The Ending Of G-Force Explained
Sometimes, being treated like a guinea pig isn't as bad as it sounds, at least not if you're a member of G-Force — a cuddly group of guinea pig FBI adventurers. Along with Speckles the mole (Nicolas Cage) and Mooch the fly (Dee Bradley Baker), the cute critters strive to save the human race from the double threat of killer robot appliances and some plummeting space debris. Not only is their mission successful, but they also manage to get their FBI privileges and funding back, along with a new team member. Is it any wonder they decide to celebrate with a dance party at the end? They've earned it after all.
It's a pretty triumphant finale for the "G-Force" leads, and everything seems to be wrapped up nicely. However, could there be more to this seemingly clean-cut conclusion than meets the eye? Snag some macadamia nuts and crank up the volume on those Black Eyed Peas playlists, because it is time to explore the ending of 2009's "G-Force" in detail.
What you need to remember about G-Force
"G-Force" starts with some pretty sobering news for the fuzzy super-agents, as their leader, Darwin (Sam Rockwell) learns from human liaison Dr. Ben Kendall (Zach Galifianakis) that the FBI has decided to pull the plug on the team. Eager to prove themselves, G-Force sneaks into the mansion of Saberling Industries CEO Leonard Saber (Billy Nighy) to learn about the mysterious Project Clusterstorm — a secret plot involving a microchip that's installed in every Saberling domestic home product. Though Darwin seemingly downloads the plans for Clusterstorm onto his PDA, it appears he's only snagged the schematics for a coffeemaker. Worse still, the mission and its seemingly lackluster results anger FBI task force director Kip Killian (Will Arnett), who officially suspends the program. The team then quickly abandons their headquarters when they learn Killian has less than noble plans for them.
However, Darwin remains convinced that he did download the correct file. When the team's escape inadvertently leaves G-Force stuck at Elia's Pet Shop — and facing the fate of being treated as ordinary pets — Darwin begins planning their next getaway. Though they're initially separated when Darwin's fellow guinea pig operatives Blaster (Tracy Morgan) and Juarez (Penélope Cruz) are adopted by humans, the highly-trained animals eventually reunite with help from Mooch and new friends Hurley (Jon Favreau) and Bucky (Steve Buscemi). Unfortunately, Speckles isn't quite so lucky and is seemingly crushed by a garbage truck when trying to get out.
What happened at the end of G-Force?
Shortly before G-Force gets back together, Kendall and his fellow human colleague Marcie (Kelli Garner) discover that a computer virus has been snuck onto the PDA that Darwin used to download information about Project Clusterstorm. At Kendall's suggestion, G-Force returns to Saber's mansion with tagalong Hurley — a fellow guinea pig — to turn that same virus against Clusterstorm itself. There they learn of Clusterstorm's true nature — which has evolved far beyond what Saber intended — and that one of their own is responsible: Speckles, who also goes by the name Mr. Yanshu.
After an impressive battle with some giant robots, G-Force finally uses the virus to stop the plans of their traitorous turncoat, as well as convince them to change sides. Their performance impresses the FBI so much that it reverses its decision to disband G-Force, and it also decides to remove Killian from his FBI task force director position.
Hurley gets a family
When the G-Force team accidentally gets themselves taken to Elia's Pet Shop, one of their new acquaintances is a guinea pig named Hurley. Though he comes across as fairly laid-back, Hurley soon reveals that behind his relaxed demeanor is a desperate desire to be part of a family. He even begins theorizing that he and G-Force leader Darwin are brothers separated at birth, based on some fairly superficial physical evidence. To be fair, these rumors aren't unfounded as they do look alike, but Hurley's theory is never confirmed.
Hurley ends up escaping the pet shop with Darwin when Bucky — a territorial and very on-edge hamster — accidentally exposes a trap door that leads to a secret exit. From there, Hurley and Darwin uncover more evidence of Project Clusterstorm's existence, including a Saberling Coffeemaker that turns into a sentient, weaponized automaton. Hurley even plays a major role in helping Darwin stop Clusterstorm, albeit nearly at the cost of his life.
Darwin isn't particularly thrilled by Hurley or his claims that they're brothers at first, and grows frustrated when Hurley fails at serving as G-Force's extraction operative during their second mission at Saber's mansion. Yet Hurley's selfless act changes Darwin's mind, and he finally accepts Hurley as an official G-Force recruit and honorary sibling.
