As a parent who grew up with the original Garfield comic strips and cartoons, I must say that the new animated movie has certainly brought a fresh perspective to our beloved feline friend. My daughter, on the other hand, seems to prefer the characters from the movie over the somewhat grumpy ones in the comics and earlier adaptations.
Have you seen “The Garfield Movie”? It’s just been added to Netflix. By any chance, can you estimate how many times my daughter might have watched it by now? I’m curious, feel free to take a shot at it.
Seven times over, my child has now seen “The Garfield Movie.” Although not everyone at TopMob initially took a liking to this movie, repeated viewings have transformed my daughter into a massive fan of the pasta-fond cat character.
Considering this, it struck me as an excellent idea to share my fondness for Garfield with her by showing some episodes from Garfield and Friends, the series that initially won me over. After presenting a few episodes, here’s what she had to say about it.
“Where’s Garfield’s Dad?”
Among many things she enjoyed in “The Garfield Movie”, my daughter particularly appreciated the star-studded cast. Specifically, she was thrilled to see Chris Pratt portray Garfield, Nicholas Hoult play Jon, and Hannah Waddingham bring the character Jinx to life.
Another character my daughter adored in Garfield was Vic, Garfield’s father who is voiced by Samuel L. Jackson from The Incredibles 3. However, it’s worth noting that my daughter wasn’t aware that Vic isn’t a regular character in the Garfield series. Since the latest movie served as her introduction to the world of Garfield, she thought these characters had always been part of it.
By the close of our first episode-watching session together, my eagerly waiting daughter inquired, “So, where is Garfield’s real father?” To which I responded, somewhat puzzled, “Are you referring to Jon?” However, she clarified, “No, I meant Garfield’s biological father, the one from the film.
At this moment, I was quite disheartened when I realized that my daughter didn’t seem keen on learning more about Garfield. Instead, she was intrigued by the idea of how this program connected to the movie.
When I informed her that Vic wasn’t featured on the program, she slightly turned her head and queried, “Is that true?” To which I responded, “Indeed, it is.” She merely sighed in response, displaying a level of maturity typical for a 9-year-old, and said, “Alright. Whatever. Let’s move on to the next episode then.
So I did.
“I Like It Better When They’re Animated”
What immediately caught my daughter’s attention was the visual style reminiscent of the late ’80s and early ’90s. Although she’s familiar with older hand-drawn animations, they are often lush and beautiful due to her watching all the Disney Renaissance movies. However, what she’s not accustomed to is the somewhat grainy appearance typical of ‘90s TV animation.
One time, I recollect sharing some vintage Nintendo cartoons from my childhood with her. Upon seeing them, she expressed disapproval at their artistic style, labeling it as “unattractive.” Intriguingly, she questioned if they were from the 1950s, given her limited understanding of time, having only been alive for nine years.
While we were enjoying the two episodes together, my daughter mentioned her preference for Garfield when he’s more “cartoon-like.
Instead of giving even a hint of a sneer, I simply commented, “Isn’t this supposed to be animated?” At first, she looked puzzled because she wasn’t entirely sure of my implication. But then, she sighed and expressed, “I assume you figured it out.
I inquired, ‘Shall I?’ and she sighed with a hint of exasperation. ‘Yes, like three-dimensional,’ she replied. Indeed, I was aware of her meaning. However, it never fails to amuse me when my children are baffled by the vast chasm between our generations.
“There’s A Garfield Comic?”
As we watched the second episode together, I found myself frequently remarking how it bore a striking resemblance to the Garfield comic strips I enjoyed reading on Sundays in the newspaper, which left my daughter even more surprised than before.
She wondered if there was a comic featuring Garfield. Fortunately, I had some Garfield comics at hand to share with her. I noted that Jon in the comics is more annoyed by Garfield than truly tormented, which aligns perfectly with his character in Garfield and Friends. Additionally, I mentioned that just like in the show, Garfield often teases Odie in the comics as well.
In “The Garfield Movie”, Garfield appears somewhat grumpy, yet not as overtly rude as portrayed in the comics and “Garfield and Friends”. Instead, Jon seems rather timid or weak-willed in the film. Moreover, he only becomes genuinely frustrated when he’s repeatedly put on hold while trying to retrieve his missing pets.
It’s definitely a different interpretation of the characters, and my daughter much prefers the ones presented in the movie than the somewhat ornery attitudes of those in the cartoon and comic strips. And, you know, whatever floats your boat.
“Wait, Who Are These Other Characters?”
One element that left my daughter perplexed was the “friends” dynamic in Garfield and Friends. In the movie, our beloved orange feline Garfield has pals like Odie, and then encounters some of Vic’s past companions later on, such as a green cat named Olivia, and a blue cat voiced by Snoop Dogg (which I found quite amusing because a “dogg” was voicing a cat).
Back in the day, I’d tune into Garfield and Friends, not knowing who most of the other characters were, despite the clear hint at U.S. Acres at the start of each segment. As I grew older, I discovered that these additional personalities hailed from another Jim Davis comic strip.
To put it simply, I never enjoyed U.S. Acres as a child because when it came on, I would often choose to play with my toys instead or switch channels. However, upon revisiting it as an adult, my feelings haven’t changed – I still don’t find it appealing. Interestingly, my daughter doesn’t share this sentiment and finds no significant difference in quality between the Garfield segments and the U.S. Acres shorts.
To put it another way, if there was one issue she had, it was that the characters from U.S. Acres didn’t appear to be true friends of Garfield, as they rarely interacted with him. Upon reflection, this critique seems quite reasonable.
“It’s Okay.”
Following two episodes, it became evident that my daughter was no longer engaged. Her eyes held a vacant gaze, and she was comfortably reclined on the couch, indicating that she was merely watching it to please me.
Initially, I switched it off. To be honest, without asking for her opinion, I was quite confident in my ability to interpret non-verbal cues, but surprisingly, she chose to express her critique regardless.
She reassured me, “That’s fine,” she added, “However, I believe you would have enjoyed the film more.” This came as a shock since I had planned to watch The Garfield Movie with my kids when it was still playing in cinemas, but my daughter refused.
Instead, my wife decided to take her to watch a movie titled IF. This left our friend Mick Joest of TopMob feeling deeply moved, despite the fact that my daughter returned from the movie somewhat indifferent, labeling it “okay,” and then retreated to her room.
To be straightforward, my kid has taken a liking to Garfield, which I appreciate. However, it’s intriguing to note that she isn’t particularly keen on another version of the comic strip adaptation. Funny enough, I never mentioned to her about the two live-action Garfield movies that preceded this latest animated one. If I were to share that information, I’d have to rewatch those films, and frankly, I don’t see myself doing that again.
So, that’s what she believed. Don’t forget to drop by regularly for the latest Garfield updates.
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2024-09-30 23:07