Introduction
After Garfield (Chris Pratt) unexpectedly reunites with his long-lost father, ragged alley cat Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), he and his canine friend Odie are dragged from their perfectly pampered lives to join Vic on a risky heist.
The Story
Garfield, a lazy, hungry house cat has it all figured out. He starts with his owner Jon’s (Nicholas Hoult) smartphone every morning, ordering Italian food via drone delivery. Then spends the rest of the day watching funny cat videos on Catflix. He is served and pampered by the ever-loyal and ever-loveable Odie (this, and every iteration’s MVP), who Garfield affectionately calls his intern.
Garfield’s idyllic existence is turned upside down when his long-lost father, Vic, comes back into his life, enraging Garfield who wants nothing to do with the smooth-talking but scruffy tom. Suddenly Garfield, Odie, and Vic are all kidnapped by unhinged, revenge-seeking Jinx (Hannah Waddingham, Ted Lasso) who forces them into planning a heist at a huge farm.
Their only hope is a huge bull named Otto (Ving Rhames) who is also desperate to rescue his cow lady-love, Ethel.
The History
Why This Movie May Give You a Case of ‘The Mondays.’ If you are a lifelong Garfield fan, as is this writer; you’d be forgiven for asking ‘Who? What? Where Why?’ upon reading the paragraph above…
Jim Davis’ Garfield comic strip was introduced way back in 1978, and according to the man himself, who acts as Executive Producer on the film, the secret to Garfield’s amazing longevity is his essential, and timeless human traits: overindulgence, sarcasm, laziness and dislike of the start of the working week. The original 3-panel comic strip was also perfect in its simplicity: premise, set-up, and punchline.
It revolves around the affectionate domestic life of Jon and his two pets, where Garfield rules the roost while Jon’s best attributes are reflected in Odie. When the comic strip evolved into the much-loved Garfield and Friends TV show, which ran for seven seasons from 1988–1995, he became a superstar, and, notably, a merchandising dream.
There have been many iterations since, with ongoing CGI-animated shows on Nickelodeon which expanded on Garfield’s circle of friends who were introduced in earlier versions, including Nermal the annoyingly cute kitten, and Garfield’s girlfriend Arlene. Then there were the two lukewarmly received ‘live-action’ films with Bill Murray on voice duties, in 2004 and 2006, respectively. All have felt inherently ‘Garfield.’ However, this film does not.
“If somebody takes over Warner Bros., somebody will ask the question, ‘What are we doing with “Scooby-Doo” right now?’”
Analysis
The above is a quote from British director Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Baby Driver) on the “Happy Sad Confused” podcast in November 2023, when asked about the shortage of original movies nowadays and studios’ overreliance on existing IP. In the above, substitute Columbia for Warner Bros, and Garfield for Scooby Doo, and this is where we are at.
The film is not terrible, not even ‘bad’ – it is just bubble gum, and kids may wish to see it, and rest assured, they will be entertained. It’s bright and colorful, has lots of Prat(t) falls, and moves at a pace. But the lead characters could have been substituted for any known IP and the caper would not be any different, thus making it feel empty and unsatisfying.
For example, the audience is treated to a flashback as a prologue of how Garfield was (mistakenly) abandoned by his father when he was a kitten. And how he happened upon a lonely Jon at an Italian restaurant (named Lorenzo’s as a nice nod of appreciation to Lorenzo Music, the original voice of Garfield).
This almost feels like it was shot ‘during reshoots’ to establish more goodwill with the audience earlier. This is because it brings in the classic Garfield traits: lasagna and his attachment to Jon, etc. before the overly complicated story begins, throwing at us a slew of new characters and locations, that ask a lot of the audience.
Further Discussion
What also stands out is how so few animation studios have hit on the classic Pixar formula: Entertain the kids, and empathize with the adults. Garfield’s resentment over being abandoned by his father is a delicate theme, and little ones may not find its resolution entirely satisfying, and there could have been a subtle nod to Garfield’s abandonment trauma causing his reliance on food to fill a hole, that some parents could identify with. Instead, we get ‘jokes’ about Daniel Day-Lewis, and Olive Garden.
Conclusion
For those seeking warm and fuzzy nostalgia in this new version, they will be disappointed. However, and more importantly…this writer took his 7-year-old VIP Guest to the premiere, who turned to me in the first five minutes and said “Daddy, I love watching Garfield on the big screen.” That’s a win for the studio and worthy of another star.
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