'The Garfield Movie' film review: Puurrrr-fect light comedy flick for kiddos
The lasagna loving, Monday hating cat’s latest movie throws him into a heist comedy in 'The Garfield Movie' (in theaters starting May 24).
In short: Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt) reunites with his long lost father Vic (Samuel L. Jackson) when vengeful cat Jinx (Hannah Waddingham) forces them to take part in a heist.
'The Garfield Movie' is firmly and unabashedly a silly comedy meant for children - that is unexpectedly filled with heartfelt origin story for the beloved feline's kitten years. The movie simply imagines "what if the endlessly lazy and hungry Garfield was forced into a daring robbery adventure." This flick never sets out for Pixar levels of dramatic or existential depth - it's simply a fun adventure featuring the beloved comic strip cat. And that's perfectly fine - and by these standards 'Garfield Movie' is a fine flick to take the kids to see.
While 'Garfield Movie' is every bit as silly as a 'Garfield' flick should be - as the famed cat eats all the lasagna and pizza ever - this animated flick has a disarming amount of heart. At its heart, 'Garfield Movie' is rooted in Garfield's relationship with Jon and Vic - the human owner to adopted Garfield and the father who seemingly abandoned Garfield. Perhaps a more thoughtful filmmaker could have better rooted his story in more compelling dramatic depth, but the movie has some earnest moments rooted in resentment and forgiveness. And it’s literally impossible not to be charmed by kitten Garfield.
Long-time Garfield fans should probably know that 'The Garfield Movie' is very much a silly action adventure featuring almost an entirely unfamiliar cast of characters. Aside from Odie, this flick introduces a whole new set of characters mostly centered on Vic's backstory as Garfield's distant father. Even Jon Arbuckle himself mostly exists in the background as he anxiously searches for Garfield. Traditional supporting characters like Liz and Nermal are relegated to super quick cameos.
Younger kids will enjoy watching the orange cat fill his head with all sorts of Italian food and fall on his face, but adults might not love more than an hour and a half of pretty uninspired animated comedy. But at least Pratt's take on Garfield feels authentic to the cat's iconic laziness and sarcasm. Odie can always be counted on as the perfect foil and sidekick for the orange tabby. Samuel L. Jackson has a sincerity as Vic, the estranged father who thought he was doing best for Garfield. All these parts hum along nicely, even as the underwhelming and predictable story plods along.
Final verdict: 'The Garfield Movie' is not pushing the boundaries of animated filmmaking or cinema. It's a fun little adventure centered on the sarcastic cat thrown into a crime caper.
Score: 2.5/5
'The Garfield Movie' is in theaters nationwide starting May 24. This animated comedy has a runtime of 101 minutes and is rated PG for action/peril and mild thematic elements.
