G-Force (U)What's it about: A top-secret government program trains animals to tackle extreme espionage missions. But when a group of guinea pigs are equipped with top-of-the-line equipment and sent off to stop some evil bloke from destroying mankind... well, let's just say all doesn't go as planned.
What we say: If you've got kids, this save-the-world action-adventure should be right up your alley. That's right, the talking guinea pig super spies save the entire globe from a takeover by household appliances. Hangover breakout star, Zach Galifianakis is the scientist behind the team; he manages to get in a few good lines, and there's some other top vocal talent including Penelope Cruz as a gerbil and Nicolas Cage as a mole.
In a nutshell: It probably will get ignored at the Oscars... but the kids won't complain.
Score: 6/10
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (12)What's it about: In this blockbuster sequel from director Michael Bay, the Decepticon forces return to Earth for more battles against the good-guy Autobots; major bad-boy Megatron also has a score to settle with Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf), who thwarted him in the first go-round two years ago. The plot has something to do with something called 'the matrix,' but it's really all about robotic monstrosities morphing out of everyday appliances and vehicles and battling each other in metal-crunching glee.
What we say: You definitely need a scorecard to tell who's doing what to whom; if you've seen one Transformer, you've seen them all. More mindless special effects and CGI than one would ever think was possible, but hey, it hits the mark with its intended audience. And despite the presence of Megan Fox, Sam's heart belongs to his car.
In a nutshell: It's Transformers 1 again - just bigger and louder.
Score: 5/10
The Proposal (12)What's it about: A literary assistant (Ryan Reynolds) is so determined to move up the corporate ladder, he agrees to marry his witch of an older boss, who is in danger of being extradited to Canada unless she weds. Well, at least she looks like Sandra Bullock.
What we say: This massive box office hit (earning $163 million worldwide) pulls all the right crowd-pleasing strings, even if it doesn't live up to its initial promise. For all the genre conventions and cliches it gives in to (seriously, how many rom-coms have there been now where the duo who can't stand each other so predictably fall in love?), at least there are two ultra-magnetic leads bouncing zingers off of each other to keep us distracted.
In a nutshell: It's like a cross between The Devil Wears Prada and Green Card.
Score: 6/10
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