Hey gang, Valkor here. The next MediaView nugget to slide across my desk is more family-friendly then what I’m used to reviewing. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve done the family stuff before. But the flicks I’ve reviewed lately have been on the dark or edgy side. So, it was a nice change of pace to check out Adventure Force 5. It’s simple and very predictable. But I also found it to be enjoyable. Expect some spoilers.
Adventure Force 5 centers on five friends looking to find out what has happened to the people of their town. As it stands, almost everyone has upped and vanished to who knows where. Turns out, an ex-tech genius named Nolan (Dylan Arnold) has unleashed a signal that has hypnotized anyone who was holding a cell phone, causing them to lumber off in a trance. He’s also unleashed a slew of drone-like creatures called “Terra Borgs” into the neighborhood. Ultimately, it’s up to the five friends, armed to the teeth with a slew of zany weapons and gadgets to save the day. And while they may be victorious, it may not be the last time they face Nolan and his technological threats.
Adventure Force 5 is based on a series of action weapons exclusive to Walmart called “Adventure Force”. The whole thing is reminiscent of Wowwee Toys Cody the Robosapien film. But the difference is, you can buy a Cody bot (it doesn’t act like the one in the film), but I don’t see anywhere you can get the Adventure Force weapons or gadgets showcased in the film. However, the items you can get your hands on now look pretty awesome if you’re into such things. Ultimately, how does the film fare? Let’s find out in the TOV Breakdown.
The Good:
If you’re looking for a light-hearted, family-friendly action-adventure film, then Adventure Force 5 is the one to watch. The story is very straight-forward, and the action is decent, though I would have liked things to be more over-the-top. I mean, it’s a silly film based on a toy line of wacky weapons! The producers should have gone ham with it. For instance, when Jack uses a rocket shoe to levitate an arcade motorbike, which he then uses to crash into a bunch of Terra Borgs. The film needed more scenes like that! Sure, it was a pointless maneuver. But that was the type of silliness I was expecting a lot more of. The acting is just so so, and I was glad to see Ernie Hudson (Game of Death) on board. He brought a level of cool that the film needed. In the end, Adventure Force 5 ain’t no Cody the Robosapien. But it’s still good wholesome fun anyone and everyone can enjoy.
The Bad:
First up, the film is too predictable. This shouldn’t be a negative, considering it’s just a kid-friendly adventure film. But from the jump, when Jack and Joey were playing their arcade game. Just by their actions, you could tell it would play a role later in the film. And it just goes on from there. Finally, I would think a film based on a weapon toy line would have cooler weapons. But the ones shown in the film were either hit or miss. A serious miss was Ollie’s laser boomerang, which did absolutely nothing! I can say the same for Khalil’s laser nunchucks. I mean, both looked way cool! But it was more for show than anything else. And that’s what this film needed - more destruction! I would have loved to see Khalil cracking some Terra Borg shell!
The Ugly:
N/A
You can find Adventure Force 5 on the VUDU streaming platform as an original film (link no longer available). And you can watch it for free (with ads). It’s a fun film for the younger crowds and a decent film for the older set if you’re just looking for something to kill time. I’m not gonna lie. I’m kind of interested in a sequel if it should happen. Hopefully, it has more of everything that this current film lacks. But in the end, out of TOV 5 stars, I’ll meet Adventure Force 5 halfway and give it a 2.5.