Garfield is a popular comic strip created by Jim Davis that features the titular character, a lazy and sarcastic orange cat who loves lasagna and hates Mondays. The comic strip follows Garfield’s humorous adventures with his owner Jon Arbuckle and his dog companion Odie. Garfield has also been adapted into various TV shows, movies, and merchandise over the years.

Growing up, I loved reading the comic strips, and books, and even watching the cartoon Garfield and Friends. I related to Garfield. I was a lazy human who hated Mondays but loved food. Kindred spirits if you will. It has been over a decade since we’ve seen the hungry cat on the big screen and now he has made his big screen return with The Garfield Movie.

THE GARFIELD MOVIE BRINGS THE LAUGHS AND THE NOSTALGIA

The Garfield Movie promises a never-before-seen story with characters we’ve never met. Which means an origin story and a wild and crazy adventure. We get to meet Garfield’s father, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson) and the two get to work out their issue through laughs and crazy scenarios. Vic used to run with a cat gan that stole milk from a local farm.

However, one night Jinx (Hannah Waddingham) got caught and was sent to the pound. Now, she’s out for revenge. With the help of her minions, Roland (Brett Goldstein) and Nolan (Bowan Yang), Garfield and Vic have to steal a milk truck to spare their lives. Along the way, they meet Otto (Ving Rhames). He’s the old mascot of the farm who was “put out to pasture” with the love of his life trapped inside.

Garfield Of Old

All these characters lead to laugh-out-loud moments, heartstring pulls, and a really fun adventure story for all ages to enjoy. We get a lot of nostalgic nods in a montage reminding viewers exactly who Garfield is. I also loved getting to see Garfield as an adorable kitten and learning a little bit about where he came from. I also appreciate the “adult” humor for lack of a better description. The jokes never talk down to the kids and the ones they won’t understand are also great. Watching John be sleep-deprived and ready to burn things down over being on hold forever is relatable. I enjoyed seeing Garfield and his father face their regrets and demons in a way that is easily digestible and poignant. Not to mention, whoever had the idea to use Top Gun music at one point deserves a raise.

The voice-over cast was absolutely stellar with a couple of surprises like Snoop Dogg as Snoop Cat, and Cecily Strong pulling out all the Minnestoa she can with the head of security, Marge. There was also Nicholas Hoult (The Great) as John Arbuckle, and Harvey Guillén (What We Do In The Shadows) as the voice of Odie. But, let’s talk about Chris Pratt who takes on the iconic voice of Garfield himself. Previously, the hungry cat was voiced by Bill Murray. So, Pratt had some huge shoes to fill and I think he did a great job. I didn’t find him overly distracting and he did a good job adding to the fun.

So if you’re looking for family friendly good time at the movies make sure to see The Garfield Movie on May 19, 2024!

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