Yes, there are two comics-related, feline-themed movies this year...
So, I have now had occasion to watch the Garfield trailer several times. Three times in the cinema and Spaf only knows how often on television. One thing has been clear since the first viewing: this movie is terrible. Awful. A moral evil doing nothing but contributing to the heat death of the universe. In fact, the trailer makes the movie out to be such an obvious flop, that it is almost a revelatory experience. Like Saul Tarsky, then, I must ask myself: has this
movie any chance to succeed. (Remember, lest you scoff, "Kangaroo Jack" was the number one movie for a while.)
The writers have some chops and a legitimate track record with "Cheaper by the Dozen" and "Toy Story" to their credit. "Garfield" was once a funny strip, and there's enough meat in the source material for a talented writer to get a good movie out of it. Garfield is voiced by Bill Murray who is just an insanely
funny man. Jennifer Love Hewitt is astonishingly attractive, and captures the screen in a a way reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn or Rita Hayworth.
On the minus side, the writers do not include Mark Evanier who was the last person to do anything worthwhile with a Jim Davis property. Love Hewitt, who was Hollywood's "It" girl back in the late 1990's when Hollywood kept "It" girls for the more than a month or so, hasn't picked a decent script since "The Devil
and Daniel Webster" which got withheld from release. Her last big movie was the Jackie Chan vehicle "The Tuxedo." Meanwhile, Jim, a pivotal character in the strip as he plays off Garfield, is played by Breckin Meyer. I am unfamiliar with this guy, but the obvious choice was Harold Ramis. If they had to go younger, they absolutely need someone with star power, say Ashton Kutcher or even Seth Green. Bill Murray voicing a CGI cat will not let an unknown share the screen. Meyer has a track record, but as far as I can tell, no starring roles.
Of course, the other thing Garfield has going for it is a fan base. There exist people, my cousin Kari, who LOVE Garfield. Remember those stupid Garfield suction cup things that struck on the back of cars? Someone bought those and enough of them to make them a national joke. Garfield is ridiculously well-known, and so it is possible his fans will make the movie successful.
But my God, does it look horrible or what?
Posted by Mike Chary at June 8, 2004 10:50 AM