Legendary cat’s animated adventure has peril, lots of ads.
“The Garfield Movie” is the first fully animated mainstream release based on Jim Davis’s popular comic strip about the iconic orange cat who loves lasagna and hates Mondays. It follows Garfield (voiced by Chris Pratt) from his kittenhood meet-cute with owner Jon (Nicholas Hoult) to an unexpected reunion with his long-lost father, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), that puts Garfield’s survival skills (or lack thereof) to the test. Expect lots of slapstick violence, including falls and face-smackings; a scene where a cat swallows a bird and another in which a bird is electrocuted; and many chases and confrontations in which main characters are nearly injured or killed (or, in one case, land in a pile of manure). There’s also one mildly suggestive scene that’s likely to go over kids’ heads, plus a few insults like “worthless,” “outcast” and “crazy,” and a use of the British slang “bloody.” Garfield’s laziness, size and larger-than-life appetite are played for laughs (including a fatphobic joke about him breaking a scale). The movie’s frequent, overt product placement makes it seem like an ad for Olive Garden, Sony, Popchips and more. All of that said, there are clear themes of perseverance, teamwork and forgiveness, as well as the importance of communication between parents and children. (111 minutes)
