DVD Review: Garfield Pet Force
Fox Home Entertainment, Paws Inc. Produces Jim Davis-Written Film
Sep 2, 2009 Dominic von Riedemann
Jim Davis' strip comic Garfield has been considered creatively bankrupt since about the mid-1980's, when other comic strips – such as Berke Breathed's Bloom County – were shredding it in print. Even a pair of CGI-plus-live-action movies failed to generate excitement and the 2nd film, A Tail of Two Kitties made only $26 million in theatres.
Nevertheless, Fox Home Entertainment thinks the fat cat and his pals can still make bank in direct-to-DVD CGI animation. Unfortunately, the feature-length Garfield's Pet Force is notable for its off-the-wall strangeness, and not a lot else.
Jim Davis Writes Garfield's Pet Force for Paws Inc., Fox Home Video and The Animation Picture Company
So what's this flick about? Hold tight: this is one messed-up ride.
On the Planet Dorkon, megalomaniacal Vetvix (Vanessa Marshall) steals an invention called the molecular scrambler that turns its victims into subservient, body-scrambled zombies. When the superheroic Garzooka – along with his Pet Force – try to stop her, the Pet Force gets molecularly scrambled and Garzooka must run for the hills.
But wait! Thanks to the Amazing Coincidental Machine™, the kindly Professor Wally who invented the molecular scrambler has also figured out how to turn genetically similar creatures into another Pet Force. It just so happens that – thank you again, Amazing Coincidental Machine™ – those creatures happen to be Garfield's friends: comic book fiend Nermal, dim-witted Odie and long-suffering Arlene.
Garzooka charges off to Cartoon World to recruit Garfield's pals to become his next Pet Force, with Vetvix in hot pursuit. Will Garfield (Frank Welker) eat a lot of food, unwillingly get involved and learn that "one cat can make a difference"?
Sure, but not before things get *really* weird.
One has to wonder what exactly Garfield creator Jim Davis was ingesting when he wrote this script, and whether or not the viewer should sample said substance while watching this movie. Between a zombie chase scene straight out of Night of the Living Dead, bizarre plot points, violations of the cartoon canon (Nermal goes from being a pint-sized prima donna to a comic book geek) and pointless added characters (why did Davis feel Jon needed a doppelganger?), it all adds up to a movie that hangs together by the thinnest – and weirdest – of threads.
It doesn't help that Davis' attempts to inject excitement (such as a pointless sequence where everyone stands around wondering whether or not the serum's going to work) fall flat. And don't get started on a sequence where Garfield takes time out to decide on a name for his heroic team while the villain tears up the town. Davis clearly has no clue when it comes to writing movie scripts.
The visuals, by The Animation Picture Company, have the glossy, plastic look of cheap CGI, and it looks pretty primitive to boot. The characters move strangely and occasionally hang in space, as if they're not properly placed in their backgrounds.
DVD Extras
There are some trailers, plus a PSA on child safety in motor vehicles. Finally, there's a DVD-ROM game called "Professor Wally's Moscrambulator Game."
The Final Analysis
While there is a certain entertainment involved in wondering what the **** this movie is going to go next, it really doesn't make for compelling viewing. Garfield's Pet Force will likely confuse both kids and adults, but should do well with college students with a taste for altered reality.
It gets a 2/10.
Garfield's Pet Force DVD cover
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