Even before I took my three younger nephews (ages 4, 6, and 7) to see this somewhat frantic, effects-filled kid flick about super spy guinea pigs, they were quoting one-liners from its trailers. Especially funny to them was the sight and sound of one of the rodents farting inside a tricked-out, super-fast hamster ball.
So, yeah, kids will absolutely love it. I mean, it’s got talking CGI animals, plenty of dialogue of the “Get your butt out of my face! Get your face out of my butt!” variety and guinea pigs riding around in remote-controlled cars and using tiny parachutes. Forget about the actual plot, which has something to do with stopping a billionaire CEO (Bill Nighy) from taking over the world.
Adults may be less tolerant, especially with the finale that wigs out into Transformers-like turmoil, but they can at least entertain themselves by trying to figure out who (Sam Rockwell, Nicolas Cage, Penelope Cruz, Steve Buscemi and Jon Favreau) voices whom. That being said, I easily recognized the whiny pipes of Tracy Jordan (TV’s 30 Rock) and wished he’d just shut up.
Aside from Nighy (The Girl in the Café), Zach Galifianakis and Will Arnett also appear in live-action form, and they all manage to keep a straight face, though I’m not so sure about their dignity. At the very least the movie’s success at the box office is career gravy for Galifianakis, who also appeared in The Hangover.
In deference to the tots, director Hoyt Yeatman keeps it all zipping along, while some grown-ups may appreciate the decently done car chase that sees an SUV flying through the air and landing on, and destroying, a Winnebago. There’s also an amusing moment when a pet shop customer refers to the title team’s lone mole as “a crime against nature.” I’m sure some will say the same about the movie. – [DVD]
Action/Adventure/Family/Fantasy
Rated PG
DVD Release Date: 12/15/09
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