The fat, orange tabby is back and animated in a fun film for the family– The Garfield Movie. Visual gags and easter eggs abound in this latest adventure where the new characters and Odie shine bright like the moon reflecting off a plate of lasagna.

Garfield Movie Review

If there is one cat that needs no introduction it's Garfield. Adults and kids everywhere are drawn to his lasagna loving, Mondays hating, and indifferent personality. He's lazy, he's cute, and he's driven by the need for more of the good life without any effort. Truly the dream right? I grew up watching the animated TV series and specials–Garfield's Christmas Special is a staple here during the holidays. Plus I never missed the comic pages at my grandparents' house or checking out the books from the library.

In 2004, Garfield got the big screen treatment in a CGI live-action hybrid that starred Bill Murray as the lazy feline. Some would call it a misfire but I know others who enjoyed it, including children (the target audience). Admittedly, Garfield looked a little odd in his CGI form so it was promising that The Garfield Movie would see him return in all his animated glory, something more fitting to capture his range of derision. However, the choice for his voice left much to be desired, like getting served a pasta dish made without any seasonings or extra cheese. Much like his performance in Super Mario Bros, Chris Pratt once again ends up being the biggest disappointment in an otherwise solid family film. Thankfully the supporting cast swooped in to save the day.

Director Mark Dindal's take on Davis' chubby tabby places our beloved mascot of laziness into a story that feels at odds for what makes Garfield, Garfield. It's essentially a heist movie (like Chicken Run) with big action set pieces that seem like the last place one would ever find Garfield. However, if you can suspend your disbelief that he would voluntarily do anything that remotely resembles exercise, the film is a fun outing for families. The Garfield Movie begins with a backstory for the titular character with the cutest orange kitten ever to be seen on film. Garfield (Pratt) was left in an alley near an Italian restaurant by his father Vic (Samuel L. Jackson). Lured by the smells of food, Garfield makes his way to a window where he sees Jon Arbuckle (Nicholas Hoult) eating alone. Jon swiftly falls in love with Garfield and brings him home. There is a montage of all things “classic Garfield” where the comic strip leaps onto the screen–naps, eating, and banter with Odie.

Soon Garfield and Odie (Harvey Guillén provides the barking) are dragged from their cushy life and forced to deal with one of Vic's massive mistakes. Jinx (Hannah Waddingham), a delightfully eccentric Persian cat, ends up in prison (the pound) thanks to Vic and she wants revenge. Vic appears to rescue Garfield and Odie but is also trapped. In order to square his debt with Jinx, she demands that Vic, Garfield, and Odie make good on the years she lost in the pound which requires them to steal 1,600 quarts of milk. How will they do this? Well they will need the help of forgotten bull Otto (Ving Rhames), who was put out to pasture when a corporation bought out his quaint Lactose Farms (millennials like me will recognize this as a nod to the “and friends” part of the Garfield tv show). He agrees but only if they promise to free his bovine love Ethel who remains in the petting zoo at the farm.

The Garfield Movie goes big and delivers a good time for families. It accomplishes this thanks to energetic and spot-on performances from the supporting voice cast–Hannah Waddingham's Jinx in particular is a scene-stealer. Longtime fans will enjoy spotting easter eggs like Binky-Os and Pookie. Sadly Nermal and Arlene are missing from the shenanigans. The visual gags and moments when Garfield is not talking but just giving one of his iconic bored looks are the best. Serving as a reminder why this is one of the most popular fictional cats in the world. Oh and Baby Garfield is almost too adorable to handle but also more of him please.

Written by Paul A. Kaplan, Mark Torgove, and David Reynolds, The Garfield Movie moves along quickly with much of the film centering on the heist and everything that must be done to prepare for it. Its beating heart is the father/son relationship which allows Garfield some character development that doesn't involve choosing a vegetable to go with his next meal. He would rather forgive his father than eat lettuce. Let's be honest. But about 75% of the fun comes straight from Dindal leaning into his animation background to go all in on the slapstick comedy. It never reaches the heights of the criminally underrated The Emperor's New Groove, but I found myself laughing out loud quite a bit. The training montage between Garfield and Vic is especially delightfully chaotic. And any Garfield aficionado knows to never ignore what Odie is doing and the that holds true here too.

The rest of what makes this film a good time is the cast. There is the Tex Avery big-and-little dog duo that make up Jinx's henchmen. Brett Goldstein voices the big dog with all the same (g)ruff charm as Roy Kent. I never imagined Roy as a dog but somehow it works. Jackson delivers his trademark rough-around-the-edges, big softy charm while Rhames gives one of the best performances in the film as Otto. He's only outmatched by the energized, theatrical performance of Waddingham. She was clearly having an amazing time as Jinx and I would love to see more of her in a future short. Unfortunately, Pratt did what Pratt always does– sounded like himself. It works when the roles are tailored to him like in The LEGO Movie or Onward, but in established roles his lack of voice talent is glaringly obvious. His voice cadence doesn't work for Garfield and again I implore the industry to look beyond A-list talent to the plethora of amazing voice actors out there. Someone else would've better served our favorite cat.

Verdict

The Garfield Movie is a solid family film that sees the beloved cat benefit from a return to animation. With a supporting voice cast that truly shines, the jokes and heart land for an entertaining enough time at the movies. Moviegoers of all ages will enjoy the slapstick comedy and genuinely funny moments while longtime fans can play spot the easter eggs. At the end of the day, the nostalgic bits of this movie have inspired me to go find the old cartoon series for some perfectly timed deadpan, kitty wit.

The Garfield Movie releases in theaters on Friday, May 24. It is rated PG for action/peril and mild thematic elements with a runtime of 101 minutes.