The Mark Dindal-directed cinematic adaptation of Jim Davis’ infamous lasagna-loving kitty, Garfield, was released this summer. The Garfield Movie, while at face value, appears to be any other comedic children’s animation, the themes and plot line are as tear-jerking as the jokes are gut-busting.
The film begins with a prologue in which we see Garfield (Chris Pratt) as a kitten being abandoned in an alley, allowing his origin story to unfold for audiences. The movie’s adventure picks up quickly when Garfield and his canine companion Odie are abducted by a pair of pup lackeys working for Jinx (Hannah Waddingham), a feline villainess. It doesn’t take long before Garfield’s estranged father, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), comes to save the
day, for he was the one Jinx was really after. From here, the movie takes an abrupt turn from being just a silly retelling ofthe classic comic strip character we all know and love, to going on an emotional rollercoaster ride. In this film, Garfield transforms from being the sarcastic, gluttonous, mischievous character as would have been anticipated based on the franchise he represents, to being a scorned son coping with the grief and frustration of an absentee parent spontaneously coming back into your life, a sentiment that is sure to resonate with older audience.
Although the movie itself is rather engaging with a solid plot line and story progression, there are certainly some critiques to be made regarding the film’s integrity. For one, the representation of Garfield as a
character within this film is simply unrecognizable from any other form of media he has existed in previously. Chris Pratt has rather quickly grown to be a top choice for voice acting leads in animated films from Mario in The Super Mario Brothers to Emmett in The Lego Movie, and despite his talent, his golden retriever boy energy feels out of place for what is supposed to be a black (well, technically speaking, orange) cat coded character. Even when trying to stay optimistic regarding the thematic elements of resilience in overcoming trauma, the film still falls lackluster, as this theme has been covered in most major animated productions over the last few years, between Disney’s Encanto, Onward, and Turning Red to even Pratt’s Mario brother adaptation.
When all of these factors are considered, the film seems to be a production cash-grab with a trusted and adored franchise and a stunt casted lead star to propel marketing and a clearly successful cinematic trope to follow. Ironically, the production begins to feel just as lazy as Garfield himself. Although the movie is worth watching if you find yourself looking for a heartwarming laugh, the execution of the film feels gimmicky and tired.
