The Garfield Movie brings the world-famous lasagna-loving cat to the big screen. This iconic character has existed in three-panel comic strips every day since 1978. With a nearly 50-year legacy behind him, Garfield has charmed his way into millions of homes, including mine. I grew up with the Garfield comic strip, and I owned dozens of them. Naturally, I was very excited to see what Hollywood would do with this funny feline. I was pleasantly surprised by what a funny, enjoyable adventure this movie turned out to be.
This movie is directed by Mark Dindal, who previously helmed the Disney classic The Emperor’s New Groove. He brings a bit of that flavor here with some self-aware humor. Garfield will occasionally look into the camera and talk to the audience. It’s not as successful or funny, but there’s a good amount of quality visual gags. The opening scene was heavily featured in the marketing, where we see a young (and adorable) Garfield having a feast in an Italian restaurant and getting adopted by Jon Arbuckle (Nicholas Hoult). It gives an origin story for Jon and Garfield’s relationship, which wasn’t there in the comics.
Garfield is voiced by Chris Pratt, who has had a mainstream career in voice work with The LEGO Movie, Onward, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. It’s gotten to a point where general audiences seem tired of hearing him in animated movies. Although he’s long withstood the criticism of sounding like himself in his voice roles, The Garfield Movie is the role he’s done that sounds the most like him. However, this isn’t necessarily a bad thing—the lazy inflections he brings match a lazy cat. Samuel L. Jackson also sounds exactly like himself in his role, but nobody really complains about that either. When you cast movie stars, you usually cast them to be, well, movie stars.
After pulling mileage out of a cute baby Garfield (which is great for marketing and merchandising), we have our world. Garfield lives with Odie (Harvey Guillén) and Jon. The opening works well because of how it pays tribute to classic Garfield bits. He loves lasagna, he hates Mondays, he’s scared of spiders, he gets pied in the face, he watches TV, and all of these wonderful running gags. Because it’s a kids’ movie, some of the harder edges of the strip are removed, such as Garfield’s tendency to kick Odie off the table in the comics. The movie also animates Garfield very well, with comic-accurate details like having his ears peel backwards when he’s angry.
But soon after, the plot kicks in. This is where The Garfield Movie faces its greatest challenge: turning a character known for existing in three-panel punchlines into a feature-length film. Garfield is defined by his characteristics, not by his large overarching stories. There isn’t much story in the Garfield comics to adapt to a feature film. That’s why this movie needed to create something new. The film follows Garfield reuniting with his long-lost father, Vic (Jackson), as they are kidnapped and forced to commit a high-stakes milk heist by the villainous Jinx (Hannah Waddingham).
If that sounds weird, it’s because it kind of is. The Garfield comics don’t really have villains, so much like the two live-action Garfield movies that starred Bill Murray as the character (both of which I have nostalgia for), this film needed an original feature-length story. It can sometimes feel like a completely new script with a Garfield skin over it. The strangest part of the film is how Jon, a major character in the comics, is not a big part of this movie. He has his fun moments throughout but his relationship with Garfield is not at the forefront. This is a movie about Garfield and his relationship with his father, Vic, a character that doesn’t exist in the comics.
But again, I was very pleasantly surprised by The Garfield Movie. This is an exceedingly funny movie with many well-directed visual gags. It’s wonderful how this movie writes the character of Odie. It keeps up the fact that he doesn’t talk and is kind of an idiot but is also secretly a genius. Furthermore, the writing for Garfield is excellent. His sarcasm is a key attribute to making him work, and it’s very present in this film. There’s a funny moment early on when we see how Garfield secretly cares for Jon. It’s sweet and it’s also part of one of the movie’s many hilarious comedic moments.
There are easter eggs for longtime fans of the strip like me, such as a cereal brand named Binky O’s, a reference to the minor character Binky the Clown. But it’s not just made for the adults; it’s primarily a movie made for the kids. Children will have a wonderful time with this movie because it’s funny, fast-paced, and features an action-packed heist at the center of it. There’s a solid adventure, genuinely funny comedy, and a real heart here. The heart and soul is the relationship between Garfield and his father and how their relationship grows and evolves as the film progresses. There are moments of drama that work surprisingly well and a beautiful moment right before the final act, which is a climactic action set piece on a train.
The Garfield Movie also features phenomenal animation. The characters look great and it’s a very fun, exciting heist movie with a father-son story that works tremendously. The filmmakers also seem to have an obsession with Tom Cruise and his filmography with some great references to his work. It even casts Cruise’s Mission: Impossible costar Ving Rhames as a bull named Otto. There are some very funny jokes and excellent ideas, and the action is exciting enough to please anyone.
Also, Snoop Dogg plays a cat. That’ll get you in the theater, if not anything else.
SCORE: 8/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.
Disclosure: ComingSoon attended a press screening for our The Garfield Movie review.
