Rating: Empty

Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family

Studios: Columbia Pictures/Alcon Entertainment/Prime Focus/One Cool/Wayfarer Studios

Cast: Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson, Hannah Waddingham, Ving Rhames, Nicholas Hoult, Cecily Strong, Harvey Guillen, Brett Goldstein, Bowen Yang and Snoop Dogg

Director: Mark Dindal

Writers: Paul A. Kaplan, David Reynolds and Mark Torgove

Based on: the comic strip by Jim Davis

Producers: John Cohen, Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Namit Malhotra, Craig Sost and Steven P. Wegner

Music by: John Debney

Rated: PG for action/peril, and mild thematic elements

Release Date: 05/24/24

Runtime: 1h 41m

Tagline: He gets bigger

Favorite Character: Jon Arbuckle

Quote: N/A

Fun Fact: Current Garfield voice actor Frank Welker was disappointed that he wasn’t asked to reprise his role in the movie.

The Review: Growing up, I was obsessed with Garfield comic strips. In fact, I was so obsessed with a bunch of comic strips. Reading them in Sunday papers was the best moment of that day, it is such a shame the newspapers are starting to go digital. And the fact Hollywood adapting them once in a while just isn’t the same. Blue Sky’s The Peanuts Movie truly worked out in the end (needs more recognition though, it deserves it). For Garfield, did the writers even read the comics?

We start with a little fourth wall breaking intro that Garfield (Chris Pratt) always does in media before cutting to him as a baby sitting in the box, seemly abandoned by his father but then a smell of the fresh pepperoni pizza lured him out of the box, running past Lorenzo’s Music store, (Get it? Because Lorenzo Music is the OG Garfield voice actor?) across the street and towards the Italian restaurant where we see a lonely Jon Arbuckle (Nicholas Hoult) before a cute tabby cat comes into his life as well as ours.

Life was easy for him and his canine sidekick Odie (Harvey Guillen) before was taken by a couple of pooches. Suddenly, it’s dad to the rescue! And he goes by the name Vic (Samuel L. Jackson)! Garfield, of course wasn’t too please to see him since he abandoned him long ago. And with the writers mind, the reunion turns into a Mission Impossible type of mission, They even had the theme song played in it.

If you are a Garfield fan, you know that Garfield has a lovable mother, but Sony decided it was wise to replace her with his father we knew nothing about, it isn’t the worst change of the film and hopefully may be canon to the comics, depending on what Jim Davis said. That wasn’t an only issue though. From the first announcement, we probably think ‘Did they just casted Chris Pratt as iconic cartoon characters for no reason?’ He’s done Mario last year, and the next thing you know, they will cast him as an animated Inspector Gadget. Seeing him as Garfield, just isn’t right. He doesn’t capture the fat feline too well. Bill Murray does it better than Star Lord. And yes, Murray probably doesn’t want to hear this.

This animated version of the beloved cat was kinda an insult to us fans. It could be the writers excuse to get Garfield to act like he was Tom Cruise. Those who aren’t familiar with the strips will find it cute. And shoutout to its father and son moments and easter eggs.