New to UK and US cinemas from Friday 24th May is the animated family film, The Garfield Movie. The film – directed by Mark Dindal – is based on Jim Davis’ comic strip character of the same name, and features the vocal talents of Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Harvey Guillén, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, and Nicholas Hoult.
In the movie, Garfield is an abandoned kitten living in the city. He is a sweet-looking cat, with a big brain, and an even bigger appetite.
After following his nose to a nearby Italian restaurant, Garfield feasts on lasagne and befriends affable young man, Jon Arbuckle. The two quickly form a bond, and Jon decides to take Garfield back to his apartment to give him a home.
Fast forward a few years, and Garfield is now living in a two-bed house in the suburbs with Jon and Jon’s pet dog, Odie. Garfield allows Jon to treat him like a king, he’s made a good friend in Odie, and he gets to eat plenty of lasagne.
But one night, Garfield’s peaceful existence is disrupted when he and Odie are kidnapped. The kidnapping leads to an unexpected reunion with his estranged father, Vic, as well as a meeting with a villainous Persian cat named Jinx.
Jinx has a particular grudge against Vic, and she is insistent he repays an old debt. Due to Garfield’s connection to Vic, he and Odie are then pulled into this debt, and soon find themselves forced to take part in a milk heist.
For those wondering where The Garfield Movie slots into the Garfield film series, this latest entry is an all-new tale. It has nothing to do with the live-action movies which came out during the ’00s, or any previous cartoon capers, and is instead a 100% stand-alone animated feature film.
So, if you have youngsters in your house, who have seen trailers for the film, or who have noticed posters on the side of buses and are desperate to watch the movie, you don’t need to do any homework before you take them to see it. You can just plonk them down in front of the film, let them enjoy the pretty kitties, and go from there.
The good news is, they will probably like what is on offer. The film is bright and colourful, Garfield and Odie are all kinds of adorable, and there are enough jokes and sight gags to keep the laughs coming.
The Garfield Movie is family friendly, but with its slapstick sensibilities and its easy-to-follow story, it clearly has its eye on children. The film is rated ‘U’ in the UK, a ‘PG’ in the US, so this should give you an indication of what to expect.
As an adult you’re not going to be mesmerised or bowled over by The Garfield Movie, but you’ll be fine sitting through it once. This is inoffensive stuff, which may produce the occasional titter, and you’ll get some joy from seeing your kids having fun with it.
In terms of the animation, The Garfield Movie plays it safe and doesn’t push any boundaries, but it looks fine. This isn’t Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, nor is it one of the Spider-Verse movies, but it is perfectly decent stuff and all the main players are either cute or quirky.
With regards to the voice cast, Chris Pratt takes on the role of Garfield, and while he too is playing it safe, he is also fine. He doesn’t necessarily stand out, nor does he put a unique spin on the orange tabby, but I doubt the target audience will care.
The better voice acting comes from Samuel L. Jackson as Vic, Hannah Waddingham as Jinx, and Ving Rhames as a bull named Otto. Waddingham and Rhames are particular fun in their roles, and I imagine their respective characters will be the ones children remember once the credits roll.
I also imagine sales of Garfield toys and plushies will increase as a result of the film. Everyone involved in the movie does their best to ensure a pleasant experience can be had by all, and if this isn’t the key to toy sales, I don’t know what is.
Could I sit here and bemoan The Garfield Movie for its lack of creativity? Sure, but what would be the point?
Is it a touch too long? Yep – but so are most films these days.
What I’m getting at here is something plain and simple: The Garfield Movie is fine. It could be far worse, it has enjoyable moments, and it understands who its audience is and what is needed to keep them entertained.
In terms of its tone and the level it is operating at, The Garfield Movie is very reminiscent of Universal’s animated feature, Migration, which itself was decent if not amazing. So, if you or your youngsters found that film to be fun, then it’s more of the same here.
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