Voices of: Nicolas Cage, Penelope Cruz

Direction: Hoyt H. Yeatman Jr.

Rating: **& 1/2

A seamless blend of live-action and animation, G-Force fits easily into the ever-burgeoning genre of 3-D cartoons.

Designed to enthrall the audience with state-of-the-art technology, it marks the directorial debut of Hoyt H. Yeatman Jr., a visual-effects veteran whose resume includes. E. T.: The Extra- Terrestrial and several productions of Jerry Bruckheimer.

Expectedly, there are plenty of chases and thrill-a-second action set pieces.

What’s the plot? An elite squad of secret-agent guinea pigs gadgets their way into the lair of a fiendish industrialist (Bill Nighy). Their mission: to stop him from launching a new invention that could destroy the world.

The furry ‘commandos’ are dubbed by a talented voice cast including Nicholas Cage, Penelope Cruz and Sam Rockwell. By contrast, the human characters come across as vapid, none more so than Zach Galifianakis who was so impressive in the recent The Hangover.

There are a few jabs at self-deprecatory humour. Snatches of tunes by Black Eyed Peas and Space Cowboy punctuate the soundtrack in a bid to keep the teeny music boppers smiling.

Sit back and savour the family fun flick.