When I saw it today I was expecting to prove the tagline wrong.
I didnt.
Bill Murray IS Garfield. The actor embodies the cat with such charisma and charm that even when the jokes miss the delivery hits out of the park. Bill Murray carries the film on the back of his little animated back. Problem is, this movie desperately needs to be carried!
Let's start with the animals. Garfield is animated---Odie, Nermle, Arlene arent. This would be a decent enough creative decision if the supporting animals werent as smart as Garfield. Smart meaning didnt talk, couldnt do human things etc. But they do! They talk in that wierd slightly computer generated way (a la Cats and Dogs). It's extremely unsettling to think how much the movie wouldve improved if the animals had the same quirkiness that Garfield has.
But I accepted the fact that Odie was a real dog.
I DIDNT accept Jon or Liz. Now correct me if Im wrong, but isnt Jon sort of lame, kind of goofy, with no sense of style or anything for that matter. Isnt he in love with Dr. Liz? And doesnt she know it and acts sarcastic about it? Isnt Dr. Liz----excuse the term---a bitch?
Well, apparently the director disagrees with me and so he has made Jon, not a hapless loser, but a hapless loser with lots of luck. He's lucky because Dr. Liz is nice and lovely and has secretly liked Jon since High School.
Wait, Jon and Liz will get together!?!?!
Yep, sadly. Well, this would all be good if it wasnt for the (non) acting abilities of the two human leads. Breckin Meyer (Jon) is like a younger version of Keanu Reeves minus the looks with extra bland. Mix him together with the grating annoyance of Jennifer Love Hewitt and you dont get chemistry, you get something that would be at home in a bad sitcom.
Now, all of this I can forgive, if it wasnt for the damn plot. I understand the director must take some creative liberties with the story. After all, it wouldnt be an interesting movie if it was just Garfield eating lasagna. Except the story isnt interesting. It's standard kids movie fare with the egomaniacal villain who does whatever he can for power.
But, it all comes back to Garfield. This is the Garfield we know and (I, at least) love. So, for that, I thank you, Bill Murray.
I just think it was a weird decision to make a Garfield movie now. Garfield is waaaaay past it's prime. I didn't even know anyone read Garfield anymore.
I love Garfield when I was 8, but that was 20 years ago and Garfield was all over the freaking place. Now, not so much. Maybe it's some kind of move to resurrect Garfield (since the '80s seems to be coming back into style) I don't know but it seems really odd. I lost interest in Garfield so long ago that it has gone completely off my radar.
Plus, I don't like CGI animation unless it's really really subtle, so a computer generated cat bouncing around doesn't thrill me. Especially sinc ethe other animals are just regular animals. I mean, that is just weird!
quote:Originally posted by Rigel Seven: [QUOTE]Originally posted by Eccentro:
"Isnt Dr. Liz----excuse the term---a bitch?"
Dunno, but some of her patients are...
But seriously folks, why would anybody over eight years of age want to see this thing ?
The strip always sucked : 1. Garfield is lazy 2.Garfield loves lasagna 3.Garfield is sarcastic 4. Repeat ad naseum year after year.
The scary thing is a Marmaduke movie can't be far behind.
Yes, but it's nostalgic. It is aimed at a youger crowd, but I grew up loving so the love follows me as my taste in comedy mature. And c'mon even if you liked Garfield only once in your life I know you were secretly wishing for the movie to be good. Even if the film brought about a smile of recognitionI would have loved it. Sadly, it didnt.
quote:Originally posted by Rigel Seven: The strip always sucked : 1. Garfield is lazy 2.Garfield loves lasagna 3.Garfield is sarcastic 4. Repeat ad naseum year after year.
Actually, I subscribed to this Maddox-ism for a while, until I realized that it's sort of a misrepresentation of what actually is a pretty funny (if plain and fairly predictable) strip.
