Jim Davis’ Monday-hating and lasagna-loving indoor cat Garfield is back on the big screen in an all-animated movie.
This time, the comedic cat is voiced by Chris Pratt.
In this film titled “The Garfield Movie”, the audience can learn the origins of Garfield, the icon of doing-nothingness and how he ended up living in a perfectly pampered life in the burbs with his owner Jon and unpaid intern, Odie.
The filmmakers said Chris was their first choice to voice Garfield.
“I guess Chris just captures that laziness and sarcasm in his natural voice,” director Mark Dindal quipped.
Garfield is also joined by other “pawsome” characters.
Get to know them here:
Jon Arbuckle
Jon’s life changed for the better when a cute, orange tabby kitten interrupted his lonely dinner at Mamma Leoni’s restaurant on a dark, rainy night. He was instantly smitten by the cat who seemed to have a unique talent for eating Italian food and later happily adopted the feline.
In this film, Jon, a cartoonist by profession, is voiced by Nicholas Hoult. The actor was described by producer Andrew Kosove as “incredibly talented.”
“Hoult’s performance is both funny and empathetic,” Kosove added.
Odie
Odie is Jon’s trusted loyal, sweet, and free-spirited dog who loves everyone, especially his lazy companion Garfield. He’s a faithful friend who is willing to do anything for Garfield except let him fail.
He is also dubbed the glue that holds the family together.
In the animated movie, he is “barked” by Harvey Guillén.
Vic
The “Garfield movie” introduces Garfield’s biological father, Vic. He is a street hustling larger-than-life cat who has charmed and conned his way through life.
The character is voiced by Samuel L. Jackson, who will give audiences a background on why Garfield’s father disappeared from his son’s life.
Producer Broderick Johnson lauded Jackson’s portrayal of Vic as he managed to combine humor and heart.
“Sam brings comedy, but also tremendous emotion, and he balances them very successfully – as well as anybody in the business,” Johnson said.
Jinx
One of the antagonists in the animated movie is Jinx. She journeyed from her homeland of Britain to make it big in show business only to be met with the cold hard truth of failure. She fell on hard times and ended up on the street where she became part of Vic’s alley cat criminal crew.
During one of their many heists, robbing a dairy named Lactose Farms, she was caught and sent to the pound. She felt betrayed by Vic. The hard prison life turned her simmering bitterness into a raging fire of anger. With the help of fellow canine convicts, Roland and Nolan, she escaped to collect what she’s owed by Vic.
Jinx is voiced by Hannah Waddingham who was praised by Dindal, the film director.
“I think the performance she gave inspired the animation and made her a rich, sympathetic villain. Of course, she can’t succeed, but you understand where she’s coming from,” Dindal said.
Otto
A warm addition to the “pawsome” characters, is the bull named Otto. He and his soul-mate Ethel were the cow mascots for Lactose Farms, until they lost their jobs due to automation and corporate greed. Otto lamented that he has only get to take a peek at Ethel, who is exhibited at a petting zoo, a few seconds a day.
The years of being away from the love of his life have softened his hide but hardened his resolve to rescue her.
Vic is voiced by Ving Rhames who Kosove said was a “perfect fit” for Otto.
“When the character was written, we didn’t think of anyone other than Ving Rhames to play Otto, the lovelorn bull,” Kosove said.
Roland and Nolan
Apart from Jinx, Roland and Nolan bring challenge to our main characters. They are Jinx’s henchdogs, her canine lackeys, her mutt flunkeys, who formed an alliance of convenience with Jinx when all three were fellow inmates at the maximum-security pound.
Roland, voiced by Brett Goldstein, is a rotund Shar Pei with a South London accent who claims that “he never grew into his folds.” Nolan, on the other hand, voiced Bowen Yang, is a narrow-shouldered whippet whose frenzied attention span is only calmed by the gentle embrace of Roland’s flappy furry folds.
Marge
Last of the “Garfield Movie” characters, is Marge. She is Lactose Farms’ head of security who is tough in protecting the farm from intruders.
Marges is portrayed by Cecily Strong, who Kosove said created the voice of the character “unique.”
You can catch Garfield and his friends in “The Garfield Movie” from Columbia Pictures, local office of Sony Pictures Releasing International, in cinemas nationwide. The movie opened today, May 29. — Rosette Adel