Customer Reviews

Garfield - The Movie (Follow Along Edition)

5 star:		(81)
4 star:		(46)
3 star:		(42)
2 star:		(24)
1 star:		(34)

 

 

I am little bit surprised that Garfield: The Movie got such negative reviews from critics. I thought it was quite cute and funny.

The plot of the movie is a silly caper. Garfield is well ensconced as John's favorite companion until John meets a cute nurse at the vets office. In trying to work up courage to ask her out, she fobs a dog off on him, Odie. Well, it doesn't take Garfield long to get jealous of the new pet in John's life and he works to get rid him. There are some very funny scenes with Garfield knocking Odie around, trying to play tricks on him, and funniest of all, competing with each other dancing.

Enter a nefarious TV personality who needs a trained animal to hit it big. After seeing Odie dancing at a dog show (another silly and funny caper) he kidnaps poor Odie. And Garfield finds he does have a heart and off to the rescue he goes.

Overall, for some light, comic entertainment the movie was enjoyable. I'm not sure how true the movie is to the comic strip as I am a sporadic reader of it, but it seemed to fit to me.

There are not really any particularly good special features in the DVD.

Garfield the cat is a fat, lazy, self-centered, and entirely lovable ball of orange fur. He lives with his owner, Jon Arbuckle, a good-hearted young man who has up to now been unlucky in love, but has a huge crush on Garfield's beautiful vet, Liz. One day, after Jon finds Garfield has eaten himself silly on his favorite dish, lasagna, Jon uses it as an excuse to take him to see Liz. This is a happy turn of events for Liz, who has been looking for someone to unload an unwanted dog on; an adorable little pooch named Odie. Soon, Odie is Jon's favorite pet, while Garfield is finding himself in the doghouse. But when an unscrupulous TV personality from the nearby city spies Odie's dancing skills at a local dog show, the simple minded little pup suddenly turns up missing. With feelings of guilt forced upon him by his neighborhood friends and his own conscience, Garfield decides he must go on a quest to the big city to rescue his new friend. From here on out it's a typical Garfield adventure with all the feel of his wonderful animated series and specials, full of excitement, danger, comedic antics, and fun!

In 2001 we lost Lorenzo Music, the true voice of Garfield. Bill Murray (one of the genuinely funniest guys around) fills his shoes in this live-action feature, and he does it well! No, he doesn't sound EXACTLY the same, but there is something very familiar in their voices and deliveries. In fact, Lorenzo voiced Bill Murray's character, Peter Venkman, for the first part of the "Real Ghostbusters" animated series' run. Bill has exactly the right dry, sarcastic, and disinterested wit needed for the role of Garfield. One reviewer complained that he sounded bored. PERFECT! In this movie Bill Murray IS Garfield. I usually have complaints about CGI. I still don't think it's as perfected as the industry seems to think it is, but the fact remains, Garfield looks great. He looks real, yet he looks just like Garfield. Bill does him perfectly. His personality is totally intact. I read a review that complained about Garfield going on an adventure to save Odie, saying Garfield would never do something like that because he's too selfish and self-centered. Folks, if you are not a fan of Garfield's animated exploits, perhaps you may feel the way that reviewer did. The comic strip only gives us a few moments in Garfield's life each day, just enough for a simple gag or sarcastic remark. In the animated series and specials we see all the aspects of Garfield's personality. Under all that selfish fur and flab lurks a warm-hearted, loving cat that would do anything for his family (complaining the whole time, I'll grant you). Therefore, if you only love the brief, sarcastic moments of Garfield you read in the comics, perhaps you just won't get it. Fans of Garfield in animation will understand this film much better. After all, Jim Davis had a hand in this too, he didn't just completely turn things over to Hollywood.

Many complaints about "Garfield: The Movie" are from those who have prejudged this film without seeing it, or from folks who simply don't dig family entertainment. True, Garfield and the other animals move their "lips" when they talk, unlike in the cartoons and comics. The fact is, as long as the humans can't hear what they say, it doesn't matter. According to Jim Davis, they chose to do this because it just looks better on screen, and he's right. Movies like "Homeward Bound," that rely on animal telepathy, can still be great films, but there's something a little more comfortable (oddly enough) about films where the animals actually "speak" when they speak. It's a very minor complaint, even to this long time Garfield fan. A more worthy complaint is over the fact that Garfield is the only CG character. This is also blown out of proportion. It's not that bad for the most part. CGI effects are far more distracting in movie previews, before you are engrossed in the films that feature them. In fact, the only visual aspect that I found really distracting was the fact that Nermal was a Siamese cat instead of a cute gray kitten. Contrariwise, Arlene looked more like a full grown Nermal. I really felt they should have reversed the cats that played these rolls, and I'm still not sure why Nermal wasn't a kitten. Perhaps these two should have been CG too. But overall it was a visually pleasing Garfield experience, with a perfect Garfield and Odie.

