Let’s be real for a second. When you hear about a new Garfield flick, you’re thinking about the orange cat, the lasagna, and Chris Pratt’s voice coming out of a feline mouth. Most people treated Odie in The Garfield Movie as an afterthought—just the slobbering sidekick who’s been getting kicked off tables since the late 1970s.
But honestly? If you actually watched the 2024 film, you’d realize Odie isn't the "meatball for a brain" dog we grew up with in the Sunday funnies. He basically carried the entire plot on his furry back while Garfield was busy having an existential crisis about his dad.
The Gromit Transformation: What Most People Get Wrong
There’s this weird misconception that Odie is just a brainless pile of drool. In the original Jim Davis strips, sure, he’s not exactly winning any Nobel Prizes. But the 2024 version of Odie—voiced by Harvey Guillén—underwent what fans are calling the "Gromit-ification" of his character.
If you’ve seen Wallace & Gromit, you know the vibe. The dog is the smart one. The dog is the one with the plan. The dog is the one looking at the camera like, "Are you seeing this guy?"
In this movie, Odie is the tactical genius. While Garfield is complaining about Mondays and getting kidnapped by Jinx’s henchmen (shoutout to the Shar Pei and Whippet duo, Roland and Nolan), Odie is the one actually packing bags, navigating the world, and keeping the mission on track. He’s basically Garfield's "unpaid intern," but he’s the only one who actually knows how to use the equipment.
The Mystery of the Voice (Or Lack Thereof)
One of the funniest things about Odie in The Garfield Movie is the casting of Harvey Guillén. If you know Harvey from What We Do in the Shadows or as Perrito in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, you know he has an incredible, expressive voice.
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So, naturally, the producers hired him... and then told him he couldn't speak.
It sounds like a waste of talent, right? But it actually forced the animation team to do something cool. Every "whimper," "pant," and "bark" had to convey a specific emotion. Harvey mentioned in interviews that it was a huge challenge to give Odie a personality using only sound effects and heavy breathing. It worked, though. You always know exactly what Odie is thinking, usually that Garfield is being a total drama queen.
Why Odie is Actually the Hero of the Heist
The 2024 movie isn't just about eating. It's a high-stakes heist film. We see Garfield reunited with his long-lost father, Vic (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson), and they get roped into a massive milk-theft plot.
Here is the thing: Garfield is useless in a crisis. He’s pampered. He’s spent his life ordering $3,000 worth of Italian food on Jon’s credit cards through drone delivery apps.
Odie, on the other hand, is the one doing the heavy lifting.
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- He handles the gadgets.
- He does the scouting.
- He stays loyal even when Garfield is being a jerk.
There’s a specific scene where they’re hanging upside down in an abandoned mall, and the dynamic is perfect. Garfield is panicking, and Odie is just... handling it. He’s the emotional anchor. Without him, Garfield wouldn't have made it past the first twenty minutes.
A New Origin for a Classic Duo
The movie also gives us a glimpse into how they met. We see baby Garfield being brought home by Jon Arbuckle, and baby Odie is already there or arrives shortly after. The bond is instant.
In the comics, Odie originally belonged to Jon’s roommate, Lyman. If you’re a deep-lore Garfield nerd, you know Lyman just sort of vanished from the strip in the 80s, leaving Odie behind. The movie skips that weirdness entirely and focuses on the "brothers by choice" vibe. It makes their relationship feel a lot more earned when they’re jumping onto moving trains together later in the film.
The "Smart Odie" Controversy
Not everyone was a fan of this upgrade. If you browse Reddit or fan forums, some purists felt that making Odie a "secret genius" took away from his charm. The classic Odie is a dog who is so happy to be alive that he doesn't realize he's being teased.
But let’s be honest: a 100-minute heist movie where the secondary lead is just staring at a wall wouldn't work. The "Gromit" version of Odie gives the movie its heart. He’s the silent observer. He’s the one who realizes that Vic actually cares about Garfield long before Garfield does.
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Box Office vs. Critical Reception
It’s worth noting that while critics weren't exactly over the moon (it sits around a 36% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences loved it. It cleared over $250 million globally. A huge part of that "Popcornmeter" success comes from the physical comedy between the two pets. Kids don't need dialogue to find a dog getting hit in the face with a tree branch funny.
What You Can Learn from Odie's Role
If you’re looking at this from a storytelling perspective, Odie is a masterclass in the "Competent Sidekick" trope. He proves that you don't need a single line of dialogue to be the most important person—or dog—in the room.
He also serves as a necessary foil. Garfield is all ego and sarcasm. Odie is all action and loyalty. You can't have one without the other; it’s the classic comedy duo balance.
If you're planning to rewatch the film or see it for the first time on Netflix, keep your eyes on the background. Most of the best gags involve Odie doing something clever while Garfield is busy talking to the audience.
Next Steps for Garfield Fans
Check out the "behind the scenes" clips of Harvey Guillén in the recording booth. Watching a grown man try to "bark" with different emotional inflections is surprisingly fascinating. You can also look up the original Jim Davis sketches from 1978 to see just how much Odie’s design has changed—his ears used to be way more floppy and his neck was basically non-existent.