Actually, there haven’t been that many movies about the orange cat since Jim Davis created him in 1978. Beyond television products and the two live-action installments with Bill Murray, ‘Garfield: The Movie’ is one of the few big bets that have been made to adapt in a big way to the laziest feline. This lazy character is one of the few characteristics of Garfield reflected in this new version, as childish as it is impersonal, that does not contribute anything either to adults or in comparison to the previous ones.
Tasteless recipe
The first failure is the answer to the question that every adaptation of a classic must ask itself: what does it contribute? The traditional departure and return trip aims to (re)unite Garfield with his father, but it does so by removing the cat from his iconic surroundings and fun routines that are only shown for a few minutes. That’s what people wanted to see, just like the origin story with Baby Garfield, which is also completely wasted (they haven’t even played with this tremendous vein that’s so fashionable for merchandising). As in all aspects of the film, the script tries to look pretty with good lines but fails to go beyond the standard.
In the absence of a charismatic protagonist, the secondary characters are the ones that generate the most laughter and entertainment. All of them are adorable and reflect an animal variety that does add a little more identity to the film. At least on paper, since it is quite curious and sad to see how all the animals are completely denatured and fulfill the function of mere secondary formulas, no matter what race they are. Although the most absent character of all is, precisely, the one who could have provided the most contrast, such as Garfield’s owner, Jon.
The good ingredients
The finish of this very formulaic dish is even more sad when you see the ingredients that could have given it a special flavor. Some recurring gags are based heavily on current technology and even use them very intelligently in key moments of the action. The confrontation between dogs and cats or other animals is also slightly intuited, especially through the funniest scene-stealer that is Odie. He really deserved a movie of his own with his hilarious dumb genius character; yes, with more dog personality than what is told here.
The only approach that works in ‘Garfield: The Movie’ is slapstick humor where these references mentioned in the previous paragraph are used and which could well have also defined the plot. Even the viral kitten video pranks were a great idea! That’s where the few laughs for adults come from. For them, it would have also worked to exploit the incomprehensibly eroded nihilistic character of this Garfield or the meta-references and direct appeals to the audience. That ‘Deadpool’ combination of gritty humor and action really suits the character.
The action saves two very well-crafted sequences for the end that will reward the parents who have had to get into the room with their children, through fun film-loving winks at will. This is the only moment in which the rhythm of the director of ‘The Emperor and His Follies’, Mark Dindal, is seen. For the previous two-thirds of the film, adults will be bored watching the more standard punches and pranks that can entertain children. The animation is just as flat as the rest of the aspects. Neither the hair nor the positions of the cats are perceived on the screen, and the same with the peculiarities of the rest of the animals among which it is presumed more quantity than quality.
By not showing off in any other possible aspect, it is difficult not to see Santiago Segura behind the voice of Garfield. The nuances or adaptation that was noticeable in the first trailers with the voice of Chris Pratt’s usual dubbing actor (Guillermo Romero) are missing. Who it is difficult to recognize (and that is a compliment in this area) is Alaska and Pepe Rodríguez. The legendary singer and voice of ‘Hotel Transylvania’ has had a fabulous time voicing the villain and scratching her voice like a cat like that would do. For his part, the chef and jury of ‘Masterchef’ makes his debut as a dubbing actor, descending towards a bass that is very in line with the character and making him completely invisible.
When the years go by again, this new ‘Garfield: The Movie’ will be seen as a spin off rather than a relaunch or reconstruction of the myth. This separate story is something that already established animated sagas like ‘Despicable Me’ can afford to have achieved a deep depth with ‘The Minions’. But The Orange Cat isn’t established enough to be relaunched with a filler episode that doesn’t advance the plot or exploit the character. It’s a children’s film, yes, but perhaps too much so.
4
The best: Every Odie scene. The Alaska Dub.
The worst: The approach of the film. It will bore adults, and maybe some children.