GARFIELD 2 
Starring:
Breckin Meyer, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Billy Connolly, Ian Abercrombie, Roger
Rees, Lucy Davis and the vocal talents of Bill Murray, Bob Hoskins, Tim Curry,
Sharon Osbourne, Jane Leeves, Jane Horrocks, Vinnie Jones, Rhys Ifans and
Richard E. Grant
Director:
Tim Hill
Running Time:
78 mins
Out to buy on DVD 11/12/06
"I love this Lasagne"
When Liz (Love Hewitt) gets invited to London for an animal convention, John (Meyer) decides to go with her, leaving Garfield (Bill Murray) and Odie in kennels. Of course Garfield is having none of this and he and Odie escape to stow away in John's luggage. Meanwhile in London, Carlyle Castle has just been left to the Duchess's cat Prince (Curry), much to the annoyance of her only living relative Lord Dargis (Connelly) but when he tries to get rid of the feline, faithful butler Smithee (Abercrombie) finds Prince on the streets of London but he isn't the regal cat, he a fat, lazy, ginger cat who just happens to look identical.
While the first 'Garfield' movie may have been a box office hit, it was far from a critical success but can the fat, lazy, ginger cat's new adventure be any better?
Bringing Jim Davis's beloved character to the silver screen was always going to be hit or miss and the first movie proved that it was going to be an almost impossible task. Far too sugary sweet and missing most of the charm and laughs that makes the comic strip and character such a firm family favourite, the first film was a hit with younger viewers but fans where left disillusioned and extremely disappointed.
The essence of the character was intact however and with the always-excellent Bill Murray replacing the immortal Lorenzo Music as the voice of Garfield, there was the possibility for improvement and the good news is that this is a better than the first film but only just.
Transporting Garfield from the US to the UK gives the ginger moggy the chance to shine. Taking a big story scoop from the 'Prince and the Pauper', Garfield gets to live the life of royalty and clearly has the time of his life. Prince, the posh, castle dwelling cat gets to live the average cat's life and discovers the true meaning of life, lasagne.
The film then turns into a version of 'Babe' with talking barnyard animals running around the castle grounds with celebrities providing the voices. Bob Hoskins, Sharon Osbourne, Jane Leeves, Jane Horrocks, Vinnie Jones, Rhys Ifans and Richard E. Grant provide the voices for the dogs, ducks, ferrets and rats that live at the castle and Tim Curry has fun as the extremely posh Prince.
The weakest part of the movie is the human stories. Playing a bad guy just doesn't suit Billy Connolly because all you want him to do is be funny. Both Breckin Meyer and Jennifer Love Hewitt continue to be awful as Jon Arbuckle and Liz. Both of them are seriously miscast, Breckin is not geeky enough to be Jon and Jennifer Love Hewitt is far too beautiful to be Liz.
While better than the original, 'Garfield 2' is still not as good as it could have been. Young viewers will love the fat cat's antics however but fans of the lasagne loving feline will still be disappointed. With improved graphics and even better character design, Garfield has never looked so good but we are still waiting for a true version of everyone's favourite ginger cat.
PICTURE & SOUND
Presented in Widescreen 1.85:1 Anamorphic with a Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack, the transfer is good.
BONUS FEATURES
The Nine Lives of Garfield (7.39 mins)
Visual effects supervisor Betsy Paterson and visual effects producer Dan
Foster reveal how the prison scene was created. From the script through
to the final shot, the pair talks you through the stages needed to bring
Garfield to life on the silver screen.
Drawing with Jim Davis
The creator of the famous ginger cat shows you how to draw Odie, Pooky and
Garfield himself.
Pen and Ink: Creating a Garfield Comic Strip (5.49 mins)
Garfield creator Jim Davis, penciller/letterer Eric Reaves, inker Larry
Fentz and colourist Tom Howard take you through the process of producing
an exclusive comic strip for the DVD. Exclusive Garfield Comic Strip View
the exclusive strip producer for the Garfield DVD.
Working with Hot Dogs and Cool Kitties (4.54 mins)
Animal coordinator Mark Forbes reveals how the performances of Odie, Winston
the bulldog, Reggie the duck and Bolero the bull were put together to create
the animal sequences in the second Garfield movie.
On the town with Garfield (2.13 mins)
Garfield and Odie show you the sights of London including Westminster Abbey,
the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, the London Eye and Buckingham Palace.
'Come and Get It' Music Video
Watch and listen to the promotional music video by Brian Anthony, with scenes
from Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties'
Garfield Maze Game
Guide the fat ginger cat around the maze to find his favourite dish, Lasagne.
Odie's Photo Album Game
Match up the correct shots taken by Odie and win the game.
OVERALL
While the featurettes a little short, they are enough of them to keep young Garfield fans happy. The lack of interviews and a commentary track is a little disappointing however, making this a lacklustre release for fans of the ginger cat.
DVD
