By: Dave Astor "Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties" opened today to reviews that were more negative than positive.
RottenTomatoes.com this morning linked to 28 reviews of the movie, with only five positive. Among newspaper reviews linked to on that site, 10 out of 13 were somewhat or very negative.
The film -- in which Garfield travels to England and experiences a situation reminiscent of Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper" -- was inspired by the Jim Davis comic that appears in about 2,600 newspapers via Universal Press Syndicate.
Claudia Puig of USA Today wrote that the sequel to the 2004 "Garfield" film "is trying hard to emulate the magic of 'Babe,' adding a stable full of barnyard animals to back up the unlikable feline. But it comes off like a coughed-up furball: a wan rehash with too many elements of the hard-to-swallow 2004 original. Garfield may be a popular comic-strip character, but he doesn't exactly light up the big screen. ... Send this one to the litter box."
Colin Covert of the Minneapolis Star Tribune said the film "gracefully melds live animals and actors with computer animation. ... The locations are sumptuous. ... There's an extravagant wealth of voice talent crowded into the cast. ... But without well-chosen and imaginative lines to speak, not even the entire Royal Shakespeare Company could imbue the creatures with distinctive personalities. And the screenplay is dreadful, one of those hack jobs that actually seems to make you dumber as it rolls along."
Carrie Rickey of The Philadelphia Inquirer noted that because Bill Murray voices Garfield, the film"is mildly amusing." But its plot is "not even serviceable."
Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post wrote: "Nothing happens that you haven't seen before, although if you haven't seen it before (you would have to be younger than 3), you might crack a smile or two."
A negative review not linked on RottenTomatoes.com came from The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. "Garfield the cat doesn't really have nine lives," wrote Stephen Whitty. "But watching his adventures can feel like nine lifetimes. ... Pretty soon you may start wishing for Animal Control to appear onscreen. Or maybe just an angry Marmaduke."
The film did get some positive reviews. Nancy Churnin of The Dallas Morning News said: "The good news for younger viewers (and their parents) is that the sequel, while hardly original, goes for goofier, kinder fun than the successful but often mean-spirited 'Garfield: The Movie' (2004). That film segued from Garfield tormenting the household puppy, Odie, to tormenting the guy who kidnaps Odie."
Jessica Reaves of the Chicago Tribune wrote that the Garfield character is "utterly unsentimental, lacks empathy, and a glutton. ... In other words, he's not exactly the kind of sticky-sweet cartoon character some parents might like their children to emulate. He is, however, exactly the kind of character that makes cartoons bearable, even enjoyable, for grown-ups. ... I've always had a soft spot for Garfield, and this may account, at least in part, for the fact that I enjoyed a lot of this movie."
And Randy Cordova of The Arizona Republic in Phoenix wrote: "Maybe it's simply that the fat cat's first film outing set the bar really low, but 'Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties' isn't bad as far as these things go. It's fast, it's moderately amusing and it will keep the kids giggling for a quick 80 minutes."
In addition to Bill Murray, the movie's voice cast includes Billy Connolly, Tim Curry, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Bob Hoskins, Jane Leeves, Breckin Meyer, and Sharon Osbourne.
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