tired and sore muscles that you worked the day before. My other complaints are a bit petty: the music is terrible and you can’t skip through some of the beginning stuff. As stated above, the workouts are great and extremely challenging but I wouldn’t use this DVD alone.

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UPDATE:

I would now give this video 5 stars. One of the comments to my review suggested that I don’t wait to move up in levels, rather, I could do each level so that I am not doing the same workout again and again. THANK YOU to that person. I am now switching around levels and I love it. Level 2 and 3 are harder but I follow the “easier” version of most of the exercises and make modifications to some of the aerobic exercises that may be too hard (or that I just may not like). This is now my favorite DVD. I love it because it is hard enough to actually replace the gym… and in only 25 min.

I had heard about the fantasy books by a friend when they first came out but didn’t have the time to look into them. By the time the movie came out, I’d nearly forgotten about the book referral, but asked my hubby to take me as it looked like a good vampire romance flick. The scenery of the Pacific Northwest forests, rivers, and coastline was breathtaking and as a native to this area, it was like going out into my own backyard which made the film that more appealing. I was so captivated by the actors portrayal of the characters (the facial expressions and emotions brought out of the characters by Rob, Kristen, Peter, Nikki, and the rest were mesmerizing) and the depth of the back-story left me desiring more! The very next day after viewing the movie in the theater - I raced to the bookstore to grab the first book. I was hooked, read through all four books (plus went to the authors website to read the extra materials she had posted there) in a week. Then, still not satisfied, went back and saw the movie several more times - IN THE THEATER, something I’ve never felt compelled to do before - because I was so drawn to the characters and the story. This may have been written for the young adult audience but I’m 32 and a parent of four children, and still found the story to be well worth my time.

If you haven’t read the stories, I encourage you to do so. Regardless, this film will be a treasured part of your movie collection and one you’ll be sure to watch several times before you’ll feel satisfied.

The dialogue is horrendous, the effects cheesy, the music (not the soundtrack which is great, but the score) indescribably awful. It looks like a made for TV movie.

However- I can’t stop watching it. i saw it 3 times in the theater and pre-ordered my own copy. It entertains me. Plus, Edward is nice to look at… oh, James too. LOVE James.To me this movie is absolutely hysterical- where it doesn’t intend to be. The scene where Edward first sees Bella in class and he looks as if he may throw up on her??? Great! The look that Billy Black and Edward exchange as they pass each other in their cars? Priceless. I love the baseball scene! But the crouch down and prepare to fight stance they take at the end… Can anybody say Power Rangers? But just mentioning all this makes me want to watch it again. I know it makes no sense. It just has that power.

I should be embarrassed to like this, but I’m not. I will watch it over and over again proudly. I will recommend it to anyone I can. Watch it and love it. But know that it’s terrible and know that it can’t compare to the book and that all of it’s charm is due to it’s cheesiness.

One of the great pleasures of Quentin Tarantino movies is the wonderfully inventive casting that he employs. In PULP FICTION, he revived the career of John Travolta, made Samuel Jackson a star, pushed Bruce Willis into another echelon and even helped get Ving Rhames off to a good start. In JACKIE BROWN, he burnished Pam Grier & Robert Forster’s careers. In KILL BILL, he reinvented Uma Thurman and reinvigorated David Carradine. Even in DEATH PROOF, he introduced the world to the amazing stuntwoman Zoe Bell and gave Kurt Russell the kind of part he’s missed out on for too long.

And now, wonderfully, in INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, he’s introduced the American viewer to some stellar European actors, namely Melanie Laurent and particularly Christoph Waltz, now an easy favorite for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Tarantino also frequently tries the patience of his viewers with his rococo dialogue and insistence on constantly reminding us that we’re watching a movie. In PULP FICTION, all his “habits” were fresh and new to most viewers (because, really, how many of us had seen RESERVOIR DOGS before we saw FICTION?), but over time, we learned that Tarantino was often just a little too pleased with his own screenwriting and often too pleased with his own directing. In a completely off-the-wall piece like the priceless KILL BILL films, everything worked to form a crazy-quilt whole. In INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS, he’s too clever for his own good at times.

BASTERDS tells the completely untrue story of how World War II might have ended had a group of bloodthirsty, highly trained American Jews been allowed to infiltrate Nazi occupied France with no mission other than to take Nazi scalps. Oh, and how that mission needed to collide with one fateful night when all the top leadership of Germany attended the gala opening of a new propaganda film held at a movie theatre owned by a beautiful French girl who was actually a Jew who had escaped a massacre that had taken her entire family and now she’s bent on revenge at any cost. And of how her goal coincides with that of an undercover British agent who just happens to be a German film scholar and a German double agent who happens to be a movie star.

I know that sounds a little confusing. To Tarantino’s credit, the plot as laid out in this 150 minute film is actually easy to follow. In fact, he’s put everything into easy-to-digest chapters. It does ask us to believe that every important member of the German government & military would all assemble in a fairly public place at one time…but if you can get past that hurdle, there is much vicarious pleasure to be had in watching WWII reinvented by Tarantino.

