"The Garfield moving picture" feels more like a dull, stale treat instead of a lavish, satisfying meal.
In this blend of a heist film and a family reunion, the movie mostly uses the feline's iconic features as a foundation, yet it appears to drift even further from its roots with each passing moment. Notable voice performances, led by Chris Pratt in the title role and joined by Samuel L. Jackson, fail to breathe life into a creatively drained project that runs through at least four or five of its nine lives.
The film starts off intriguing during the pre-credits sequence, showing a wide-eyed baby Garfield (these toys aren't going to sell themselves) who's left behind by his dad, Vic (Jackson), a streetwise feline, and ends up getting adopted by Jon (Nicholas Hoult). He even adopts Odie, a canine companion, for company.
Several years later, the grown and chubbier Garfield has his idyllic suburban life disrupted when he's kidnapped (catnapped?) by Jinx (Hannah Waddingham), and his dad is coerced into joining him to extract revenge. This revenge plan involves perpetrating a robbery of milk from Lactose Farm, a scheme that is bound to make even dairy enthusiasts a bit intolerant. During this heist, they encounter a lovesick bull (Ving Rhames) and a security guard (Cecily Strong) named Marge, who shares a similar name to her character on "Fargo."
Despite a series of events that happen, it's all a ruse to keep viewers engaged while watching Garfield and Vic bond and make up after their "Aristocats"-style disagreements, which isn't as heartwarming as expected.
A significant challenge of the project stems from the difficulty of stretching the simplicity of the original "Garfield" comic strip into a long-form narrative, which feels particularly difficult in this case.
Parents have typically sought out summer movies that are safe to take their children to, and while "Garfield" meets these requirements, it's only until family-friendly options like "Inside Out" and "Despicable Me" sequels arrive.
If you're seeking something with more depth than just a PG rating and a pleasant air conditioned environment, "The Garfield Movie" is more like a stale snack than a sumptuous feast.
“The Garfield Movie” premieres on May 24 in US theaters. It's rated PG.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
