I hate Mondays! 

 

That was Garfield’s favorite phrase so it’s characteristically ironic that a titular movie about his life would fall on Memorial Day weekend, one of the few weekends where we excitedly look forward to Monday. 

 

This sarcastic pithiness set the tone for the 2024 flick of the fat cat created by Jim Davis who began gracing newspaper comic strips in 1978. 

 

Davis, who served as an executive producer and art director on the film, created the relatable, lovable cat who loves Italian food and abhors all things healthy. 

 

I laughed so hard when Garfield ordered jalapeño cheese bites for something in the “salad family” and disdainfully picked an errant slice of lettuce off his double pepperoni pizza slice. If we are choosing spirit animals, I call dibs on Garfield. 

 

Sony Pictures presents an animated film so smartly written that I laughed out loud no less than 100 times during the 1 hour and 41 minute runtime. Starting with the upbeat tune Good Life, written and performed by Jon Batiste, The Garfield Movie is so fast-paced that you must be on your toes to catch all the humor. From pop culture references to inside jokes only the adults would get, what seems like a kid flick is actually a comedy for all ages. 

 

The movie centers around Garfield’s origin story and his reunification with his long-lost wayward father. Themes of relational conflict and abandonment issues bring heart to the film while the accelerated action scenes keep audiences riveted to their seats. 

 

And oh the humor! I knew within the first three scenes that I would feel at home in any room with the film’s writers. Their witticism and snark so closely mirrored my own, as well as our collaborative love of all things pop culture and puns. The screenplay developed for the film is next-level genius and I will be doing a deep dive into their bodies of work this weekend. I need more!

 

While I consider the screenwriters the rock stars of this flick, the cast is the quintessence of its soul. Chris Pratt voices Garfield in a way that makes you want to hug him and chastise him simultaneously. Samuel L. Jackson is Vic, Garfield’s estranged father who has regrets for his poor choices but is also wrongly judged by his son. 

 

Hannah Waddington, currently pulling double duty as the villainess in The Fall Guy as well, voices Jinx, a vengeful Persian cat. Her henchmen are Brett Goldstein and Bowen Yang. 

 

Lovelorn bull Otto (Ving Rhames) pines for his true love Ethel (Alicia Grace Turrell) while acrimonious Animal Control officer Marge (Cecily Strong) seeks to keep them separated. 

 

Garfield is accompanied on his journey by best friend Odie (Harvey Guillen) while their owner Jon (Nicholas Hoult) searches for them via a call center in one of the movie’s funniest sequences for anyone who’s ever been put on hold. 

 

While Jon is being given false assurances that his call is truly important, Garfield is out of his comfort zone doing his own stunts a la Tom Cruise. 

 

With a cameo by Snoop Dogg as Snoop Catt, Snoop also sings the breezy Let It Roll with Keith Urban as the movie reaches its conclusion. Stay for the full credits for some live-action fun and a little understandable revenge action by Jinx in I’m Back. 

 

Catch The Garfield Movie in theaters this weekend!