Posts: 570 | Location: Boston | Registered: 17 May 2004
Haha, I read Maddox's comments on Garfield as well, and he does make a valid point, however, I agree there's no denying that the Garfield comics were in fact pretty entertaining.
And if anyone has ever read the comic book "Bone", I just want to say that someone should make an animated movie out of it. That comic is awesome.
However, the best comic ever is Calvin and Hobbes.
K-Dog
Posts: 196 | Location: Purgatory | Registered: 04 June 2004
quote:Originally posted by K-Dog: Haha, I read Maddox's comments on Garfield as well, and he does make a valid point, however, I agree there's no denying that the Garfield comics were in fact pretty entertaining.
And if anyone has ever read the comic book "Bone", I just want to say that someone should make an animated movie out of it. That comic is awesome.
However, the best comic ever is Calvin and Hobbes.
Ah...Maddox. He is an angry young man who has created a website to vent his anger about the world. Just search for "The Best Page in the Universe" and you'll find his website. It's some funny ass shit.
K-Dog
Posts: 196 | Location: Purgatory | Registered: 04 June 2004
quote:Originally posted by K-Dog: Haha, I read Maddox's comments on Garfield as well, and he does make a valid point, however, I agree there's no denying that the Garfield comics were in fact pretty entertaining.
And if anyone has ever read the comic book "Bone", I just want to say that someone should make an animated movie out of it. That comic is awesome.
However, the best comic ever is Calvin and Hobbes.
_K-Dog_
K-Dog, you are absolutely right, and I love you for it. Calvin and Hobbes is indeed the greatest comic strip of all time. However, a Calvin and Hobbes movie would be a travesty, for as any true C&H efficionado should know, Bill Watterson is against it and all forms of merchandise for his art. He knows as well as we should that Calvin and Hobbes are not right for the big screen, so please, PlEASE, Hollywood, keep them on paper where they belong!
As for you, Jim Davis, you penny whore... shame on you again and again and again! Your strip hasn't been the least bit funny in years and years and this film is a pathetic, cheap excuse to get a new generation of kids to buy your crap! Shame on you!
I just saw Garfield yesterday and I have to say that I understand why it got such crummy reviews!
I only went to see it because, as a kid, I just loved Garfield but the film was disappointing.
Garfield himself is very impressive and Murray is dream casting. But it feels as if they tried their best on Garfield and did nothing for the rest of the movie!! Did the other actors even receive a script? I think that a CGI Odie would have been cool.
God, I really hope that everyone in here is under the age of 10, because that is the croud this movie was meant for. To bash movies like this is really...well...useless. Talking amongst ourselves about how good this and that child movie was is a waste of time. Let the kids enjoy Garfield and quit wishing that it was made for you. I'm sure you all grew up with him and were hoping he would grow with his croud and ultimately make a movie for what is now todays adults. The sad fact though, is that the Director, didn't take into consideration that quite a few adults like me wanted to watch a CGI movie and see my good ol' friend Garfield.
I saw it on a plane and if I knew it was going to be that bad, I probably would have rather listened to a Clay Aiken album. I was hoping it would kind of be like the old Garfield tv show i watched when i was little, but it didnt even come close
Posts: 607 | Location: Oregon | Registered: 18 October 2005
I love Garfield the cartoon strip. I also enjoy children's movies most of the time. But this movie version really stood out as being disjointed, crass, boringly sparse, and was one of the few movies I saw that I really couldn't like.
Posts: 891 | Location: Utah, United States | Registered: 22 July 2005
Garfield is definitely in my top (or is it bottom...) 5 for worst movie of the year. I started watching it on a plane and fell asleep. I'm probably one of a small minority of people who used to like the garfield cartoon show, and the movie was horrible compared to it. It's obvious that Bill Murray was trying to make it good, but either him or the script writers were trying way too hard. Also, casting the guy from road trip as Jon? Not believable at all
Posts: 607 | Location: Oregon | Registered: 18 October 2005
