The Garfield Movie: A Ho-Hum Outing for the Enduring Feline (Blu-ray)

The Film:

Little did Jim Davis know that when he launched a little comic strip about an overweight cat that loves to eat, his owner, and his dog pal that it would become one of the most successful comics of all time, eventually earning a record for world's most syndicated comic strip. "Garfield" has been seen in thousands of newspapers, several TV specials, shows, and two feature films featuring Bill Murray as the voice of the beloved feline. Now he returns for a new animated adventure, simply titled "The Garfield Movie," in which his everyday life of non-stop eating, napping, and general laziness gets interrupted by some rather unexpected shenanigans.

As the film opens, Garfield (Voice of Chris Pratt) tells us of how his father, Vic (Voice of Samuel L. Jackson), abandoned him in an alley as a kitten, and how he came to find Jon (Voice of Nicholas Hoult), who adopted him and gave him the spoiled life that he currently enjoys. One night, Garfield and his canine pal Odie are suddenly kidnapped by a couple of dogs and taken to an abandoned mall. They are eventually rescued by Vic, but before they can leave, they are confronted by Jinx (Voice of Hannah Waddingham), a cat that had worked with Vic on a milk heist, who now seeks revenge for having been left behind after being caught and thrown in the pound. However, she'll forgive him if the three of them are able to break into a dairy farm and steal a large quantity of milk, a task that just might be too much for an overweight cat who's too used to his pampered lifestyle.

Like millions of others, I grew up reading the popular comic strip that had Garfield eating lasagna (or whatever else he could get his hands on), hating Mondays, sleeping, picking on Odie, and driving Jon crazy. I also rather enjoyed the earlier cartoon "Garfield & Friends," which expanded his few panels into short cartoons that lasted just a few minutes each. When it came to transitioning into feature films, things got a little rockier, as instead of ideas that worked well for brief outings, the filmmakers now needed to find something for everyone's favorite feline to do for about 80 minutes. To say that the two films received a less-than-enthusiastic response would be quite the understatement.

When it comes to his latest outing, the reception has been almost identical, though it's rather fair to say that the response has been rather overblown. "The Garfield Movie" attempts to give the titular cat and his buddies something fun & exciting to do for about 90 minutes, and while it's not entirely successful, it's hardly an all-out disaster either. The vocal cast features some great talent, who turn in fine work for these characters. Pratt may not be able to fit the Garfield personality quite as well as the great Bill Murray, but he still serves the part well enough.

What did need a little more work in this new adventure was the plot. In their efforts to stretch Garfield's escapades into feature length, they not only get him entangled with his long-lost father, but also throw him into the middle of a heist, which comes off as really random, and not particularly satisfying. Again, it's hardly terrible. This is a kids film after all, so the plot is not going to be particularly complex or in-depth, but as someone who grew up loving these characters, it certainly seems like a better scenario could've been drawn up (with a far-better use of Jon, who gets sidelined for the entire film).

With a few more brainstorming sessions and a few more drafts, surely something a little more fun & engaging could be delivered. Ultimately, "The Garfield Movie" is left in want of a better storyline to accompany these classic characters, whose misadventures worked remarkably well on the small screen, but have thus far not had much luck in trying to go further than that, perhaps definitively proving that that's where they should remain.

Video/Audio:

"The Garfield Movie" comes to Blu-ray in a 1.85:1, 1080p High Definition transfer of excellent quality. The picture is clear and sharp throughout the film's 90-minute runtime, highlighting its bright, colorful animation. Likewise, the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio is marvelous, giving you all of the dialogue, sound effects, and music in outstanding quality. Overall, Sony Pictures has done a wonderful job on the film for its physical home debut.

Special Features:

Indoor Cat, Outdoor Adventure (3 Minutes)

Cast of Critters (4 Minutes)

Gag Reel (3 Minutes)

Easter Eggs: Garnishes a la Garfield (4 Minutes)

Deleted Scene (3 Minutes)

How to Draws (18 Minutes)

Concept Art & Animation (2 Minutes)

The Blu-ray comes with a series of behind the scenes featurettes, totaling a little over 30 minutes, that delve into areas such as the story, the cast, the animation, and even how to draw the characters. Overall, it's a decent selection for those looking to learn more about the film.

Conclusion:

"The Garfield Movie" features a decent vocal cast and some fine animation, but unfortunately it comes up a little short in the story department with its somewhat ho-hum combined tale of family drama & heist thriller, ultimately making this latest outing of the beloved feline another one that audiences are likely to forget rather quickly.

Score: 3/5

Available on Blu-ray starting today.

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