Garfield Movie, The

Story

When Garfield (Chris Pratt) is just a kitten, he's abandoned by his father – a tough outdoor cat called Vic (Samuel L. Jackson). With nothing else to do but make his own way, Garfield sets out to find himself food and quickly encounters much more. He’s adopted by Jon (Nicholas Hoult) and later joined by Odie (Harvey Guillen) and ends up living the high life, with all the food he could ever imagine, luxurious recliner chairs, Odie anticipating his every need and Jon inadvertently supplying them. Life is good and Vic is nothing but a bitter memory.

But all that changes when Garfield and Odie are abducted one night and used as bait by an evil and dangerous cat called Jinx (Hannah Waddingham) who has vowed to take revenge on Vic for the 4 years she spent locked in the pound.

In order to free themselves, Garfield and Odie must take part in a heist that will provide Jinx with an endless supply of milk and (hopefully) make up for all the time she spent locked away.

Garfield and Odie manage to enlist the help of an outcast bull called Otto (Ving Rhames) who only wants to save the cow he loves from the company that is exploiting her and, in exchange for helping her escape, he is willing to give them access to the facility they need to rob. Things don’t go quite according to plan and in the end it’s up to Garfield to figure out the truth and to decide what and who is really worth saving.

Themes

Abandonment; family breakdown; revenge; animal exploitation

Violence

The Garfield Movie has some violence. For example:

Baby Garfield is nearly hit by a car.
Two dogs destroy a pair of mannequins by ripping them apart.
Jinx catches and eats a bird that was trying to help her.
Garfield ricochets between 2 trees, is kicked by a goat and flies into a windscreen, flies off into a catapult where he is flung into the air, bounces off electricity wires and lands in a pile of manure.
Vic kicks Garfield off a train.
A small bird is electrocuted on a fence.
Garfield knocks his head into a tree.
Garfield is punched into a tree and one of his teeth falls out.
A possum smacks Garfield in the face.
Garfield pokes a possum with a stick.
Otto hits Garfield and knocks him off his feet.
Garfield and Vic get repeatedly punched, kicked, and squished by Otto.
Otto throws tree stumps at Garfield and Vic.
Garfield and Vic fall down a hill, slam into a tree and are crushed by a massive tree that is thrown at them.
Vic and Garfield punch, slap and hit each other while they wrestle with vines that are tying them both to a tree.
A woman chases Vic with a broom.
A dog chases Vic away.
Garfield slams into a vent and he, Vic and Odie fall down a series of tunnels.
Garfield is nearly shredded by a giant cheese shredding machinery.
Garfield is nearly burned alive in fondue, and he is nearly sliced by numerous chopping blades. Vic rescues him at the last second and shows how the tip of his tail is chopped.
Garfield slaps a guard with something, trying to electrocute her, but she electrocutes him instead.
Otto is electrocuted against a fence.
A character is chased by people with tasers.
Garfield is nearly hit by 3 cars.
Jon is covered in candy when a dessert explodes.
Jinx has a whole series of pictures depicting how much she hates Vic and wants to kill him.
Garfield ricochets off different objects and crashes into Jinx.
Jinx goes after Garfield and Vic with an axe.
Garfield blasts meatballs at 2 dogs.
Garfield drinks hot sauce and blasts fire from his mouth at Jinx and her henchmen.
Jinx is about to have Garfield and Vic thrown off the train onto the sharp, jagged rocks below. When her 2 henchmen (holding Garfield and Vic) reconsider, she scratches them both and all 4 of them plummet off the train. They are saved at the last minute by Otto.
Jinx is hit in the head and knocked off a train.
Garfield kicks Vic off a train.

Sexual references

There are no sexual references in The Garfield Movie.

Alcohol, drugs and other substances

The Garfield Movie has some substance use - for example, Jinx drinks milk out of martini glasses.

Nudity and sexual activity

The Garfield Movie has some nudity and sexual activity. For example:

A couple kisses in a movie that characters are watching.
Two characters kiss passionately and romantic music plays.

Product placement

The Garfield Movie has some product placement. For example:

Jon is encouraged to try Bumble and Tinder in order to find a date.
Olive Garden is mentioned, as are their bread sticks.
Bluetooth is mentioned.
‘Catflix’ is shown on TV, using the same red logo as Netflix.

Coarse language

The Garfield Movie has some coarse language – for example, ‘dang it!’ and ‘bloody’. Insults include ‘loser’ and ‘half-wit’.

Ideas to discuss with your children

The Garfield Movie is an animated adventure, with a fast-paced plot, well-cast characters, and a powerful message about the importance of family. The movie is suitable for all but the youngest of viewers.

These are the main messages from The Garfield Movie:

Not everything is as it seems.
There’s nothing more powerful than a parent’s love for their child (or pet).
Family is more important than anything.

Values in The Garfield Movie that you could reinforce with your children are forgiveness, understanding, teamwork, compassion and courage.

The Garfield Movie could also give you the chance to talk with your children about the real-life consequences of things like these:

Making assumptions about people or situations without talking to the individuals involved or getting to know the circumstances first.
Seeking revenge instead of attempting to forgive and failing to understand another’s point of view.
Using animals for profit and financial gain despite the harmful effects this might cause.