Customer Reviews

Garfield: As Himself (Garfield on the Town / Garfield Gets a Life / Here Comes Garfield)

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was so happy when I heard this DVD was going to be released as I can never get enough of the fat cat's sardonic wit. I have now watched each of the three episodes several times and am hoping even more are released soon.

HERE COMES GARFIELD, the first selection, opens with Garfield strutting his stuff in a great dance number while Lou Rawls sings. The episode is filled with great "Garfieldisms" like "I hate mornings. I'd like them better if they started later" and "Show me a good mouser and I'll show you a cat with bad breath." The plot has a lot of similarity to the 2004 big-screen movie. Odie, the hapless dim-witted dog, is picked up by the pound and Garfield decides to break him out.

GARFIELD ON THE TOWN is a nostalgic episode. A trip to the vet takes an unexpected turn when, unnoticed by Jon, Garfield falls out of the car. While lost and roaming the unknown streets he encounters a herd of alley cats with a lot more street-smarts than the tubby tabby possesses. He seeks cover in a place that is eerily familiar and we soon find out that this is the kitchen of the Italian restaurant where Garfield was born and experienced his first lasagna. His mom still lives there and, of course, she recognizes Garfield immediately and introduces him to his brother, grandfather, cousins, and more. Unfortunately, Garfield will never fit in as they are dedicated mousers and we know how he feels about that! An action-packed rumble between Garfield's family and the alley cats ensues and Garfield is saved and led back to his true home with Jon and Odie. But this touching glimpse of his connection with his mother is outstanding.

GARFIELD GETS A LIFE finds Jon bored with his situation and desperately attempting to meet girls at clubs, laundromats, video stores, any place he can think of. He and Garfield finally wind up at Lorenzo's School for the Personality Impaired where Jon does indeed meet a girl he adores. She is wild about Jon as well, but unfortunately she is allergic to cats. This is cute and clever, though it's a no-brainer as to the choice Jon will make.

If you love Garfield, you will love this DVD. His "original" voice as performed by the late Lorenzo Music and the great writing of Jim Davis combine to make this a five-star treat for fans.

It's taken long enough. But now, with the release of the Garfield movie, seems to be the best time for the fat cats DVD debute. There are 3 TV specials on this DVD, all directed by Phil Roman (Producer of The Simpsons, The Critic, King of the Hill).

The first is 'Here Comes Garfield' from 1982

Most feature-length movies achieve only half of what Here Comes Garfield does. Even though it's only 24 minutes long. Garfield and Odie may have a love/hate relationship but deep down they need each other.

The feline and the canine torment an old neighbor, who promptly calls the animal pound, who takes Odie away. Garfield bids good riddance but later at night the guilt and dread of a missing Odie overpowers him and he sets about rescuing him from the pound.

Garfield may have come from a simple comic strip but there are some touching moments in this TV Special that prove why he has been so consistently popular for the past 25 years.

The animation mimics Jim Davis' early incarnation of Garfield (this was made in 1982) and although it's not as refined as the modern Garfield he's still the same great, fat cat. The late Lorenzo Music is his voice (or thoughts), though Thom Huge is not the voice of John, he would appear in the further TV Specials and the later TV Series.

A genuine classic.

Second up is 'Garfield on the Town' from 1983.

We all know how much Garfield hates going to the vet. So after wrecking Jon's house the fat cat is dragged, kicking and screaming, into the car. But even on the way there Garfield can't sit a peace. Until he falls out of the window and into the busy street.

He quickly learns that freedom from Jon and life on the streets isn't all fun and games. No one is kind to him, he's cold and quickly hungry. So when he dips into a smelly garbage can he's met with hostility from a punk alley cat.

Being house cat and used to home comforts, Garfield cannot match the aggression of this alley cat. More so when a hundred of them (looking more like the Critters from the movie of the same name, than alley cats) come after him.

Garfield takes refuge in an old building which just happens to be Italian Restaurant where he was born. There he meets him mother and the rest of his family. Tho he doesn't belong. And Garfield learns that his real family is Jon and Odie.

It's a very sweet natured story and the ending is cute and touching. There is a good reason why it won an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program.

Lastly we have 'Garfield gets a Life' from 1991.

In this TV special Jon is the one who needs a life. The highlight of his day is counting the tiles on the ceiling and rearranging his sock drawer. Not content with this forever, Jon takes Garfield to a self help group in order to meet people. How many people will be interested in a loner 20-something who's best friend is a cat?

After several failed attempts at getting a girl, including one cringeworthy dance scene that rivals David Brents' fusion of Flashdance and MC Hammer in The Office (Disco's dead?, says Jon), he is more than shocked to find a cute girl who is as much as a jerk as himself.

