Review: "The Garfield Movie" and why it speaks volumes.

7.5/10. (SPOILER ALERT. SPOILERS AHEAD).

It's an animated reboot starring Chris Pratt. It's a box office hit. It's not what you'd expect from a "Garfield" plot, and it's not outstanding.

With all of this being said, there is a silver lining that slyly emerges throughout the shenanigans of Garfield, his estranged father, Odie, some cows, (who surprisingly fit into the narrative really well), and the feline ringleader of some cartoonishly vicious cats. To understand, we need to go back to "Garfield and Friends." The 80s-90s cartoon is often deemed by fans to be the best representation of Garfield, (in film), to date, and has a devoted monday-hating fanbase. The situational and often-sarcastic humor is something unforgettably comical, yet wholesome. The narrative was relatable, yet whimsical and creative. There were quite-literally entire episodes devoted to Garfield's imagination, creativity, and ambition, which is an impressive feat on behalf of the writers, considering that Garfield is lazy by definition. By weaving a witty and dynamic character, who was bound to a simplistic stereotype, into well crafted stories, the makers of Garfield and Friends had something really special on their hands. The question is... how does this tie-in to the new Garfield Movie?

Simply put, it provides a contrast between three things; Garfield's potential, what Garfield is "supposed" to be, and wha we got in "The Garfield Movie". The episodes of Garfield and Friends deviated from the norm, whereas "The Garfield Movie" traps the lasagna lover in a slightly-generic plot while he tries to entertain us with his signature personality. Yes, the movie is funny. Yes, it creates an intriguing character dynamic between Garfield's father and just about everyone else on the cast list. The movie is phenomenally animated, with several nods to the original animation style of Garfield, (the way he claws at stuff, the way he eats Lasagna), and it remembers John's career as a cartoonist. It doesn't, however, "feel" like a Garfield movie. It just feels like the story of "an" animated character. I find the decision to assign Garfield an estranged father to be somewhat odd, as Garfield already has a caring mother, ("Garfield on the Town"). It just doesn't seem fitting for his character, considering that his mother is not even mentioned, or hinted at, in any way.

Something that also doesn't seem fitting for his character is his (initial) lack of wit, tact, and independence. Sure, Garfield depended a lot on John. The thing is that, if it came down to it, Garfield was always able to get by on his own. It's empowering for everyday people to see Garfield, a lazy, cynical, and sarcastic cat, possess a certain set of problem-solving skills without relying on others. Does every character need development? Yes. Does Garfield need to lose his wittiness in favor of an over-reliance on modern-day solutions? Probably not.

Now, back to that silver lining. Despite all of its faults, "The Garfield Movie" does have a relatable and whimsical narrative. Garfield is dragged into the shenanigans of his estranged father (Vic), setting him on a quest to steal milk, which leads to him learning about the world around him. Part of Garfield's charm has always been to put the audience into the shoes of a relatable character, whether they be lonely, poverty-stricken, or otherwise disadvantaged. In the case of Otto, a famous mascot for Lactose Farms, he has been separated from Ethel, his love-interest who is also a mascot of the farm, at the whim of the new and greedy corporate owners of Lactose Farms. He ends up shaking his pessimistic nature when Garfield, Vic, and Odie all reveal their need to sneak into Lactose Farms and offer to help free Ethel in the process. The sheer amount of well-executed interpersonal character relationships is impressive, despite the lacking nature of the overall plot that this narrative is trapped within. The antagonist, Jinx, is a tad generic, too, but this doesn't stop her from having a meaningful origin story. Sure, she's a cat seeking revenge on an ex-friend, but she is also a cat who came from nothing, robbed milk from time to time, and got caught without much aid from the gang of cats who she was robbing milk with. That means something, right?

"The Garfield Movie" is a forewarning of the generic nature of animated reboots in Hollywood. "The Garfield Movie" has many flaws, and sometimes struggles to stick true to its leading cat. "The Garfield Movie", however, is also a job well-done in its unique take on the films characters and illustrious animation... among other things.