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Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties (2006) 20th Century Fox 1 hr. 20 mins. Starring: Bill Murray, Breckin Meyer, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Billy Connolly, Tim Curry, Bob Hoskins, Sharon Osbourne, Ian Abercrombie, Roger Rees, Lucy Davis Directed by: Tim Hill This film is rated: PG Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties Rating:  
E-MAIL FRANK OCHIENG It’s too bad that curiosity didn’t kill this particular cat. Our facetious furball returns once again in the pointless sequel Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties. The only thing that’s distinctively cute and catchy is the movie’s playful title on words. The smaller kiddies may take a remote interest in the pesky pussycat’s latest misguided antics in this clumsy updated version of The Prince and the Pauper. However, the rest of us will find more stimulating time mindlessly playing with a ball of yarn. Director Tim Hill (“Max Keeble’s Big Move”) revisits the glib Garfield as the four-legged fiend secretly crosses the pond and creates more meaningless havoc in merry old England. Hill oversees this flaccid fable with a by-the-numbers goofiness that never quite makes us feel finicky about the immensely popular clawed comic strip cat and his mischievous ways. Screenwriters Joel Cohen and Alec Sokolov pen a rather woefully flaccid story that has all the freshness of unchanged kitty litter. There are two on-going mysteries as to why our hairy hero has endured. First, why was the original Garfield flick such a hit despite its shapeless and disposable relevance? And secondly, why the need to serve up a chintzy follow-up that a wounded paw wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot flea collar? We know...refer to the aforementioned reason number one mystery about it being “a hit”. Yet folks wonder why contemporary American family-oriented movies are on the decline. The human elements at the center of this tepid tale is Garfield’s owner Jon Arbuckle (Breckin Meyer) whose contemplation of proposing marriage to pretty veterinarian girlfriend Liz Wilson (Jennifer Love Hewitt from CBS television’s “The Ghost Whisperer”) ruffles the orange-yellowish follicles of the scheming Garfield (voiced by Bill Murray). So when Jon decides to travel to England to seal the deal and secure Liz’s heart in marital bliss, Garfield and doggie cohort Odie stowaway to Europe with plans to prevent such a “drastic” happening. Once on the streets of London, American pot-bellied pussy Garfield is immediately mistaken for his royal blue-blooded look-a-like in the pristine presence of Prince (voiced by Tim Curry). Apparently, rightful heir Prince has just inherited a castle much to the chagrin of a scorned British lord (Billy Connolly) who feels that this sprawling property is best suited in his possession. Being opportunistic and sensing a sudden brush with wealth, the evil-minded relative wants to kill Prince to automatically become the recipient of the posh castle. Of course with the shifty Garfield assuming Prince’s place and identity, the devious lord has no idea what he’s up against in trying to permanently eradicate the infuriating feline. Inevitably, the high jinks are up for chaotic grabs. In the midst of the class-consciousness of nobility and nonsense, Garfield stirs up the madcap moments that include the standby guffaws concerning flatulence, tossed lasagna, lame disguises and impersonations, weak-kneed droll jokes, labored literary references, exaggerated appetites, misplaced pithy puns, etc. Clearly, this is quite punishing to watch as this jittery and juvenile romp is strung staggeringly together by tedious tidbits. Even more inanely questionable are the banal barnyard critters that are as garrulous as CGI fat cat Garfield is roguishly annoying. Needlessly charmless and half-baked, Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties is an 80-minute dissolving fish-out-of-water gag that never really clicks with its synthetic eye-winking charade. It’s kind of a head-scratching bewilderment to fathom why the Oscar-nominated Murray would lend his repeated time and talent to such a crass kid-coated washout. Still, we could also question Murray’s initial participation in 2004’s Garfield: The Movie for that matter. Granted that the actor’s smugness and nonchalant naughtiness fits the bill for the pompous, puffy pussycat. In hindsight, the filmmakers must have paid through the nose to rubber stamp Murray’s “second-time-around” vocal impishness in an animated cad-like cat that should be stuffing his wise-cracking mouth with juicy field mice. There’s not much that can be said for the supporting cast that give nothing entertainingly bubbly to this uninviting, insipid laugher intended for glassy-eyed toddlers. From Curry’s privileged Prince the cat to Bob Hoskins’ bulldog, there’s not an ounce of convincing wit that vividly screams animal magnetism in this cobbled petting zoo of a dud. Human honey-bunny leads Meyer and Love Hewitt are hopelessly bland as the treacle-inspired tandem. In short, their cringe-inducing romance doesn’t help the movie’s belabored and bone-headed manufactured mishaps in the long run. Should Garfield sniff his way to a third installment then prepare to take a needed catnap en route to our empty-minded amusement. So much for those darn cinematic nine lives from our furry friend, huh? Click here to comment on this review or post your own thoughts. Frank Ochieng © TheWorldJournal.com |
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