Naturally, they get on but Garfield is worried that John will forget about him and prefer having kids to a cat. Fortunately Jon's new girlfriend is allergic to cats.

With slicker animation than past TV specials, this feels like a longer episode of Garfield and Friends.

The DVD sports a 1.33:1 picture that presents the animation far cleaner and better than the old VHS tapes ever did. The sound is plain old Mono but it does the trick. The only extra is a brief featurette on the Garfield movie. I do wish Fox would release another DVD like this with other Garfield TV specials like 'Garfield in the Rough', 'Garfield in Paradise' and 'A Garfield Christmas'.

But just get this 'un to tide you over until the Garfield and Friends: Season 1 DVD come out.

All this time looking, with all the other TV Series on DVD (and Charlie Brown specials already exist), we finally get ALL the Garfield shows on DVD...starting with the 3 Specials on here (Garfield As Himself), and also available now for preorder (right here through amazon) is Garfield And Friends Vol1, with 24 Episodes. Plans are to release 5 Volumes to get all 121 shows available to us, as well as the Remaining Specials including the 3 Holiday Shows. Garfield And Friends Vol 2 and the 2nd 'specials' DVD may be available around time for Christmas. (expected anyway).

I am excited, Garfield Just Rocks!!!

EDIT: Garfield Holiday Specials DVD Now Available For Pre-Order Here At Amazon!!!

There is a website that has confirmed notice that every single Garfield cartoon is scheduled to be released! This means every single special, plus all 121 Garfield and Friends cartoons! The first volume of Garfield and Friends comes out in July, and the next volume is scheduled for Christmastime along with the other holiday specials! YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am sooooooo excited for this DVD and the movie! It's going to be great and I absolutely adore this hilarious fat cat! I love him so much cuz he has the same personality as my two cats. I love to imagine my cats saying some of the same things Garfield says. You won't be disappointed with this purchase, as I'm in college and still collect my Garfield stuff and laugh out loud watching the cartoons! I have a full VHS tape of episodes, but they're getting worn out from continuous viewing so these will be so great to have! Thanks Garfield crew for listening to us about releasing these!

You have no idea how long I have been waiting for the Garfield specials to come out on DVD. It never made any sense that you would see Charlie Brown specials during all the holidays but it was so rare to see Garfield. I'm especially excited since I haven't seen a lot of the Garfield specials before and am really looking forward to getting this DVD :)

The Garfield specials playing on TV had slowly gone from being played several times per year to a trickle of only the Halloween and Christmas specials being played just once per year to finally not being played at all. The VHS tapes had been out of print for years and were selling in upwards of $30 for a single Special on eBay... the world was crying out for the Garfield Specials to be released on DVD. Finally some of them are here! The old Garfield specials are better than ever in super high quality digital.

Now hurry up and release the other specials onto DVD too!

I may not be the oldest Garfield Fan(anatic,) I only started getting interested in the fat tabby in his 5th or sixth year, he is now approaching his 27th. But I have grown into a big fan. In fact, I have some Brazilian cousins I tried to hook with his wry humor. I too have all his books, seen all his television specials and have wondered too, "When are all of my favorite "fat tabby's" specials coming to dvd. THank You Jim Davis for your attention to your creation's fans in putting all of his televised maymem on DVD.

IT'S ABOUT TIME! GARFIELD IS COMING TO DVD! THIS DVD IS GOING TO INCLUDE 'GARFIELD GETS A LIFE, 'GARFIELD COMES TO TOWN, AND 'HERE COMES GARFIELD.

I pratically grew up on Garfield cartoons ever since i was young, i'm sooo glad that these specials are finally on DVD!

The first one " Here comes Garfield" is the first Garfield special ever which introduces everyone's favorite fat orange furball as he with Odie the lovable dumb dog get into big trouble then head to the pound where Garfield must free Odie. Then " Garfield on The Town" has our hero escaping from Jon taking him to the vet by being in the big city streets to meet his long lost mother and battle some mean alley cats. Finally in " Garfield gets a Life" Garfield with Jon are sooo bored with their lives they decide to change it for once including trying to find the perfect girl for Jon.

A great collection of classic garfield cartoons for the entire family and great for both kids and adults alike.

We cried out, sent continuous e-mails and death threats (Just kidding about the death threats)and CBS/FOX answers our call at last with a high quality Garfield DVD. This movie shows not 1, but THREE primetime specials of our favorite fat cat. If you think that's cool, look for Garfield and Friends Vol. 1, this July!!! These 2 DVD's are worth the wait.