You know The Garfield Movie? It’s recently been added to Netflix. So, guess how many times my daughter has watched it now. Just guess.
Seven. My daughter has now watched The Garfield Movie SEVEN TIMES. And, while at least some of us at CinemaBlend weren’t particularly fond of the film, my daughter has now become a huge fan of the lasagna-loving feline because of it.
So, with that in mind, I thought, why not introduce her to Garfield and Friends, which was the show that made me fall in love with the character in the first place? I had her watch a couple of episodes, and well… these were her thoughts.
“Where's Garfield's Dad?”
One thing that my daughter really loved about The Garfield Movie was the cast, which included Chris Pratt as Garfield, Nicholas Hoult as Jon, and Hannah Waddingham as the new character, Jinx.
But, one other character that my daughter loved was Garfield’s father, Vic, who is voiced by Incredibles 3’s own Samuel L. Jackson. But, here’s the thing. My daughter didn’t know that Vic wasn't a Garfield staple. Given that the latest movie is essentially her introduction to the world of Garfield, she just naturally assumed that these characters have always been there.
So, by the end of the first episode that I watched with her, my daughter, who had been waiting patiently asked me, “So, where's Garfield's dad?” To which I narrowed my eyes and asked, “Do you mean Jon?” Only for her to say, “No. Garfield's dad. Remember? From the movie.”
At this point, I felt really bad as it dawned on me that my daughter wasn't really interested in learning more about Garfield. She was interested in seeing how this show was an extension of the movie.
When I told her that Vic wasn't on the show, she tilted her head sideways and asked, “Really?” And I told her, “Yes, really.” She just sighed, and, in a sign of 9-year-old maturity, said, “Okay. Whatever. Just play the next episode.”
So I did.
“I Like It Better When They're Animated”
Another thing that my daughter instantly noticed was the late ‘80s/early ‘90s visual style. My daughter has seen older, hand-drawn animation before, but it’s usually of the lush, beautiful variety, as she’s watched all of the Disney Renaissance movies. However, she’s not used to the somewhat grainy look of ‘90s TV animation.
I remember I once showed her some of the old Nintendo cartoons I grew up with, and she straight up said, “Eww,” to the art style, calling it “ugly” (She even asked if it was from the 1950s, as she has no concept of time beyond her 9 short years of existence).
So, when we were watching the two episodes, my daughter commented that she liked Garfield better when he’s “animated.”
I didn’t so much as sneer, as I remarked, “And this isn’t animated?” She at first was confused, because she didn’t really know what I was insinuating, but then she rolled her eyes, and said, “You know what I meant.”
“Do I?” I asked, and she groaned. “Yes, like 3D.” And, yes, of course I knew what she meant. But, it’s always humorous to me when my kids get confused by our seismic generational divide.
“There’s A Garfield Comic?”
While we sat through the second episode, I kept commenting on how this was much more similar to the Garfield comic strip that I used to read in every Sunday’s paper, and my daughter was more shocked than ever by this.
“There’s a Garfield comic?” she asked. Thankfully, I actually had a few Garfield comics on hand to show her. I pointed out how Jon in the comics is not so much tormented by Garfield, as he’s more vaguely annoyed by him, which is spot on in Garfield and Friends. I also went into how Garfield kind of picks on Odie in the comics, as he does in the show.
My daughter didn’t like this at all. While Garfield is a little snippy in The Garfield Movie, he isn’t an outright jerk like he can be in the comic and in Garfield and Friends. Jon even seems more like a milquetoast in the movie. Not only that, but the only time he gets really upset is when he keeps getting put on hold while trying to recover his two 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?”
Another aspect that totally threw my daughter off was the “friends” aspect of Garfield and Friends. In The Garfield Movie, our favorite orange cat is friends with Odie, and then meets some of Vic’s former crew members later in the movie, like a green cat named Olivia, and a blue cat voiced by Snoop Dogg (Which I found humorous, given that a “dogg” is voicing a cat).
But, Garfield and Friends features segments involving Garfield, as well as segments involving some other characters. As a kid, I had no idea who these other characters were (even though it tells you right at the start of each segment that it’s called U.S. Acres), but as an adult, I’ve learned that they were from another Jim Davis comic strip.
I’d be lying to you if I said that I was a fan of U.S. Acres as a kid, as their segments were usually when I would tune out or just play with my toys. But, I gave it a closer look as an adult, and…I still don’t really like it. Surprisingly, my daughter didn’t mind it at all, though, and she didn’t feel there was a clear demarcation of quality between the Garfield segments, and the U.S. Acres shorts.
Really, if she had one complaint, it was that the cast of U.S. Acres didn’t really seem to be Garfield’s “friends” because they didn’t even interact with him, which, now that I think of it, is a pretty valid point.
“It's Okay.”
After two episodes, I could tell that my daughter had checked out. Her eyes were glazed over, and she was slouched back on the sofa, which is a clear sign that she was just watching it for me.
So, I turned it off. I wasn’t even going to ask her what she thought about it since I’ve become pretty adept at reading body language, but she decided to offer criticism anyway.
“It’s okay,” she said, “But, the movie is much better.” And, this really surprised me, since I wanted to take my kids to see The Garfield Movie when it was still in theaters, but my daughter declined.
Instead, my wife took her to see IF (which left CinemaBlend’s own Mick Joest “emotionally devastated,” even though I remember my daughter coming back from it half shrugging and calling it “alright,” before she went into her room).
Honestly, I like that my daughter is now a fan of Garfield, but I find it interesting that she doesn’t really care for this other adaptation of the comic series. In fact, I didn’t even bother telling her that there were actually two live-action Garfield movies before this recent animated one, but that would also entail that I would have to watch them again, and I don’t see myself ever doing that again.
And, that’s what my daughter thought. For more news on all things Garfield-related, be sure to swing by here often.
