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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Finally, we have Garfield on DVD., July 11, 2004
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.
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DVD ~ Lorenzo Music
DVD ~ Lorenzo Music
DVD ~ Thom Huge
DVD ~ Artist Not Provided
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