But let's not overlook the human characters. Breckin Meyer plays Jon, and one of my personal dreamgirls, Jennifer Love Hewitt, is the veterinarian, Liz. While the actors were nicely cast, their roles were not perfectly written. Jon was still a nice guy and almost on the mark, but he wasn't quite dorky enough. Where was the tacky clothing? Liz was just a little too sweet and into Jon. I guess it wouldn't have made for much of a romance angle, which was cute in the movie, but it would have been more true to the characters if she had been mostly uninterested in Jon. Overall, I'd have to say this is the only SOLID flaw in the film, and the only thing keeping me from giving it 5 stars. The villain of the story was very "Garfield the animated series," but I often think it would have been nice if he had been portraying Binky the Clown instead of an all new character. But all in all, this is a wonderful, family friendly movie that really keeps the spirit of the fat cat intact and should be enjoyable to all Garfield fans if they don't prejudge or limit themselves to the world of the comics. This DVD edition, however, offers little more to enjoy than the film itself. You are given the option of viewing in full or widescreen, but there are no extra features related to the film. All the disc boasts is a behind the scenes featurette, but it isn't even about Garfield; it's about "Because of Winn Dixie," a dog movie that was not yet in theaters at the time of the DVD release. I highly recommend getting a copy of this fun family film, but you may want to wait for the upcoming "Purrrfect Collector's Edition." Not sure what will be on that, but it's gotta offer more than this first release.

Having been a fan of Garfield for as long as I can remember, I have been eagerly awaiting this movie for months. I was not disappointed and can hardly wait to see it again as soon as possible.

Garfield's voice has passed from the late Lorenzo Music to Bill Murray with great success. Murray has successfully captured all the subtle nuances of the tubby tabby as Garfield reveals his love/hate relationship with Odie, his disdain of Jon balanced with his desire to be #1 in his care-giver's life, and, of course, his love of lasagna, tv, and self.

What we loyal readers of Garfield may not have realized is that the Fat Cat is a smooth dancer as he gyrates, swings his tail, and even does an astonishingly good imitation of Elvis.

The plot takes us back to the day Odie came into Garfield and Jon's lives and of the jealousy that Garfield felt for the intruder in his happy home. Also present are Pooky, Nermal, and Arlene. Though Nermal is far different from the cute little kitten who appears in the strips, he still is the butt of Garfield's not-so-nice little tricks. On the other hand, the animation of Garfield is just right as is the moviemaker's ability to integrate a cartoon cat into a world of real humans and animals. Speaking of humans, Jon and Dr. Liz the Vet have had personality upgrades from the strip. Jon loses much of the geekiness but retains the innocence and even gets a chance with Dr. Liz---something that's never happened in the daily strip.

There are plenty of laughs in this and I had a totally good time watching the full hour and twenty-five minutes.

Some of the reviews here claim it doesn't meet the 'spirit' of the comic strip, or is an 'awful' movie. Don't try and compare a live action & CGI story with a 3 sqaure comic strip and you'll enjoy. If you just sit back and let yourself be entertained, there's nothing wrong with it.

I liked the degree of realism for Garfield. Obviously, he's CGI, but the way his fur is rendered is impressive enough that he becomes a character on the screen and not merely some flashy graphics.

Hey, Hollywood may be desperately running out of ideas, but I have been hoping and waiting for a Garfield movie to come out since I was in the 4th grade and am completely ecstatic that they finally made one. Yeah, I'm one of the so-called "idiots" who feels it is long overdue (as are its fellow releases of the Garield TV specials and Garfield and Friends on DVD.) But no matter how many people trash Garfield I'll always love him just simply because. This movie may be a little off compared to the original strip and story, but who cares? So was Count of Monte Cristo. If you don't like Garfield, don't see the movie, but stop trashing it for those of us who enjoyed it. Because at the end of the day Garfield is still one of top selling characters in the world, and Jim Davis is still making all kinds of killings off his idea.