A second chance and redemption for Speckles
It appears that Speckles the mole suffers a pretty gruesome end early on in "G-Force," when the garbage truck he has been thrown in starts compacting its contents. Luckily, fate — in the form of a soup can — intervenes and Speckles is spared from harm, allowing him to continue secretly working with Leonard Saber as the unseen accomplice, Mr. Yanshu. Though Saber's original plan for Clusterstorm was simply to link all Saberling products with his Sabersense microchip together, Speckles secretly makes a few modifications. His tinkering effectively transforms every Saberling appliance into an attack robot. Terrorizing the city isn't even Speckles' endgame, however, and his ultimate plan is to have his robots force humans underground by drawing discarded pieces of space tech — currently orbiting the Earth — crashing down to the surface. To hide his tracks, Speckles sneaks an extermination virus onto Darwin's PDA to hamper any attempts to open the downloaded Project Clusterform file.
While Speckles' methods are undoubtedly unethical, they come from a surprisingly sympathetic place. We learn that humans wiped out his family, so he wants revenge for himself and for moles everywhere. Darwin, however, talks Speckles out of his plan, reminding him that he has a family in G-Force. At the end of the film, Speckles is seen removing the microchips from every Saberling product as penance, but he also expresses hope of one day rejoining the team. Ultimately, Speckles' arc is about finding redemption and realizing your mistakes. While G-Force never confirms whether they'll have Speckles back, Darwin's warm treatment of Speckles — even after his betrayal — suggests it's likely.
The love triangle that keeps on going
The flirtatious Juarez loves to keep people guessing, especially her fellow members of her squad, and the sole female guinea pig on the team has crafted the definition of a bizarre love triangle. Though she tells Blaster she's in love with Darwin, she tells Darwin that she loves Blaster. Both Darwin and Blaster express interest in her as the movie progresses, but they are more than a little confused about who Juarez actually prefers romantically. This is exactly how Juarez likes it, and she's convinced it is the uncertainty that keeps both Darwin and Blaster infatuated with her.
While love triangles are usually resolved at the end of a movie, Juarez deliberately keeps this one going, leaving Darwin and Blaster — and us, frankly — as confused as ever. Though some might consider it an unresolved plot thread, that actually seems to be the point and it appears to be intended as a parody of love triangles in general. Still, one suspects that if "G-Force" ever continues, the triangle would eventually have to reach some sort of resolution.
A team's confidence renewed
It's pretty clear early on that G-Force's members are a little different than most animals — after all, how many guinea pigs do you know that play video games and run their own Facebook pages? Throughout the first half of the film, the team believes its skills are the result of genetic engineering. Yet when it reunites with Dr. Kendall after busting out of Elia's Pet Shop, Kendall finally comes clean and admits he only told G-Force's members they've been genetically modified as a confidence booster. They're just regular animals with special equipment that lets humans understand them.
The revelation definitely takes the wind out of G-Force's sails, especially Darwin's. Yet their dejection is pretty short-lived, as Hurley reminds Darwin that the team's done some amazing things — even if they are just normal guinea pigs. His self-belief is restored, and Darwin gives the G-Force team the pep talk they need to get their heads back in the game so they can put a stop to Project Clusterstorm. By stopping Speckles' massive plot to destroy humanity, the G-Force team proves they are more than capable of being heroes and this is not due to genetic engineering, but their own unique abilities.
No Killian, no problem
Recently promoted FBI task force director Kip Killian leaves a bad impression from the get-go, especially when he decides that G-Force should be lab experiments rather than super-spies. He isn't happy when the G-Force team manages to get away from him, especially since he feels their insider knowledge of the FBI and Project Clusterstorm makes them a liability. Killian and fellow FBI operative Agent Carter (Gabriel Casseus) eventually catch up with G-Force, but ultimately they fail to keep up with the team's Rapid Deployment Vehicle. Killian is further humiliated when he finds himself completely unable to deal with the magnitude of Project Clusterstorm — ironic considering a group of crime-fighting guinea pigs prove to be more than capable of saving the day.
