The Garfield Movie - Movie Review

  

The Garfield Movie

Synopsis: Garfield is re-united with his long last father and with Odie his best friend, goes on a heist.

Director: Mark Dindal

Stars: Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicholas Hoult, Ving Rhames, Harvey Guillen & Hannah Waddingham

Runtime: 1 hour 41 mins

Genre: Animation, action adventure comedy

When I was growing up I loved Garfield. I remember back in the day I kept a Garfield themed diary, I loved the Garfield and Friends cartoon on TV, I read his comic strips, and even had posters of him, Odie and Jon in my bedroom.

However, like so many things in life I grew up and moved on. It's been 20 years since Garfield has appeared on the big screen. Back in 2004 audiences were subjected to the truly awful Garfield: The Movie a pseudo live action/CGI atrocity with Bill Murray providing the voice of Garfield.

So is this latest animated adventure of the famously fat tabby cat worth watching?

Let's break it down..

Story and Plot

Garfield (Pratt) is loving life at home with Jon (Hoult) and his best friend Odie (Guillen), but after an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father Vic (Jackson), the lasagne loving cat with his canine companion is drawn into a high-stakes heist.

My overall thoughts...

Every now and again there are movies you go into with literally no expectations. Garfield was one such movie, and I'm happy to report I was very pleasantly surprised, Garfield is a delightfully charming family action comedy. Serving as an origin story, the movie nicely weaves in Garfield's beginnings within the heist that involves his father. A plot to steal milk from a local farmyard theme park. 

Garfield regularly breaks the 4th wall and drops meta references throughout, wish I found refreshing. It is faithfully rendered in the style of the original 80's comic strip whilst feeling very much a contemporary story with Garfield able to satiate his endless appetite with his favourite food app on his mobile phone. 

Also, where IF fell down recently in not having enough for young and older audiences a like, Garfield cleverly bridges the gap between generations, providing enough cartoonish slapstick for the younger viewers, whilst at the same time keeping older audiences entertained with references only adults will get, Tom Cruise movies I'm looking at you. 

Cast

Chris Pratt is no stranger to voice-over work. Most recently providing the voice of Mario (for some controversially) in last year's uber hit The Super Mario Bros. He has also lent his voice to The Lego Movie franchise and Onward. I thought I would be annoyed with Pratt in this role, but found him perfectly matched to Garfield. I found I was watching a performance, not hearing a voice. 

Samuel L. Jackson is one cool cat as Vic, Garfield's long-lost dad. He may have been absent in Garfield's life but his heart was always in the right place. Nicholas Hoult as Jon doesn't have a huge amount to do, but his character is funny all the same. Harvey Guillen provides the noises for Odie, and his character is especially endearing. Brave, imaginative, clever and always there for his feline friend.

Hannah Waddingham suitably chews the scenery as Jinx a fluffy white Persian cat who serves as movie's whisker twirling British villain. For me (Other than Garfield) the standout though was Ving Rhames as Otto a large shaggy haired bull. His role is a delightful meta riff on his character Luther in the Mission Impossible movies. There is one very funny set piece that is literally ripped from that franchise, it even has the iconic music! Also whilst on the subject of Tom Cruise movies, keep your eyes and ears peeled for another reference to a famous flying movie towards the end. 

Sound and Spectacle

Garfield features lush fluid animation that is faithful to the original comic strip. The colours pop off the screen and it is very well shot. It is gorgeous to look at. 

The sound is also great and goes a long way to support the animation. 

On screen Action

I like how director Dindal and team thought outside the box for the set-pieces which are imaginative and original. As I cared about Garfield and friends each set-piece felt earned not just there to entertain the younger crowd. The movie as well does not talk down to the audience and this is seen in its set-pieces. They could have dolled out any old cheap slapstick crap but they didn't and I really appreciated it. 

Music and Score

John Debney who I will next year the works of with Kevin Costner's epic western Horizon: An American Saga, provides the score for this feline adventure. I enjoyed his score for this movie. 

 

A delightfully charming family action comedy. An origin story faithful to the original comic strip whilst feeling suitably meta and modern. Definitely recommended for young and old a like. Garfield has landed on his feet and he didn't even use one of his nine lives. 

Verdict  - Unexpected Surprise