Garfield is a weird beast. He’s a character defined by lethargy, cynicism, and a profound hatred for Mondays, yet he has been the face of a multi-billion dollar merchandising empire for decades. When Sony Pictures and Alcon Entertainment announced The Garfield Movie, fans were skeptical. Why? Because capturing the spirit of a comic strip cat who does nothing is surprisingly difficult in a ninety-minute high-octane adventure.
It worked, though. Mostly.
The 2024 film, directed by Mark Dindal, didn't just lean on the orange cat’s love for lasagna. It took a massive swing by introducing Jim Davis's world to a heist-movie structure. It’s a far cry from the live-action Bill Murray era or the low-budget direct-to-video iterations of the late 2000s. Honestly, seeing Garfield jump off a moving train feels wrong at first, but the movie fights hard to justify its existence through sheer visual energy and a voice cast that, despite the internet's initial roasting, actually showed up to work.
Breaking Down the Chris Pratt Controversy
Let's address the elephant in the room. Or rather, the Mario in the room. When Chris Pratt was cast as the voice of Garfield, the internet had a collective meltdown. People wanted the deep, bored resonance of Lorenzo Music or the dry wit of Bill Murray.
Pratt’s Garfield is different. He’s younger. He’s a bit more manic.
The film attempts to justify this by making it a pseudo-origin story. We see a tiny, abandoned kitten Garfield finding Jon Arbuckle at an Italian restaurant. It’s heart-wrenching stuff. This younger version of the character hasn't yet fully hardened into the cynical, 40-year-old-man-in-a-cat-suit vibe we see in the Sunday funnies. While some purists still find Pratt’s natural speaking voice distracting, the performance settles in once the plot moves into the meat of the action. He plays Garfield as a pampered "indoor cat" forced into the wild, which is a classic fish-out-of-water trope that works well for a family audience.
👉 See also: Finding a One Piece Full Set That Actually Fits Your Shelf and Your Budget
Samuel L. Jackson and the Vic Factor
The real soul of The Garfield Movie isn't actually the titular cat. It’s Vic.
Vic is Garfield’s long-lost father, voiced by Samuel L. Jackson. This is where the movie deviates most sharply from the source material. In the original comics, Garfield’s parents are rarely mentioned, though his mother appeared in a few 1980s TV specials. By introducing a rugged, street-smart father, the filmmakers created a foil for Garfield’s laziness.
The dynamic is basically an odd-couple road trip. Vic is messy, dangerous, and always on the run from a vengeful Persian cat named Jinx (voiced by Hannah Waddingham). This conflict drives the entire second act. It turns a movie about a cat who sleeps into a movie about a cat who has to rob a dairy farm to save his dad’s skin. Is it "classic" Garfield? Not really. Is it an effective way to keep six-year-olds from throwing popcorn at the screen? Absolutely.
The Visual Style: Animation and Slapstick
Mark Dindal, who directed The Emperor's New Groove, brings a specific kind of "snappy" energy to the animation. The character designs stay loyal to Jim Davis's silhouettes but add a layer of squash-and-stretch that feels modern.
- The backgrounds are vibrant and stylized.
- The food—specifically the lasagna—is rendered with a level of detail that would make Pixar sweat.
- Odie is, surprisingly, the MVP. He doesn't speak, but his physical comedy is the glue holding the scenes together.
It's refreshing to see a 3D animated film that isn't trying to look hyper-realistic. The fur looks like fur, but the physics are pure Looney Tunes. This allows for sequences like the milk farm heist to feel fun rather than jarringly intense.
✨ Don't miss: Evil Kermit: Why We Still Can’t Stop Listening to our Inner Saboteur
Why Critics and Audiences Disagreed
If you look at Rotten Tomatoes, you’ll see a massive gap. Critics mostly saw it as a "corporate product," while audiences gave it high marks.
Critics complained about the product placement. And yeah, it’s there. From food delivery apps to specific snack brands, the movie isn't shy about its partnerships. However, for the average family looking for an afternoon out, these are minor gripes. The movie delivers exactly what it promises: a fast-paced, colorful adventure with enough emotional resonance to justify the ticket price. It’s not Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but it doesn't need to be.
The Financial Reality of the Franchise
Money talks. Despite the mixed reviews, the film was a massive financial success. Produced on a relatively modest budget of $60 million, it raked in over $250 million worldwide. That’s a huge win for Alcon and Sony.
What this tells us is that the Garfield brand is still incredibly potent. People love this cat. They love his relatability. Even in 2024 and 2025, the idea of a character who just wants to stay inside and eat carbs resonates with pretty much everyone. The success of The Garfield Movie almost guarantees we’ll see a sequel, likely exploring more of the relationship between Vic and Jon, or perhaps introducing other comic stalwarts like Nermal or Arlene in larger roles.
What Most People Missed About the Plot
A lot of viewers thought the heist plot was random. But if you look closer, it’s actually a commentary on Garfield’s dependence on technology and convenience.
🔗 Read more: Emily Piggford Movies and TV Shows: Why You Recognize That Face
At the start of the film, Garfield is using apps to get everything he wants. He’s the ultimate consumer. By the end, he has to use his claws and his wits. He has to get dirty. It’s a subtle arc about growing up, even if you’re a cat who is technically middle-aged in spirit. The contrast between the sterile, comfortable "Jon’s House" and the chaotic "Outside World" is the central tension of the film.
Final Thoughts on the Legacy of the 2024 Film
The Garfield Movie isn't going to change the face of cinema. It won't win Best Picture. But it did something very difficult: it modernized a character that has been stuck in 1978 for a very long time. It gave him a backstory, a family, and a reason to move.
Whether you love the New Garfield or miss the old one, you can't deny the film’s energy. It’s a loud, messy, lasagna-flavored celebration of one of the most iconic characters in pop culture history.
How to Approach Garfield Media Moving Forward
If you're looking to dive deeper into the world of Garfield after seeing the movie, don't just stick to the films. The history of the character is layered across different mediums that offer very different tones.
- Read the original 1980s strips: This is where the "peak" sarcasm lives. You can find digital archives on GoComics.
- Watch 'Garfield and Friends': For many, this is the definitive version of the character. The humor is meta, smart, and often breaks the fourth wall.
- Track the international box office: If you're interested in the business side, keep an eye on how Garfield performs in markets like China and Brazil, where the character is massive.
- Explore the Alcon Entertainment catalog: If you liked the animation style, look into the studio's other projects to see how they are positioning themselves against giants like DreamWorks.
The best way to enjoy Garfield is to embrace the contradictions. He’s a lazy cat who stars in action movies. He’s a loner who has a massive family of fans. He’s a comic strip character who lives on TikTok. Grab a plate of pasta and just go with it.