The Garfield Movie (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – After Garfield’s unexpected reunion with his long-lost father, ragged alley cat Vic, he and his canine friend Odie are forced from their perfectly pampered lives to join Vic on a risky heist.

My Take – Who doesn’t know Garfield? The orange, little plump, Monday hating, lasagna loving cat created by Jim Davis, who first appeared in an American comic strip published locally as Jon in 1976, then in nationwide syndication from 1978 as Garfield.

Yet, somehow, this lazy feline and his very mild exploits have inspired multiple books, comics, games, three television series (with one more on the way), 12 prime-time specials, a bunch of restaurants, and two feature-length films, Garfield: The Movie (2004) and Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006), featuring Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield.

Now, returning to the big screen in the form of a more conventional animated film, offering a fresh take on the beloved cat, while bringing together a star-studded voice cast to breathe new life into the classic character. And though it is missing the sarcasm of the strips, I’m not going to lie, I found this iteration charming and fun.

Directed by Mark Dindal (The Emperor’s New Groove) and co-written by David Reynolds (Finding Nemo), Paul A Kaplan and Mark Torgove, this kitty adventure combines a frantic, Looney Tunes inspired energy with some genuinely sharp comedy, and throws in some legitimate heart and emotion in the story for good measure. Making it a refreshing step up from the lazy, lasagna-based humor of the live action versions.

Sure, animation wise, it is a very standard CGI film for the times, doesn’t push the envelope in any shape or form and adopts old-school story treatment, and the one-liners. However, the film still manages to win over, even when it doesn’t allow for any big surprises or revelations. Mainly as its simplicity in plot allows for an easy and engaging experience, perfect for family viewing.

The story follows Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt), an orange tabby cat, who as a kitten landed in the life of Jon Arbuckle (voiced by Nicholas Hoult) after being abandoned by his tubby biological father Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson) in a dark alley on a stormy night. Filling up the hole in their lonely lives, Jon and Garfield bond instantly.

In the next five years, Garfield and Jon move into the suburbs and add Odie (voiced by Harvey Guillén), a yellow beagle, into their little family, and live a perfect lazy life, especially with all the food they could ever want. That is until, one night, while getting a midnight snack, Garfield and Odie are kidnapped by two dogs, Roland (voiced by Brett Goldstein) and Nolan (voiced by Bowen Yang), and are taken to an abandoned mall and tied up.

But while Vic immediately arrives to rescue them, the three are corned by Jinx (voiced by Hannah Waddingham), a villainous Persian cat, who wants to exact revenge on Vic for leaving her behind during a milk heist at Lactose Farms before she was caught and imprisoned in a pound.

She agrees to let the three go free only they if manage to steal a large quantity of milk as repayment for the years she lost in the clink, stealing one quart of milk for each day she was in the pound. Though indeed breaking into one of the most secure milk farms is not going to be an easy job, what makes it more difficult is the fact that Garfield still resents Vic for abandoning him.

There are a number of possible ways the story could go from here, and the film takes almost all of these predictable routes. Here, director Mark Dindal seems neutered by the demands of a studio animation project eager to pander to kids and adults alike. The film gets downright with its flurry of pop-culture references. However, the execution makes up for the predictability. Garfield’s famous fourth-wall-breaking is a refreshing touch that helps the film stand above the classic cartoons it was trying to replicate.

The writing, despite being functional, has incorporated some effective moments. The scenes featuring Jon and the pets are delightful to watch. But what works here the most is the dynamic between dynamic and his estranged father, which adds depth to the narrative, exploring themes of family and reconciliation. The emotional connection between Garfield and his father provides a strong backbone to the film, balancing the comedy and action sequences with moments of heartfelt drama.

Unfortunately, it doesn’t find the same emotional resonance with the other characters. For instance, Jinx seems to have been added just for the sake of having an antagonist, as the plot couldn’t bring out a conflict that could fit well with the initial premise. Even the stakes to involve characters like Roland and Nolan are never fully explained, as result of which he villainy doesn’t come across effectively.

We are also introduced to Otto (voiced by Ving Rhames), a stoic bull who is left depressed after a lifetime of playing corporate mascot and for being separated from his partner the cow Ethel (voiced by Alicia Grace Turrell), and is used as a stealth reference to Garfield’s own decades as a minting machine.

Visually, the film combines traditional animation with modern CGI techniques, creating a vibrant and dynamic world that stays true to the original comic strip’s aesthetic while offering something new for contemporary audiences. However, the quality of the animation feels a bit simple compared to the work done in many other animated films.

Thankfully, the voice performance is very good, as they enhance the film’s humor, charm, and emotion to a level that both kids and adults can enjoy. Chris Pratt delivers a performance that is more in line with what we are used to from him. While in the The Super Mario Bros. Film (2023), he was a lot more restrained; here, Pratt is free to go into his charismatic self and give Garfield a much-needed dose of charm without sacrificing his lazy attitude.

Samuel L. Jackson‘s portrayal of Vic introduces a more serious and poignant element to the story, enriching the overall experience. Ving Rhames, Hannah Waddingham, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillén, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang, Alicia Grace Turrell and Snoop Dogg do a commendable job. On the whole, ‘The Garfield Movie’ is a safe yet fun and frantic adventure that can be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.