Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties Review
Posted by Chad Webb on 06.22.2006
Garfield is much funnier than this....really.
Jon Arbuckle: Breckin Meyer
Liz Wilson: Jennifer Love Hewitt
Lord Dargis: Billy Connolly
Mr. Hobbs: Roger Rees Featuring the Voices of:
Garfield: Bill Murray
Prince: Tim Curry
Winston: Bob Hoskins
Eenie: Jane Leeves
Meenie: Jane Horrocks
McBunny: Rhys Ifans
Directed By: Tim Hill
Release Date: June 16, 2006
Running Time: 80 minutes
Rated PG for some off-color elements.
I have always been a huge fan of the Garfield character, whether it is his daily comic strip by Jim Davis, the Saturday morning cartoon show, or his films. Now, some of you might think my opinion of the newest Garfield live action film, Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties is a bit biased, but you may be surprised at my impartiality. Those of us who regularly read the comic strips have our personal favorites, which do not change. Basically, either you love this fat cat, or you don't. That alone should tell viewers how they will ultimately feel about these movies. Unfortunately, this sequel brings with it the same exact problems that the first one possessed.
The story is pretty simple. Jon Arbuckle (Breckin Meyer) has been happily dating the Veterinarian Liz for awhile now. He is preparing to propose to her, but Garfield (Voice of Bill Murray) does not want that to happen. It turns out that Liz is invited to England for a conference on animals, which is being held at the Castle Carlyle. At the Castle Carlyle lives a pampered cat named Prince (Voice of Tim Curry), who has just inherited the grounds from the now deceased Lady Eleanor. It seems that the wickedly despicable Lord Dargis (Billy Connolly) was hoping he would have been given the Castle. Dargis is next in line to rule the Castle, and so, he promptly decides to get rid of Prince by sending him in a basket down the river. Meanwhile, Jon Arbuckle decides to surprise Liz by following her to England, so he can finally propose correctly. Garfield and Odie then sneak into one of Jon's bags to accompany him to over seas. After arriving in England, Garfield wastes no time in causing trouble. While Garfield is out exploring the country, he is mistaken for Prince, who has disappeared due to Lord Dargis' vile plan. Shortly thereafter, Prince is picked up by Jon Arbuckle as if he were Garfield. Garfield is enjoying life as a king, but Lord Dargis still poses a problem.
The voice of Garfield is crucial in a film like this, and I can honestly say Bill Murray does a fine job as the lasagna loving feline, even if some lines are geared more towards his wit. Furthermore, the creators have obviously done their homework on the character of Garfield. He does everything he did in the cartoons. He has his stuffed animal bear Pooky, he kicks Odie of the table, and that sarcastic sense of humor remains a constant presence. However, certain segments in the original, and in this sequel still puzzle me. I remember many fun and exciting Garfield adventures, but I don't remember him dancing, or singing to "Cat Scratch Fever" while playing air guitar. Garfield is a lazy cat. He does not sing (a lot), dance, or "love to party" as they say in the trailer. Among his hobbies are watching TV, sleeping, and eating. In, A Tale of Two Kitties, only the eating is covered.
I even started to warm up to the real life dog who portrays Odie in this film. I felt that he was better trained to act like the clueless, yet lovable dog that everyone loves. Jennifer Love Hewitt is once again a perfect match as Liz the Veterinarian. Not only does she look the part, but the character suits her personality. She adds a nice taste of allure for all those fathers who are taking their children to see this. The primary flaw in these movies is Breckin Meyer as Jon Arbuckle. Meyer is an admirable actor, but he does not resemble Jon, or act like Jon in any way. The character of Jon Arbuckle is a dork, who is terrible with women, and cannot hold a relationship. He wears bad shirts, has annoying relatives, and so on. People who are not familiar with the Garfield comic strip will see Breckin Meyer depict Jon as a normal guy, when he is not.
While Garfield's humor is still delightful and amusing at points, it is dimmed down here in order to appeal to the target audience. That particular audience happens to be children under the age of….about 12. The cartoons were funny to adults and children, but these films have been altered to be a bit too playful. Just like any pet owners home is covered in pet hair, this film is covered in clichés. The actual switch between the two cats goes down rather preposterously, and Billy Connolly as Lord Dargis is your typical exaggerated villain to the point that the audience could care less about anything he says or does. It comes down to the fact that Garfield does not translate sufficiently to a real life storyline. Point in fact, a storyline similar to this one was used in the cartoon show Garfield and Friends. Those short stories are about 8-10 minutes long. This film is 80 minutes long. It's obvious a lot of fat was added to the cat this time around.
Director Tim Hill is no stranger to children's films. He has previously directed Muppets in Space, and aided in writing episodes for the Spongebob Squarepants TV show. His filmmaking is quite ordinary, and lacks the essential creativity to enliven Garfield from a cartoon to a CGI cat. The various barnyard animals that live amongst the Castle were sporadically entertaining. These farm animals are nowhere near as endearing as Jim Davis' U.S. Acres cartoon. Bob Hoskins has some humorous moments as the dog Winston. Tim Curry is an adequately pleasurable choice for a royal British cat Prince, but his comedy did not mesh well with Garfield's mockery. Any scene with humans is an eye sore, and that should not be the case. In many ways this film is superior to its predecessor, and true to the spirit of Garfield, but in other ways it is just as bland as the original. Jim Davis' Garfield had that special spark, but that spark is non existent as a live action film.
The 411: I had fun during some portions of this film, but I left the theater feeling the same way as I did when I saw the first one. The crew was very faithful to the comic strip, but not faithful enough. This just gives me another reason to keep watching the volumes of the Garfield cartoon show. It is much better.
