Rated PG (for brief mild language. 85 Minutes. Ok for kids ages 4 and up.

This movie opens with the comic-strip cat living a cushy life -- plenty of long naps, TV time, and lasagna. But things take a turn for the worse when owner Jon Arbuckle (Brecklin Meyer) brings home the loveable, but dim-witted  Odie – a DOG, of all things!

Garfield soon finds himself pushed into second place – a spot he doesn’t much care for – so he locks Odie outside one night. The dog promptly runs off, gets lost, and ends up in the hands of bad guy/TV host Happy Chapman, who plans to use him as a gimmick to further his languishing TV career. The usually apathetic Garfield feels guilty and heads into the big city to find him. Adventures ensue.

WHAT WE LIKED: My kids, 7 and 9, and I loved the computer-generated Garfield – a fat, sassy, dancin’ fool who really shines when he gets down to James Brown’s “I Feel Good” and “A New Dog State of Mind.” Meyer and Jennifer Love Hewitt, his sexy-but-sweet veterinarian love interest, do a good job at remaining true to their comic-strip personas.

The PG rating is about as close to a G as you can get. Mild language (one “damn” and one “Oh my God”), a few mildly provocative TV scenes, and of course, the requisite burping – apparently required for any kid movie – skew this into the PG area.

WHAT WE DIDN’T LIKE: I had high hopes for Bill Murray as the voice of Garfield – I mean, who could be more perfect? The cat’s mouth even looked like Murray’s! But it wasn’t enough to save this film, which dragged along, thanks to lame writing and predictable one-liners. Even the kids seemed bored and fidgety, save the occasional chuckle.

I was also distracted by the inconsistencies. Garfield was the only computer-generated image – the other animals and humans were real. And I kept wondering why the neighbor-animals talked and Odie didn’t. (Yes, I realize he doesn’t talk in the comic strip either, so that’s probably why.)

THE WRAP-UP: A cute kid flick, but cuddly animation and Bill Murray-power aren’t enough to save this from the doze-zone. Kids under five might find Garfield’s pudginess and self-absorbed attitude fascinating enough to watch for 85 minutes. It wasn’t enough for us.

SCORE: 2 out of 4 Reels.

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Jane's Reel Rating System:

One Reel – Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it.

Two Reels – Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.

Three Reels – Pleasant. Something to talk about.

Four Reels – Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.

E-chat with me at jane@reellifewithjane.com - I LOVE to talk about movies! For more about me, check out my writer’s Web site, www.janeboursaw.com.

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