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2004 https://boxd.it/1agpt3
1.5
There's a website called "Garfield Minus Garfield" which is dedicated to removing Garfield from the comic strips with him in it, and leaving only Jon, or Odie, or whichever other characters are in the strip. The result is hilarious and far more entertaining than the original, and I think this movie could do with some of that. Honestly, I think it would be a far better movie if it focused more on Jon and his relationship with Liz, "Happy" Chapman and his dastardly deeds, Lewis the mouse and whatever his life is like, and even the other animals that live in the cul de sac. I don't care about Garfield in this movie at all.
Now, I do want to give the movie credit for at least retaining some of the spirit of the comic strip. Garfield is still just a cat, and speaks, but none of the people can understand what he's saying. He does all the things that Garfield normally gets up to in the strip, and is a much better adaptation than I would have expected.
That doesn't make it any good, though. It tries very hard to make me think it's good, but much like the source material, it's just the same recycled jokes that we've all heard before intended to sell us a product with this cat's face on it.
It's also more than a little weird that Garfield is a full CGI creation, and all the other animals in the movie are just animals, with some CGI mouth movements and a bit of CGI embellishment in the eyes at times. I didn't like it. Is this the uncanny valley? I think it is. I don't know.
The movie is also bad because it completely removes Lyman, Odie's original owner in the comic strip and an early roommate of Jon's. I mean, with a movie this focused on Odie it seems like he could have at least had a cameo. Maybe he's in the next movie.
Also, Bill Murray should not sing. He has a great voice, just not a very good singing voice. It's already a bad movie. There's no need to make it worse by doing that. I already knew that I would hate this movie before I started, but somehow Mr. Murray made me hate it in ways that I didn't even expect to.
Just don't see it. Jim Davis doesn't need any more of your money.