As a kid I used to be a huge fan of the Garfield comic strips. My grandmother was also a fan and had books 1-12 and and 14, and eventually gave them to me after I had developed an interest in them. I collected the first 40 books, but eventually I stopped buying them and stopped asking for them as gifts. As I matured, The Far Side seemed more and more like the comic for me; but I still respected Garfield. Later, I discovered truly great comedy in the TV show Arrested Development, and also rediscovered the brilliance of The Simpsons, so my remaining interest in Garfield was lost. Then I got a Garfield DVD, including this TV special Here Comes Garfield, for Christmas. I wasn't thrilled, particularly when I watched it the first time.
But on the second time it was better. The laughs aren't major here, but there is some. I guess Garfield is in a way comparable to The Simpsons because of its paradox- the Simpson family members love each other very much but at the same time can't stand each other, demonstrating that love and like are two different things and it's possible to love but not to like. The cat Garfield similarly at times dislikes the dog he lives with, Odie, and his owner Jon, but secretly he loves them. The Simpsons captures the paradox better, but Garfield is still the quintessential loner; gluttonous, angry and rough (he throws a clock at a bird in the beginning), vain and smug, intolerant of the less intelligent. His cynicism makes him attractive because he doesn't conform to how some people might want a more positive hero and more sweetness. Yet at the same time, he has some self-loathing and a desire for community.
Here Comes Garfield uses some of the classic jokes of the comic strip, something which the movie didn't do and which fans of the comic strip should appreciate. The TV special is also less juvenile than the movie. In sending Garfield and Odie to a pound where Odie is scheduled to be put down, the TV special is more serious in tone and that's good because it reflects the seriousness of life. This special shows Garfield at its best- which may fall short of the greatest works of animation, in The Simpsons, Futurama, Mission Hill, Rocky and Bullwinkle and Pinky and the Brain- but it's still good enough to take notice. Nominated for the Emmy for outstanding animated program.
But on the second time it was better. The laughs aren't major here, but there is some. I guess Garfield is in a way comparable to The Simpsons because of its paradox- the Simpson family members love each other very much but at the same time can't stand each other, demonstrating that love and like are two different things and it's possible to love but not to like. The cat Garfield similarly at times dislikes the dog he lives with, Odie, and his owner Jon, but secretly he loves them. The Simpsons captures the paradox better, but Garfield is still the quintessential loner; gluttonous, angry and rough (he throws a clock at a bird in the beginning), vain and smug, intolerant of the less intelligent. His cynicism makes him attractive because he doesn't conform to how some people might want a more positive hero and more sweetness. Yet at the same time, he has some self-loathing and a desire for community.
Here Comes Garfield uses some of the classic jokes of the comic strip, something which the movie didn't do and which fans of the comic strip should appreciate. The TV special is also less juvenile than the movie. In sending Garfield and Odie to a pound where Odie is scheduled to be put down, the TV special is more serious in tone and that's good because it reflects the seriousness of life. This special shows Garfield at its best- which may fall short of the greatest works of animation, in The Simpsons, Futurama, Mission Hill, Rocky and Bullwinkle and Pinky and the Brain- but it's still good enough to take notice. Nominated for the Emmy for outstanding animated program.