GODZILLA X KONG X GARFIELD: A Tale of 3D Animated ANIMALS (Part 2)
Boy, I’m as lazy as the cat himself… Haha, I’m just kidding. But I am sorry for being late!
Last time, I talked about the recent Godzilla X Kong movies and how they were heavy in action and style despite being light on story. I enjoyed the recent "New Empire" film and would like to watch it again. Is it on HBO Max yet? I might watch it after this blog.
Today, I'm discussing the same theme but with everyone's favorite orange tabby, GARFIELD.
For starters, I like Garfield. Garfield, as a comic strip, is adorably funny. I like the art, and Garfield himself is quite the character. And while he's known for eating, sleeping, and kicking Odie around, Garfield has had many adventures. I like some of his older cartoon specials, such as the one where he and Jon buy that magical convertible and the one about his nine lives. I've also seen many Garfield & Friends episodes since they've been added to streaming services like The Roku Channel. Before that, I'd seen the CGI Garfield Show, and while I found it humorous, it wasn't particularly amazing.
What I AM a fan of, however, are the live-action Garfield films. They don't have the best reputation, but I enjoyed them. I particularly liked Bill Murray's performance as Garfield. The man sounds lazy in most roles (I love Bill in Groundhog Day), so it was perfect. Between the original and Tale of Two Kitties, I much prefer the former because of how grounded it is. A Tale of Two Kitties goes straight into Prince & The Pauper territory, which had some funny moments and was one I watched more than the former. But it moved a bit too fast in that direction. I'd like it even better if there was a film between the two. The kid in me will argue otherwise and say that's the better film.
There were also three extra animated DVD films: Garfield Gets Real, Garfield's Fun Fest, and Garfield's Pet Force. They featured the legendary Frank Welker as Garfield, and boy, does his voice fit the character. Between him and Lorenzo Music, it's 50/50 in the voice acting. When I read a Garfield strip, I typically hear either voice actor. As for the films' quality, uh… well, let's say that I rank Gets Real and Fun Fest in the top spot while Pet Force is down… way down. Mainly because I forget it exists. If there's one takeaway from those three films, it led to the previously mentioned CGI series, THE GARFIELD SHOW, which blended what worked from the CGI films and more humor from the comic strips. It's not as good as the original, but that was more when the strip was in its prime than anything else.
However, what happens when you're a decade or two away from those original films and series? You get 2024's THE GARFIELD MOVIE, a reboot of the Garfield film series, and a return to Garfield in animation. I've seen many opinions on this movie, both good and bad. The good comes from the animation, and it's beautiful and cartoony. As we've grown with technology, we've lost a bit of style and substance in our animated films. Of course, I love animation. I take it seriously because it's my passion. But I'm no biased animation YouTuber. If I was, my opinions would be sad. I'm also submerged in a glut of "deep" stories in cartoons and games. I just want a film where I can sit back and laugh. Thankfully, Garfield was just that for this film. It's got vibrant colors. It's got the high-paying movie stars as voice actors. It does not have a lot of modern pop culture references outside of cat videos and drone deliveries. It's also got a lot of Product Placement, surprisingly. Who paid a lot to sponsor the GARFIELD MOVIE? Like, holy moly, it was as prominent as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem merch… and I haven't even seen that movie!
As a film, it's as basic as you can get with Garfield. Garfield meets his long-lost deadbeat dad and goes on an adventure to help his debts to some psychotic influence.
What? That's not what happens when you meet your long-lost parent? Pfft! What kind of childhood did YOU have?
Garfield meets his long-lost father, and they go on an adventure to pay off his debts. Along the way, they help a big ox, voiced by VING RHAMES HIMSELF, reunite with his wife while making a break-in. Of course, the typical stuff happens as one would expect. Mishaps, love, reconnection, betrayal. Yadda yadda. But for me, the decent execution AND the slapstick humor carried this film. It's basic, but I think it did a good job by Garfield's standards (at least in terms of how the general public sees him). Of course, there's the apparent feeling that Chris Pratt voicing Garfield doesn't make sense. I felt the same, especially since Frank Welker is more Garfield than Chris. However, Chris does work because Garfield, in this movie, is more of an active character. Surprising, I know. Garfield is more active in this film (and not as much of a heavyweight) than any previous Garfield material. My only gripe is that he doesn't SOUND lazy. He's got Garfield's emotions down when he's taken out of his element, but he doesn't sound lazy.
My only other gripe about the movie is Jon Arbuckle. They sure left out Garfield's other real companion for a film centered around Garfield. Now, Odie will always be there. It's not a Garfield adventure if Odie isn't around. But Jon completes Garfield's life. Jon is always there, even if he's not particularly active. It's surprising since Garfield films prior had Jon as a significant character. Heck, Arlene doesn't have many appearances, and it was only the CGI DVD films where she made a tangible impact on the story. Having Jon absent for most of the film is the same problem I felt with Illumination's Super Mario Bros. Movie and their treatment of Luigi. It felt incomplete. Even if Jon couldn't follow Garfield 24/7, at least make him rush out looking for Garfield. Show us that side of fatherhood that tells us that even though your biological father may not always be there, the father who adopted you is just as important because he was there. If you want an example, go watch Kung Fu Panda 3.
And, if I'm not mistaken… where's Garfield's mom? In 1983's Garfield on the Town, Garfield meets his mom. The movie shows why she gave him up to a better home in a plot that felt arguably more heartfelt than in the 2024 film. We've met Garfield's dad, so why not Garfield's mom? I'm surprised no one mentioned her.
This film also has the same issue I have with Tom & Jerry movies. I like many of those movies, but I want something other than a feature film sometimes. I just want to see scenarios where Tom & Jerry can't help but fight each other while trying to complete a single task. I'd rather see (at least once in a while) a collection of shorts strung together to tell an anthology story rather than trying to squeeze more out of something that works in small bursts. The same goes for Garfield.
The animation and slapstick carried this movie. I don't know what it was, but the slapstick was hitting on cylinders. I haven't felt hit in a long time. It helps that the director of the film was Mark Dindal, director of my all-time favorite Disney film, The Emperor's New Groove and that one film so many hated, yet I love, Chicken Little. Heck, The Garfield Movie can be seen as a lite version of Emperor's New Groove. It has similar story/character elements from T.E.N.G., but there is little wit or Disney quality to back it up.
I should also note that this movie was made and published by SONY. This movie must have been in development for a while because I remember learning that PAWS, INC. (owners of Garfield and U.S. Acres) was recently bought out by Nickelodeon. So, we'd better appreciate it because the next Garfield movie/show/product will now be under the watchful eyes of Viacom and Nickelodeon. And trust me, just like Ninja Turtles, they'll find a way to change it.
It sounds like I'm not too fond of this film. But at the end of the day, I actually enjoy it. Like I said earlier, I enjoyed this film for what it was. In terms of recent animated films I've seen, I rank this one in the "Decent Fun that Hits What I'm Looking For" category. It's not perfect, even for Garfield standards, but for a funny slapstick comedy cartoon with some heart in this day and age, I really like it. It's so nice, I've seen it twice. It's a reminder that sometimes, you don't need to always have something hitting your nerd brain with a wedge or trying to tug at your heartstrings like real human beings. Sometimes, you need something light, silly, and happy to take you for a fun rollercoaster ride. Life is short. If you want something profound, make it. But remember that it's okay to take it easy and create something silly or stupid. We need laughter in this world. It's good for the soul.
Until next time, dear readers. Don’t forget to give your cat a good brushing, and also don’t forget to…
BE TOONTASTIC~!
~Mr. Toontastic
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