By far, the best part of the film is Chapter 1. It features Waltz as SS officer Col. Hans Landa in what is easily the most chilling portrayal of a Nazi since Ralph Fiennes donned the uniform in SCHINDLER’S LIST. Fiennes role (and that entire brilliant movie) were for altogether different purposes. Landa comes off more like a Nazi Hannibal Lecter (without the strange dining preferences)…he’s a bit of a lone wolf in his own party. He’s feared by all, because he has a wonderful BS detector that helps him root out deception at every turn. In the opening scene, which plays out like a delicate one-act play, Landa comes to a humble French farmhouse and speaks with the owner. We know the owner is hiding Jews beneath his floorboard, and we’re pretty sure Landa knows it too. Just how he gets that information, through one of the most tense interrogation scenes you’ll ever see, is a joy to behold. You literally find yourself not breathing. I leaned forward in my seat. And yet there is never a raised voice, nor a threatening gesture. The screws are applied through intensity of manner. Waltz instantly makes his character a classic. Tarantino the writer has crafted brilliant dialogue, and Tarantino the director films it all with rare taste and simplicity, and Waltz knocks it out of the park.

The rest of the film is more uneven. While Brad Pitt is a goofy delight as Aldo Raine, leader of the Basterds…it’s a performance that is more campy than believable. His Basterds, including folks like director Eli Roth and B.J. Novak from TV’s “The Office” are fairly interchangeable. And strangely, we look forward to them conducting KILL BILL PT. ONE type mayhem, yet they actually use relatively little screentime showing them in action. There is one short, effective scene of their own brand of interrogation…but mostly we have to take the word of other characters (like Hitler himself) that these guys are wreaking havoc on the Nazis.

And during one jarring moment, we are introduced to one of the basterds with a blast of `70s era Blaxploitation music and a `70s era title card. Why? Yes, it was funny…but it took everyone totally out of the spell the movie was weaving. Just as having Michael Myers, in thick but unconvincing makeup, play a British officer hatching a scheme to blow up a movie theater, was very distracting. Myers accent is impeccable, and he plays the part straight…but he’s still unmistakably Myers and many audience members snickered when they recognized him. Very distracting.

It’s as though Tarantino doesn’t quite believe that he can make a straightforward film and have it be riveting. Too bad…because when he gets out of his own way (as he mostly does in the climactic sequences of the film), INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS is a cinematic treat. The gorgeous settings and lovely costumes even gave Tarantino a chance to show off and have it fit the tone of the film…but he still insists on going off the rails. “Hey, this is a Tarantino movie!” he seems to want to shout at us. And this causes him to get in the way of the stunning Melanie Laurant, who plays the vengeful theater owner. I’ve never seen her before, and she is an entrancing presence, whether in casual slacks or a gorgeous formal red dress. She dominates the final portions of the film.

I had a great time at this film, and I recommend it fairly highly. But with 10 minutes less of the sometimes too clever dialogue and 5 minutes less of Tarantino’s showboating, and we might have had a true classic of suspense. See it, though, because the two performances I mentioned are worth the price of admission…heck, the opening scene is worth it.

This movie is really pretty outstanding. The opening scene is intense, frightening, shocking, and appauling all at once, and it sets up the entire film perfectly. I really had no expectations for this movie because I had read so many mixed reviews and none of them really said anything, so I actually thought this was a really good movie although a bit drawn out. The film is artfully done beautifully shot and extremely well acted.

Now here’s why you may not like this quite as much as I did and why my wife absolutely HATED it.

What most expected from this movie:
1- Gore, action, and more gore and more action
2- A story that follows the Basterds as they wreak havoc on Hitler’s army
3- Maybe a few subtitles as the film does take place in France after all
4- Classic Quentin Tarantino comedic dialogue

What the film actually is:
1- A character driven story HEAVY on dialogue and other than the last 20 minutes extremely light on action with a couple pretty graphic gory bits tossed in. The last 20 minutes is extremely graphic and violent.
2- The story largely follows the young Jewish girl/woman who escapes the opening scene. The Basterds are just kind of there as an afterthought because they are planning to blow up the same theater.
3- This film is conservatively speaking about 80% subtitled and spoken either in German or French.
4- The only part that is really funny (and it is hilarious) is Brad Pitt “speaking” Italian so poorly that Helen Keller could have picked him out as the American in the crowd.

I’ve read negative reviews about how this film is “war porn” and diminishes U.S. veterans in some way, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. First of all this film is pure fiction that just happens to take place during WWII in France. Nothing depicted in this film is based in any way on fact. It is a complete fantasy of what could have possibly happened if Hitler and all the Nazi upper echelon had all decided to go to a jewish owned movie theater to watch a propaganda film.

Overall it is an extremely well made film that does just about everything well. It is a little bit drawn out at over 2.5 hours but like I said it is very well done and the acting is superb. 4.5 stars. I’d recommend it but be sure to have an open mind.

***Update***
My wife wants to watch it again. She thinks that maybe due to the fact that we started this at about 2:00 am might have had an effect on her opinion. We’ll see. For me personally after a second viewing I like it even more.

