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Garfield the Movie
Release Date: July 30th 2004
Distributor: Twentieth Century Fox
Certificate: PG
Starring: Bill Murray, Breckin Meyer,
Jennifer Love-Hewitt, Stephen Tobolowsky
Director: Peter
Hewitt
Running Time:
TBC
‘Garfield
the Movie’ is the motion picture adaptation of the immensely popular
cartoon strip that is read in some 2600 newspapers by 260 million readers
around the globe! As a result the feature is both long-overdue and hotly
anticipated. The director, Peter Hewitt, is no stranger to bringing treasured
characters to the big-screen, having co-written the story from which the
recent blockbuster ‘Thunderbirds’ was adapted. 
The
film takes full advantage of the latest technology, mixing awesome CGI animation
with live action. Interestingly it is only the two central (non-human) characters,
Garfield and Odie, who are extended the treatment, with real life animals
as the other characters. Garfield is voiced by the ever popular Bill Murray,
fresh from his recent starring role in the critically acclaimed, ‘Lost
in Translation’. The beautiful and quirky Jennifer Love-Hewitt appears
in person as Garfield’s vet. 
Murray’s
voice is perfect for Garfield, the laziest cat in the world, who loves his
self-indulgent life of eating (lots), sleeping (lots), and watching the
television (when he’s not doing either of the other). But his owner,
the nerdy Jon Arbuckle (Meyer), dares to disturb this idyll when he introduces
the lovable but clueless dog, Odie, to the household. Garfield despairs
of, and uses, Odie in equal measure, but when Odie is kidnapped by an evil
dog-catcher (Tobolowsky), Garfield can’t help but feel a little bit
responsible. He gets set to spring into action to rescue the dopey dog….
Well maybe just a quick catnap first!
Once
he’s up and running, can the lazy charmer keep his eyes on the job
– distracted as he is by the cute feline, Arlene (voiced by ‘Will
and Grace’ star Debra Messing). The lasagna loving lothario has
more than just problems of the heart on his plate, for on his mission
he is dished up all kinds of trouble. First he’s get the neighbourhood
Doberman, Luca, to contend with, and then Persnikitty, another cool cat
who puts Garfield’s hackles up.
It’s a race against time to put right the wrongs and get back in
time for dinner and a lie-down. After all, as Garfield would have it,
that much exercise can’t be good for any cat.
