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Join UsStar Cast: Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, and Nicholas Hoult.
Director: Mark Dindal
What’s Good: The voice performances are pretty good, and they enhance the film’s humor, charm, and emotion to a level that both kids and adults can enjoy.
What’s Bad: The animation is a bit simple, needs more details than other animated movies have been known to show, and the story is also entirely predictable. It is all fine, but don’t expect great surprises or a memorable storyline.
Loo Break: The film is short, and to the point, so there are no long breaks here.
Watch or Not?: Watch only if you need something to watch with your kids or if you are a huge Garfield fan.
Language: English (with subtitles).
Available On: Theatrical release
Runtime: 162 Minutes
User Rating:
Since its creation in the 1970s, Garfield has become one of the most recognizable cartoons ever made; the lazy fat cat managed against all expectations to become a fan favorite thanks to his attitude and love for food and sleep, which separates him very much from many other comic strips of its age, and this success allowed the characters to have its own TV series and even his own live-action adaptation. Now, Garfield returns to the big screen with a more conventional animated movie that still has the chance to be charming and fun.
The Garfield Movie Review: Script Analysis
Personally, I never really liked Garfield, at least the version that was introduced to me as a child in his animated TV series; I found him annoying and just plain dull, which is why it was shocking to me that I had fun with The Garfield Movie, maybe because this version of the character is a lot less boring in general, and has a lot more personality than someone who simply just wants to eat and sleep. So, this is the first time I have had fun with Garfield.
This is not to say that The Garfield Movie is a masterpiece, not at all. In reality, it is a very standard CGI animated movie for the times, and it doesn’t push the envelope in any shape or form, but it doesn’t have to; it only needs to be fun, and that it is, even when the script uses a structure and a storyline that is very predictable and sadly doesn’t allow for any big surprises or revelations. Of course, this comes from the point of view of an adult, but for kids, the script’s development might be a lot more impactful.
Nevertheless, both kids and adults will enjoy the humor in the same manner. This is a pretty funny movie in a way that feels innocent and simple but effective, and this level of success in this aspect of the film is definitely a combination of the voice actors’ performances and the jokes themselves, which range from bright to excellent examples of physical comedy.
The Garfield Movie will take Garfield on a journey outside his home, and this development is enough to create a lot of funny situations, as Garfield is definitely domesticated, and being in the wild is just not his thing. The script introduces many funny characters along the way, and while none of them will become instant classics, they serve the movie well by changing the mood and putting Garfield into more uncomfortable situations.
The Garfield Movie Review: Star Performance
The Garfield Movie is filled with stars in its voice roles, and at the center of it is Chris Pratt, who recently had fantastic success in the field thanks to the Super Mario Bros. Movie, one of the most successful movies at the box office last year. Here in The Garfield Movie, Pratt delivers a performance that is more in line with what we are used to from him, while in the Mario Bros. Movie, he was a lot more restrained; here, he 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 also does a great job as Vic, Garfield’s father, and the other significant characters in the movie. Jackson’s presence is always appreciated; he does his best to reach Pratt’s charm and does it effortlessly. However, it is Ving Rhames in the role of Otto, a bull, who steals every scene he is in. For such a minor role, his character really makes an impression.
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The Garfield Movie Review: Direction, Music
Mark Dindal is a very underrated director, and even if it is true that his output as a director has been relatively small, he has some real jewels in that list, like The Emperor’s New Groove and Chicken Little. However, it feels tame compared to those, and maybe it is just that I’m older now than when I saw those films for the first time. So when I watch it, I don’t see anything spectacular, but maybe there is for the kids who will watch it in theaters and have probably seen very few films like this; it is hard to pinpoint something like that from the perspective of an adult, but the fun factor that accompanied his previous work in still, so there won’t be any issue in that regard.
However, the quality of the animation feels a bit simple compared to the work done in many other animated films. It would be insane to ask for something like what has been done in Spider-Man Across the SpiderVerse, and it wouldn’t fit anyway, but the way the movie moves and is framed in every show feels very safe. It would have been interesting to see something more daring here and there, but it is a nitpick, and it won’t affect the movie’s general enjoyment.
The Garfield Movie Review: The Last Word
The Garfield Movie is a fun time at the theater and will be pretty entertaining for kids and adults alike. Still, sadly, it probably won’t become a classic in the same way The Emperor’s New Groove did, not because it is terrible, but because it is too safe, and it doesn’t dare to go the extra mile to create something truly memorable, nevertheless, for the time you will be inside the theater watching it, it will be the charm and laughs to your life.
The Garfield Movie Trailer
The Garfield released on May 17, 2024.
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For more recommendations, read our The Boy And The Heron Movie Review here.
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