Garfield: Away from Home hits theaters on May 1st with a funny story that focuses on the cat’s relationship with his father.
1 mai
2024
– 12h18
(updated at 4:30 p.m.)
Garfield, the fat, orange cat created by cartoonist Jim Davis in 1978, is back in theaters! After starring in two live-action attempts in the 2000s, the cat appears again in a feature that is as delicious as eating lasagna with lots of cheese. Directed by Mark Dindal (The Emperor’s New Groove), Out of home he succeeds in mixing nostalgia with new things, and finds the right recipe to win over new fans while captivating old ones.
Foto: Columbia Pictures / Canaltech
In the plot, Garfield continues to hate Mondays and going to the vet, but now he is more modern and orders food for delivery. He still lives with his owner Jon and his dog Odie, who exudes charisma and is one of the highlights of the plot. Although peaceful, the duo’s lives change when they are kidnapped by a wild cat.
In Garfield: Away from Home, the cat still hates going to the vet. (Disclosure/Columbia Pictures)
Foto: Canaltech
The trap, in fact, aims to attract Vic, a fat and stocky cat who is Garfield’s father. This turn in the plot makes the film gain momentum and awakens the audience’s curiosity to understand the story behind the protagonist’s life. Just like what happened with Snoopy and Charlie Brown, focusing on Garfield’s childhood and showing how he met Jon helps create even more empathy for the cat, as well as adding extra doses of cuteness to the text.
The relationship between father and son is also well crafted and avoids being corny. It takes a long time for the two of them to finally connect, as if they were two cats scratching each other all the time. However, when Vic’s redemption arrives, it doesn’t sound melancholic and, fortunately, it doesn’t bring down the film’s high spirits.
A delicious adventure
Going further, betting on adventure also did good for the plot. Vic, Odie and Garfield spend almost the entire film trying to get into Lactose Farm to steal a few liters of milk and take it to the evil cat. On the way, they receive help from a bitter buffalo who says everything slowly, which irritates Garfield, but helps to get a good laugh from the audience. From then on, a sequence of chases worthy of Mission Impossiblewhich even lends its theme song to the film, as well as Top Gun: Maverick.
In Garfield: Away from Home the duo is chased by a wicked cat. (Disclosure/Columbia Pictures)
Foto: Canaltech
Choosing action to drive an animation is nothing new in the world of cinema, as we have seen Chicken Run and the various feature films Spider man. However, using gender in Garfield is especially ingenious and thorny, since the cat prides itself on being the slowest, fattest and laziest in the neighborhood. In Out of home, he could have lost some of his identity, but fortunately Dindal and the screenwriters managed to keep his characteristics intact, especially his grumpiness and ability to complain every minute.
Odie, the dog, even without having lines, manages to be the most charismatic of the plot, proving that the dog really is man’s best friend — in this case, the cat. He does everything Garfield tells him to do without complaining and even welcomes Vic with lots of love, starring in moments that bring tears to the audience’s eyes.
 
Built in layers
Just like lasagna, Garfield’s new film is built in layers. First the drama is added, then the adventure and, finally, the comedy. Everything is done naturally and following a recipe already known to the public: taking the protagonist out of his comfort zone and placing him in an absurd situation in which he has no control.
Anyone expecting something revolutionary will be disappointed, but anyone who buys a cinema ticket with the intention of leaving their problems behind and having fun for at least an hour and a half will get what they want. Just like a good lasagna, it’s a well-known flavor, but it’s still delicious.
The Brazilian dubbing of Garfield: Away from Home makes the film even better. (Disclosure/Columbia Pictures)
Foto: Canaltech
And, speaking of the recipe, the Brazilian dubbing adds an extra spice to this dish. Although the original version features big names, such as Chris Pratt, Samuel L. Jackson and Hannah Waddingham, it is in the national version that jokes, expressions and slang known to the public are incorporated into the plot, giving the film an extra flavor.
And, if Jim Davis got one thing right, it was in saying that Garfield is timeless because he connects with human emotions. In fact, the cat’s films and comic strips can be enjoyed in any decade, because the character brings out everything that we, mere humans, feel: gluttony, laziness, fear, guilt and even harshness in parent-child relationships.
Garfield: Away From Home is a film for adults and children. (Disclosure/Columbia Pictures)
Foto: Canaltech
Achieving yet another success, director Mark Dindal delivers a film that is a great option for children, but which will also entertain any adult. The attention to detail made the scene beautiful, proof of this is that it is fascinating to see the difference in fur between Garfield and Vic. Although they both have the same shade of fur, Vic’s looks more dull and unkempt, which reflects the years he lived on the street — in addition to his own personality.
The film’s ending doesn’t deviate from the traditional “happy ending”, but it’s still cute to watch. Finally, Out of home It’s a good option to watch with the family or alone with a bucket of popcorn (or a piece of lasagna!)
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