Killian's failure comes at a price, and the film's ending reveals he has been booted from his short-lived job and relocated to South Pole duty — something he is clearly not happy about. Though he expresses remorse for his actions, it's not clear whether he's sincere or just wants to get out of his frosty environment. Given that the head of the FBI isn't particularly receptive toward Killian's request, it seems he has essentially been neutralized as a G-Force threat.
G-Force gets bigger
Hurley may be the most important character that G-Force encounters at Elia's Pet Shop, but he's not the only animal they meet there. Keeping Hurley company — though not by choice — is Bucky, a hamster who doesn't let anyone near his little hamster house because he has been secretly hoarding macadamia nuts there. There are also three mice (voiced by Hoyt Yeatman IV and Max Favreau) as well as a snake who almost eats Hurley later on. Bucky is instrumental in helping Darwin and Hurley leave the pet shop, but not necessarily out of the goodness of his heart — he just wants the cage and his macadamia nuts all to himself.
The separation doesn't last long, however. At the end of the movie, Marcie reveals she's bought both Bucky and the mice, who she takes to G-Force. While they're not sworn in as members, it looks like the four characters will be sticking around for the foreseeable future. The three could prove to be invaluable assets to G-Force or — at least in Bucky's case — a source of comic relief.
A family left petless
Darwin's escape plan from Elia's Pet Shop seems to pick up momentum when the Goodmans — namely Connor (Tyler Patrick Jones), Penny (Piper Mackenzie Harris), and their grandfather (Loudon Wainwright III) — decide to make Juarez and Blaster their pets. While that gets the two guinea pigs out of the pet shop, Connor and Penny prove to be far from ideal pet owners. Penny is the more harmless of the pair, prone to playing relatively safe games of dress-up with the clearly unenthused Juarez. Connor, on the other hand, has no problem putting animals in peril for his own amusement, subjecting Blaster to dangerous obstacle courses after placing the guinea pig in a remote-controlled car.
If Connor sounds like Sid from "Toy Story" to you, then you wouldn't be far off. He's also the one who tries turning Hurley into snake food earlier in the film. Luckily, neither he nor Penny are ready for Blaster and Juarez's above-average acrobatics and skills. Not only does Blaster save himself from his hazardous predicaments, but he also snags the toy car's remote control when Connor is called away and mounts a daring escape. Once Blaster is outside, Juarez — who's been taken outdoors by Penny — busts out of the playhouse Penny has placed her in and subdues both human children with a clothesline. Once she catches up with Blaster's vehicle, the two drive off, leaving Connor and Penny without pets and a whole lot of explaining to do to their grandfather.
More adventures await
All in all, things end pretty well for G-Force's first cinematic adventure. Not only do all its members get reinstated as FBI agents — now with badges — but they also reacquire their financial backing, meaning they've got the authorization and the means to go on brand new missions. All of this seemed to leave things ripe for a future sequel.
Given that it's been well over a decade since the first "G-Force" movie, the chances of a new film don't seem as promising as they used to be. That doesn't mean there isn't interest, however. In fact, Hoyt Yeatman has expressed a desire to return to the world of "G-Force" multiple times, telling Movies Ireland, "There's a lot of ideas I have for the characters." Another person who's expressed interest in returning is Zach Galifianakis, aka Dr. Ben Kendall. It's hard to tell if he was serious, though, as his stated caveat is that Kendall is dating a guinea pig in the movie (per Vulture).
What does the ending of G-Force mean?
It's not uncommon for a family movie to wrap things up with a deeper message or two, and "G-Force" is no different. One is the concept of a found family — the idea that one can form familial bonds with others even without any legal or blood relation. Darwin repeatedly refers to G-Force as a family, and it's that mentality that helps him get through to Speckles and allows him to accept Hurley as an honorary family member. The idea of finding a family among the people who love and care about you also hits Darwin on a personal level, as it's revealed that he was rejected by his own flesh and blood family because of his size.
The other major "G-Force" theme is believing in yourself. Though the "G-Force" gang never received any genetic enhancements, they could still operate remote-controlled vehicles, deal with complex technology, and engage in acrobatics that anyone would be in awe of. In the real world, many of those feats may be impossible for those species, but that doesn't spoil the film's fun. The message of "G-Force" is that you never know what you can do until you will yourself to do it, and this is a wonderful positive note to end the film with.