Parents' Guide to

Garfield

By Nell Minow, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 7+

Live-action cat tale has lots of cartoon violence.

Movie PG 2004 80 minutes
Garfield Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 7+

Based on 16 parent reviews

Garfgarfgarf
Garfgarfgarf Adult
December 14, 2021
age 2+

Wwwwhhhhhhyyyyyy

WHY DID THEY HAVE TO DO THIS TO MY CAT¡!!!!!!!!!!!¡!!!!!!!!?''11!!
kkdaGOAT2112
kkdaGOAT2112 Adult
January 11, 2020
age 2+

Garfield lovers beware

What I was expecting: a funny, original take on a comic strip that I grew up with, and that has a place in my heart as the first comic strip I ever read. What I got: a boring, cliche movie full of product placement and some really ugly CGI (like seriously, Garfield looks high the whole time!) has some funny moments I guess, but only to like, 2-year-olds
See all 16 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on Jim Davis' comic strip about a big, orange, lazy, glutton of a cat, this live-action movie follows the adventures of Garfield (voice by Bill Murray), a "so much time and so little to do" cat who cares for nothing but food (especially lasagna), attention, and being in charge. Life feels pretty good for him until pretty veterinarian Liz (Jennifer Love Hewitt) persuades Jon (Breckin Meyer) to adopt a dog named Odie. Garfield experiences severe sibling rivalry, especially when his efforts to control Odie backfire. Then Odie is taken by an ambitious animal trainer, the decidedly unhappy Happy Chapman (Stephen Tobolowsky), who plans to make him perform on television, and Garfield goes to the rescue.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (16 ):
Kids say (29 ):

None of the plot makes much sense or captures our interest, but there are some pleasantly silly moments along the way. In order to turn a three-panel comic not specifically directed at children into a feature film, the people behind this movie tried to have it both ways. Garfield begins as the unabashedly self-centered, wisecracking character from the comic strip, but then somehow transforms into a loyal friend who is willing to take big risks to save the dog he once considered a rival.

Like the comic strip, the human characters are bland and barely visible. The stars here are the animals, real with some special effects enhancement except for the all-CGI Garfield. Highlights include a dance-off between Garfield and Odie to a Black-Eyed Peas song, a wild ride through air ducts and stairs as Garfield tries to find Odie, and some just-to-keep-the-parents-awake references to Jerry Maguire, Apocalypse Now, Elvis, Billy Joel, and even Shakespeare's Henry V.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about why Garfield was jealous of Odie and Happy was jealous of his brother, and why it was so hard for Jon and Liz to tell each other how they felt.

  • How was the movie similar to the comic strip, and where did the movie have its own style?

  • Why are talking-animal movies so popular? What do you like about them?

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