Bill Murray stars in the world's first "shaggy cat" movie. The plot of "Garfield" isn't as much a bunch of old "Garfield" strips stitched together as a single strip stretched to about 90 minutes. In the story, Garfield and Jon live an idyllic existence in a small house in a sunny suburban cul-de-sac of somewhere-in-America (a huge metropolis looms at the edge of the cul-de-sac, sort of like "The Emerald City"). We don't know what Jon does but it doesn't require that he ever have to leave home. Flamboyantly pathetic in the cartoon, Jon here is just a soft-spoken wimp, pining for Liz (Jennifer Love Hewitt) a girl Jon's yearned for for years, and is now Garfield's vet. When Liz foists Odie, a stray dog, on Jon, he accepts, and now Garfield has some competition at home. At first "Garfield" follows "Toy Story" - with Garfield as a meaner version of Woody battling the new pet for his owner's devotion. Though Odie hasn't any lines (he's one of the few animals who doesn't speak at all) he soon proves he's no push-over. Unfortunately, in stealing Garfield's fire, Odie attracts the unwanted attentions of an amoral pet-show host (Stephen Tobolowsky - also playing his more successful brother), and it's Garfield to the rescue.

"Garfield" is light fun for the kids. It doesn't have any of that subversive, frightening or just plain crude fun that marked "Cat in the Hat", and yet it's breathlessly edited so that it never slows down for those adults who have to sit through it with them. Bill Murray, playing the voice of Garfield, has fun with the role - adding his lounge-singer routine from SNL to the original voice as done by Lorenzo Music and updating it for the 21st century. I caught this with my 7 year older and she loved it.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this movie. I love Garfield, and he's so cute, but the movie doesn't live up to expectations. The trailer doesn't really make you want to see it, and if you read and still own the books, then you'll have very high expectations.

The film starts off well - with Garfield sitting up in bed (with Pooky!), and saying his infamous line "I hate Mondays". Even from then, despite being the fattest cat ever, there's something just not quite right about the whole CGI of Garfield. He looks completely different, although the bug eyes are down pat.

Odie isn't the brown floppy eared, bright yellow dog he is in the books - is there even such a dog? He's something like a jack russell, and it totally doesn't work. If they'd made a CGI version of Odie as well, it probably would have worked much better. And as for Nermal & Arlene don't seem quite right - Nermal is the cute little fluffykins s/he is the books, and Arlene comes off OK I suppose.

Jon doesn't seem to have much screen time in this, and when he does, it's the unbelieveable romance between him and the 'vet', played by Jennifer Love Hewitt. Bleurgh. In the books, I remember (maybe I need the excuse to re-read the ones I have?) the vet having the bobbed hair, but looking nothing like Jennifer Love Hewitt. And the romance just doesn't do anything for the audience. Jon was a lot more neurotic, super nerd, who couldn't get a date, and not that good looking in the books, whereas Breckin Meyer is alright on the eye, but not trembling knees gorgeous.

Garfield in the books didn't move very much, but in this, he dances and shakes his fat booty to the Blackeyed Peas "Hey Mama" - which he does well. Until Odie joins in - you can practically see someone holding a treat above his head, and the moves are very repetitive.

Bill Murray is perfect as the voice of Garfield. He has the dry sarcasm and wit of the book Garfield, although the singing voice isn't really up to scratch!

Maybe I remember the days of rushing home after school, and watching endless repeats of Garfield on TV - OK, I only vaguely remember it, but they were better than this. If the movie had been similar to that, or more along the lines of Shrek (more CGI for the animals etc), I probably would prefer it. I'll get the DVD, but if you have any sense, you'll stick to the books, and the good ol' Garfield.

This movie is very enjoyable for tykes and those who love animal movies. However, the rest of the adults will find this movie lacking. The plot is unoriginal and found ot be predictable.

THIS IS 1 OF THE BEST MOVIES FOR KIDS & ADULTS. BILL MURRAY IS WONDERFUL AS "GARFIELD". MY 1 YEAR OLD LOVES IT & WILL SIT & WATCH IT.. ALL OF US LOVE IT.. WE CRACK UP EVERY TIME..

I can't tell you exactly why I love this movie... but, Bill Murray delivers. My friends all look at me as if I'm a bit crazy...and I have placed the blame on my 6 year old for our owning this movie... but, I love it. I put it in once a week... there is just something about it that makes me laugh and when you have a 6 year old...you can use all the laughs you can get. Hope you like this movie as much as we (I) do!