Here’s an interesting question. How do you turn a weekly comic strip, and short animated series into a 90 minute feature length film with real people, make it entertaining, funny, and interesting to watch?
The answer is you can’t. Or at least, Garfield is a poor example. Starring the voice of Bill Murray, the pretty looking but shallow-acting Jennifer Love Hewitt and that guy from Road Trip, who I don’t care for. The film is so bad, I don’t even want to remember it, but to save the lives of those who do watch it, I will do my best to remember.
There are many flaws in this film, but that’s not really the problem. The core disappointment and the sheer lunacy of even attempting to do this film is that of a repetitious gimmick lasting for approximately 90 minutes: a talking cat. In the original comic strip, and subsequent animated TV series, Garfield remained silent, except for his thought bubbles in the comic, which was replicated in the TV animation as a “though voice”.
It’s not a problem that he is able to speak, as it still seems as if his owner is unable to make out what Garfield is saying, that is to say he doesn’t understand what Garfield is saying, but an impression is given that he understands his behavior. Garfield himself is far, far too athletic for what is essentially the laziest cat, nay, animal in the world. He jumps, he runs, he climbs and does the sort of things unexpected and unlikely for Garfield. This again isn’t the problem.
This film stinks, and I’m shocked Bill Murray even did the voice. I guess he needs a bit of change for old age, since he’s not getting any younger
The unfortunate thing about Garfield the movie is it is absolutely dire, in every respect. There is one highlight, with a dance stand off of sorts to Black Eye Peas “Hey Mamma” track, which is played at several time sin the film, is one of their more annoying tracks, and starts to great after 20 seconds, and yet runs on and on. It seems to have been the only well known commercial track they bothered to license, and it’s over use is perhaps evidence of the fact all the money went on CGI Garfield. The film as whole is incredibly boring, with little in the way of plot, and nothing that you haven’t seen other “talking animal” films. There is no innovation, no originality, and most criminally, no fun to be had watching this. I watched this with an 8 year old, and even he started to yawn and start staring out of the window.
Performances from the human counterparts are OK for what they’re expected to do; behave like idiotic people and fall in and love and so on. It’s all rather predictable, and so monotonous, it’s like having your bowels moved with a lawn mower; it’s neither comfortable, nor enjoyable. Jennifer Love Hewitt was surprising, as I swear she’s had a chest reduction, but this could be a case of male fantasy not quite working this time. It’s unfortunate she can’t act, as she is pretty to look at. But then I guess, so is a picture, and it has the equivalent acting attributes as the real life Love Hewitt, so it’s perhaps irrelevant.
I wouldn’t waste my time watching this again, and I would save your children or young ones from watching this absolute bore and tragedy of a film. There is little that can rescue it from death, and it has bombed as far as I am aware. I would challenge anyone to argue that this film is fun, good, hell I would challenge anyone to say this film is even average, because it fails to even manage that. You have to have pretty bad taste in films to enjoy this offence.
This film stinks, and I’m shocked Bill Murray even did the voice. I guess he needs a bit of change for old age, since he’s not getting any younger. For the other two homosapien stars, this is a typical film for inconsistently, inadequate performances, so well done to them for keeping their record in check. God forbid they actually ever act.
Verdict: Tiresome novelty with little in the way of laughs or fun. Don’t expose your children to this rubbish.