I was in the movie theater and watched with awe the entire premiere of this phenomenal movie just after midnight October 28.

THIS IS IT the Movie is extraordinary. Rarely am I so gripped by a movie that I did not want to blink! I was hoping the movie would be made available in DVD - buying this DVD is a MAJOR GIFT!

During each rehearsal Michael Jackson was passionately hands on regarding every facet of the concert experience he was creating. The energy Michael and ALL who were involved in these rehearsals created an experience that is almost indefinable in words - it transports you with awe INTO the soul behind the creation of the music.

The movie Director, producers, special effects, make-up, costume, musicians, the dancers who performed with Michael during these final rehearsals before his passing are all PHENOMENAL.
I feel we owe a HUGE debt of gratitude to the special people who filmed the rehearsals that made this movie. What a GIFT you have given humanity!

Michael Jackson will forever be a gift to humanity. When you see this movie you will understand why.

{An Update} Tonight, December 3, 2009, I saw the final showing of this amazing film for the 5th time. I was just as glued to the screen as I was the first time. I never cried before for what I could only describe as a poignant ending, but I did tonight. THIS IS IT is so much more about the care Michael Jackson had for humanity, and our planet.

He said, “I’ve always loved trees, I get upset at the mismanagement of our planet, that every minute trees the size of a football field is cut down in the Amazon rain forest… It’s up to us to fix this and we only have four years left before it’s irreversible. People say the government will fix this, “they” will fix this, “they”, they who? It’s up to us. This is it…That’s why I write these songs, to inspire people, to give them hope, I’m so glad I can give that to the world.”

When he spoke to all of the people involved in the rehearsals he said, “This is an adventure, a great adventure. To take people places they’ve never been before, to show them talent that they’ve never seen before.”

This precious soul named Michael Jackson leaves us with an awareness to take responsibility for the changes we must make. I feel one of the best ways we can pay tribute to him is to start planting trees in his name in honor of each person who wants to keep his memory alive.

Each of the five times I was glued to the screen watching the movie THIS IS IT moved my heart in ways I’ve never experienced before. The loss is HUGE, but I know he’s watching, so I’d like to say, Thank You Michael Jackson for giving us a lifetime of your heart that will remain in our hearts forever.

It amazed me how good MJ still was, the dance moves were great and fascinating to me. He was clearly the one in charge of the whole thing. He gave precise instructions of what he wanted, made sure everything was right and did everything that needed to be done. The film shows just how much Michael was respected, there were parts of it where they asked him if he wanted anything or what he thought and if he liked something, it seems no one assumed anything at all. When he talked the crew would listen and he asked things in the nicest way, never to hurt anyone. There’s not a part that doesn’t make him look like the nice guy he always was. There are mixed feelings about him after all the bad things that have been said about him but after watching this I don’t know one could possibly believe them.

To be honest I loved every minute of it, every song was special and was great to watch. Right from the beginning of “Wanna Be Startin’Somethin’” it was amazing. No matter how many people surround him he’s always the one who does things better than anyone else and the one you’re watching. This Is It was really a unique experience, I felt they chose the right footage parts for the movie and made him look great in every sense. They could truly have messed things up but they didn’t and came out with an amazing documentary, it’s sort of a testament to his fans, it’s just very special. I really liked the Thriller 3D part, it was a 3D video shoot and afterwards you see MJ coming out onstage from a spider, the show would have looked awesome. They Don’t Care About Us was amazing, The Smooth Criminal part was very interesting, so was the Earth Song which had a beautiful video of a little girl in a forest, waking up to see that all of it has been destroyed. I won’t go further but every song had something about them.

The stage show would have been grandiose, the fireworks, the “fireball” (quite impressive I won’t spoil anything), pyrotechnics, the videos that accompany the songs are all very impressive. This could very well have been the best show ever had he lived to perform them. In the end I was quite amazed by the 1: 48 minutes I watched, I can’t wait to see it again and the message Michael gives at the end is very inspiring. From the auditions of the brilliant performers to the credits with the “This Is It” song I was captivated.

The said special features will feature more of the rehearsal and a two part documentary on Michael’s history and his comeback along behind the scenes. I can’t wait to see more of the rehearsal and hopefully the extras will be great and there will plenty to watch.

It’s hard for me to describe what watching this movie was like and what I felt about it. I know this is rehearsal footage but it’s truly brilliant and while it main not catch Michael at his best it certainly catches him at his most honest. I don’t have anything bad to say about either this movie or the man himself, This Is It is a must see. It doesn’t matter if you watch in its theatrical run or on DVD/Blue Ray when released, this is amazing and his fans just have to see this. I will certainly be amongst those who buy it and watch it over and over again. This man gave his life to music and his fans and I don’t remember where I heard or read this but I do remember that someone said: “He was a gift of god, he was a kind human being who’s been mistreated by many opportunists, he’s been taken advantage of but he was the nicest person and could never harm anyone” or sometime like that. These words are very truthful and really mean something to his fans.