GARFIELD:
A TAIL OF TWO KITTIES
by Jane Louise
Boursaw
MPAA Rating:
G
Suggested Ages: 3+
Released in Theaters: June 9, 2006
Reel Rating: 2 out of 4 Reels
Should you bring the kids? I was
bored, but my kids 8 and 11 loved it. And the preschoolers in the
audience were laughing hysterically at some of Garfield's stunts. In
short, this is a cute kid flick with cuddly characters and a predictable
storyline. For more info, see "Bringing the Kids" below.
THE STORY:
In this sequel to 2004's "Garfield: The Movie," America's favorite
chubby cat (Bill Murray) and canine sidekick Odie travel to London,
where Jon Arbuckle (Breckin Meyer) is set to propose to his girlfriend,
veterinarian Liz Wilson (Jennifer Love Hewitt).
Once there, Garfield
accidentally changes places with a look-a-like Brit kitty named Prince,
who's just inherited a royal castle from his deceased owner. This
doesn't sit well with the owner's dastardly nephew, Lord Dargis (Billy
Connolly, who bears an uncanny resemblance to the legendary John Cleese).
He's next in line to inherit the estate, and wants to turn it into a
resort.
But
Garfield is living large, enjoying his new butler, Smithee (Ian
Abercrombie), and an entourage of servants and subjects, including
Winston, a (very) English Bulldog; McBunny, a Scottish hare; Nigel, a
ferret; Bolera, a Spanish bull; I Claudius, a Shakespeare-quoting mouse;
and Christophe, a French goose. "When the going gets tough, the great
ones party," says Garfield. And party he does, feasting on every sort of
royal food and relaxing pool-side with his pals.
Meanwhile, Prince is
living the simple life, hitting the pubs with Jon and Odie, tasting his
first lasagna, and loving all of it! Like the first movie, this one
won't have kids rolling in the aisles with laughter, but it's good for a
chuckle or two.
BRINGING THE KIDS:
PRESCHOOLERS (ages
2-5): This movie is rated PG, but it's about as close to a G as you
can get. Most of the objectionable content falls into the
bodily-function category namely, the requisite burping (apparently
required for all PG kid-movies), as well as one scene where Odie, uh,
does the deed on a guard's shoe at Buckingham Palace. Still, kids aged
five and younger will love the pudgy cat and his crazy friends. When I
saw this movie in the theater, the preschoolers were laughing
hysterically.
GRADE-SCHOOLERS
(ages 6 - 10): The 2004 movie dragged along at a snail's pace, but,
thankfully, this one has a little more action to keep things moving.
Much of the wacky hijinks stem from Lord Dargis trying to get
Garfield/Prince out of the way so he can claim his inheritance lots of
chasing, knocking things over, etc. Garfield's new friends also inject
new life into the franchise, especially when they decide to do a bit of
cooking in the kitchen and all heck breaks loose. It's cat-astrophic!
(Sorry couldn't resist.)
TWEEN
/ TEEN (ages 11+):
This movie is geared for younger kids, but young-minded tweens and teens
will probably find something to laugh at when the sassy cat crosses the
pond. Garfield's so cute, you just want to pick him up and squeeze him.
Meyer and Hewitt do a good job of remaining true to their comic-strip
personas, and I can't imagine anyone but Bill Murray as the
lasagna-loving feline.
SCORE: 3 out of 4
Reels
Jane's Reel Rating
System:
One Reel: Pathetic. Even The Force cant save it.
Two Reels: Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.
Three Reels: Thought-provoking. 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!
Read my other reviews
here.
