The Garfield Movie is the newest animated film from Sony, though oddly released through Sony Pictures Releasing instead of Sony Pictures Animation. It follows Garfield (Chris Pratt), a lazy, gluttonous orange tabby cat who lives with his owner, Jon (Nicholas Hoult), and his dog, Odie (Harvey Guillén). One night, Garfield gets wrapped up in the affair of his estranged father, Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), forcing them to go on an adventure to pay off a crazed cat named Jinx (Hannah Waddingham).
The film is a rather paint-by-numbers family film, but there's some fun to be had with the characters. For the most part, Garfield, Jon, and Odie retain the traits given to them by cartoonist Jim Davis, and there's a hefty number of new characters, each with a different and unique personality type. These additions contribute to Garfield's now-iconic legacy, and while none can match the titular character's innate charm, they do their part to make the movie more entertaining and memorable.
The Garfield Movie
Animation
Action
Adventure
- Release Date
- May 24, 2024
- Director
- Mark Dindal
- Cast
- Hannah Waddingham , Samuel L. Jackson , Nicholas Hoult , Chris Pratt
- Writers
- jim davis , Paul A. Kaplan , David Reynolds
8 Jon Arbuckle
Voiced by Nicholas Hoult
One night, cartoonist Jon Arbuckle meets Garfield as a kitten while eating at an Italian restaurant. After feeding him, he takes Garfield home and does everything he can to ensure he is well cared for. When Garfield and Odie go missing, Jon enters a state of panic and tries everything he can to track down his beloved pets.
Jon doesn't have a lot to do in the movie, so he just feels like a silly human who reacts to the actions of his much more interesting pets. Hoult does the best he can with his limited screen time and does a good job of selling Jon as a kind and empathetic individual. The scenes with him and young Garfield during the film's opening are easily his best moments and go a long way in increasing The Garfield Movie's overall impact. Even if Jon is not likely to be one of Nicholas Hoult's best roles, it remains a safe and entertaining enough addition to his resumé.
7 Vic
Played by Samuel L. Jackson
Garfield's biological father, Vic, did his best to look after him when he was just a kitten. However, upon seeing how Jon could provide for Garfield better than he could, Vic decided to let Garfield get adopted and watched him from the shadows. He also got into a lot of trouble with his gang of alley cats, committing heists that always ended with Vic's compatriots taking the fall for him.
Vic is the stereotypical absent parental figure who has a lot of problems, but buried beneath them is a heart of gold. Still, aside from one or two moments where he opens up to Garfield about his inner turmoil, it's hard to see that heart of gold since his actions always have negative consequences for those around him. Even so, it's hard to completely hate the character, thanks to Jackson's iconic voice and mannerisms.
6 Roland & Nolan
Voiced by Brett Goldstein and Bowen Yang
During her stay at the pound, the cat Jinx (Hannah Waddingham) meets a large Shar Pei named Roland (Brett Goldstein) and a twitchy whippet named Nolan (Bowen Yang). She rallies them to help her escape the pound, turning the dogs into her loyal minions. Roland and Nolan kidnap Garfield to lure in Vic, and the dogs follow after the cats to ensure they follow through on repaying Vic's debts to Jinx.
Roland and Nolan don't have enough personality to stand on their own as characters, but together, they make for a rather entertaining animated duo. Roland gets some funny visuals with his immense size and rolls of skins, while Nolan is hyperactive and has some wonderful facial animations. Most importantly, Yang and Goldstein do a good job of making them feel comedic and threatening, and the characters even get a moment of redemption near the end, bringing their story full circle.
5 Marge Malone
Voiced by Cecily Strong
To ensure that Garfield and Vic fail in their mission, Jinx contacts animal control and tips them off to the upcoming robbery. Though brushed off by the receptionists, Officer Marge Malone (Cecil Strong) takes the warning seriously. She drives off to Lactose Farms and acts as a final obstacle for the father-son duo to overcome.
Marge isn't in The Garfield Movie for too long, but her inclusion brightens the plot. Featuring an intense animal control agent who takes her job so seriously that she's willing to listen to a cat is pretty funny, especially when combined with how excited she gets when animals resist arrest. The ever-reliable and always-funny Cecily Strong gives Marge a Wisconsin accent, which further adds to the absurdity of her character.
4 Garfield
Voiced by Chris Pratt
One of the most iconic comic-strip characters ever made, Garfield prefers to spend his days lounging around, eating lasagna, and complaining about how much he despises Mondays. Unfortunately, he gets pulled from his life of luxury by one of his father's old associates looking for revenge. Now, he's forced to work alongside Vic to steal an entire truck's worth of milk and maybe start to view his father in a more positive light.
For the most part, this movie retains Garfield's core character traits while also giving him some new feelings of abandonment towards his estranged father. It works well enough to give him a character arc, and his interactions with Vic do lead to a few moments where Garfield's sharp wit can shine. However, Pratt's voicework leaves a lot to be desired, especially when compared to Bill Murray's performance in the live-action movies. Even so, there's enough here for fans of the beloved orange tabby to enjoy.
3 Jinx
Voiced by Hannah Waddingham
Originally from England, Jinx made her way to America to make it big as a show cat but instead found herself in hard times. She teamed up with Vic and his band of cat burglars but was captured and sent to the pound during a milk heist. Five years later, Jinx has her dog henchmen capture Garfield to bring Vic into her paws so she can make him suffer.
Although not a very complicated villain, Jinx is one of the most entertaining original characters in the film. This is mainly due to Waddingham's performance: she goes all out chewing the scenery during her limited screen time, especially when she switches between false kindness and unhinged fury. The animators also play around with her jewelry, making it change colors depending on her emotional state, which helps to accentuate her extreme mood swings. Jinx is so entertaining that she often steals the focus, even when sharing the screen with the titular orange cat.
2 Otto
Voiced by Ving Rhames
One of the mascots of Lactose Farms with his wife, Ethel, Otto (Ving Rhames), found himself sent to pasture when new management took over the farm. He tried several times to reunite with Ethel but was thwarted each time by Marge Malone, eventually losing a horn. When Garfield goes to Otto asking for help breaking into the farm, Otto agrees if they also rescue Ethel.
Otto is the best original character in the movie, thanks to his distinct personality. Compared to everyone else, he is comically serious, speaking in dramatic pauses and treating every conversation like it's the most important one in the world. Ving Rhames' booming voice is perfect for the role, with the beloved actor bringing some much-welcome stoicism and maturity to The Garfield Movie's otherwise juvenile humor. Despite his intensity, Otto genuinely does love Ethel, and though their screen time together is limited, he never misses a chance to profess his love for her.
1 Odie
Played by Harvey Guillén
A yellow beagle adopted by Jon shortly after he gets Garfield, Odie follows Garfield almost anywhere he goes. Though he can't speak, he is very expressive, and Garfield can understand his barks. He accompanies Garfield and Vic on their mission to repay Jinx and proves to be very insightful into what exactly the father-son duo needs to get the job done.
Odie is the best character in The Garfield Movie, thanks in large part because of his animation. Since he doesn't speak, the animators go all out in ensuring that he can emote with his body and facial expressions, resulting in a lot of hilarious moments ranging from straight and deadpanned to soundlessly optimistic. Odie plays wonderfully off of Garfield, balancing the cat's more verbal style of comedy with a physical one. Guillén does brilliantly in the role, which he confessed was a challenge since Odie is silent. Following scene-stealing turns in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish and Harley Quinn, the actor is quickly becoming one of the most renowned names in voice acting, and The Garfield Movie adds another feather to his already impressive cap.
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