Garfield
Garfield Review: Story, Cast, Rating & Final Verdict
Last updated: April 13, 2026
Movie Overview: Garfield
| Movie | Garfield |
| Release Year | 2004 |
| Director | Peter Hewitt |
| Genre | Comedy / Family |
| Runtime | 80 minutes |
| Language | EN |
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is Garfield (2004) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE with a verified audience rating of 5.7/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Comedy.
Cast & Character Study
The performances in Garfield are led by Bill Murray . The supporting cast, including Breckin Meyer and Jennifer Love Hewitt , provides the necessary layers to the central narrative.
movieMx Verdict: Is it Worth Your Time?
What Works in the Movie
While Garfield does not fully realize its potential, it still contains moments that may appeal to viewers who enjoy Comedy films.
- Interesting concept or premise
- Some entertaining scenes
- Supporting cast delivers occasional highlights
What Doesn't Work
Despite its strengths, Garfield has a few issues that may affect the overall viewing experience, particularly in terms of pacing and narrative consistency.
- Uneven pacing in certain parts of the film
- Some predictable plot developments
- May not appeal to audiences outside the Comedy fanbase
Story & Plot Summary: Garfield
Quick Plot Summary: Released in 2004, Garfield is a Comedy, Family film directed by Peter Hewitt. The narrative brings laughter through sharp writing and comedic timing, providing amusement while touching on deeper societal themes. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict involving Bill Murray.
Story Breakdown
The comedic structure relies on both situational humor and character-based comedy. Garfield, the fat, lazy, lasagna lover, has everything a cat could want. But when Jon, in an effort to impress the Liz - the vet and an old high-school crush - adopts a dog named Odie and brings him home, Garfield gets the one thing he doesn't want. Competition. The production finds humor in relatable situations while maintaining narrative momentum. The jokes serve the story, with callbacks that reward attentive viewers.
Narrative Structure
- Opening Hook: The opening establishes the comedic tone and introduces the central conflict through humor and character quirks.
- Character Arc: Character development is present but somewhat formulaic, following familiar patterns without adding fresh perspectives to the genre.
- Climax & Resolution: The comedic climax ties together recurring jokes and character arcs, delivering both laughs and emotional satisfaction.
Ending Explained: Garfield
Garfield Ending Explained: Directed by Peter Hewitt, Garfield attempts to bring together the film’s narrative threads. The ending highlights the core comedy themes developed throughout the film.
The conclusion reflects the central themes explored throughout the narrative, particularly in scenes involving Bill Murray. The interpretation of the ending may vary among viewers.
Key Elements of the Ending
- Narrative Resolution: The story resolves its primary conflict while leaving room for interpretation.
- Character Development: Character motivations become clearer by the final scenes.
- Thematic Message: The ending reinforces the comedy themes introduced earlier in the film.
The final moments of Garfield reflect the creative choices of the filmmakers and align with the tone of the narrative.
Who Should Watch Garfield?
Consider Watching If:
- You're a completist for Comedy films
- You're curious despite mixed reviews
- You have low expectations and want casual entertainment
Box Office Collection: Garfield
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $50.0M |
| Worldwide Gross | $200.8M |
| Trade Verdict | FINANCIAL DISAPPOINTMENT |
Garfield Budget
The estimated production budget for Garfield is $50.0M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Top Cast: Garfield
All Cast & Crew →
























Where to Watch Garfield Online?
Streaming Hub🎟️ Rent on
Google Play Movies
YouTube🏷️ Buy on
Google Play Movies
YouTubeGarfield Parents Guide & Age Rating
2004 AdvisoryWondering about Garfield age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of Garfield is 80 minutes (1h 20m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 5.7/10, and global performance metrics, Garfield is classified as a ABOVE AVERAGE. It remains an essential part of the 2004 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Garfield worth watching?
Garfield is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Comedy movies. It has a verified rating of 5.7/10 and stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE in our box office analysis.
Where can I find Garfield parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for Garfield identifies it as PG. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of Garfield?
The total duration of Garfield is 80 minutes, which is approximately 1h 20m long.
Best Movies to Watch if you liked Garfield
How Garfield Compares & Where it Ranks
Critic Reviews for Garfield
Like this movie. I always enjoy the real versions of animated movies. This was done well. Garfield being pissed off at Odie for John bringing him home.
**A forgettable film, full of problems, and which purges Garfield of the charisma and soul of the original cartoon character.** I have to say that, although I'm not a comic book fan, I've loved Garfield since I was a child, particularly due to his adaptation into children's cartoons, which I saw in my childhood and loved. I also saw the more modern animations, in digital format, but I can't help but think that the classic material is better, and the stories presented are much more engaging. In any case, trying to compare the 2004 film to any of the Garfield animations or comic books is a real trial by fire: the film is considerably weaker, even though it has certain positive points that deserve our attention. The film was directed by a certain Joel Cohen, who is not the same Joel from the Cohen Brothers, he is another person with an identical name, who I didn't know. The director doesn't seem to me to have been the best student in the directing class at film school... notice how the film was poorly edited and unfolds unevenly, wasting a lot of time on uninteresting things just to rush near the end. In addition to the pacing problems, the film lacks a good soundtrack and some comic “spark” that gives it soul and charm. Although sarcasm works effectively and is a very solid characteristic of the character, Garfield manages to be funnier and more charismatic than this cat in this film, and most of the jokes sound hollow, especially to adults. The script, instead of taking advantage of the wealth of Garfield that exists in comics and animations, serves us a story that is dull, uninteresting, poorly written and full of clichés. It seems that the production only had people who didn't like, or didn't know, the character: the film only talks about the friendship between Garfield and Oddie, a cat and a dog who will have to learn to share the attention of their owner, Jon. There is an attempt to do anything more than that by inserting a villain who acts like Cruella De Vil, trying to use animals for his selfish purposes. In the end, he looks like Mufasa in the hands of the hyenas in “Lion King”: the scenes are identical, a copy that shows the void of ideas in that production room. However, despite all these problems being worthy of consideration, the film has quality elements, starting with the CGI and digital animation, which were inserted into the conventional filming with great technical skill. Even for the beginning of the century, it's a reasonably convincing film, with one drawback: Garfield's character. Being a “live action” film where all the characters, human or not, are real and similar to their animated counterparts, why didn’t they do the same with the orange cat? The cat remains equal to the animated one, and is the only one, brutally clashing with everything! For a practical example, compare Garfield to Oddie or even Nermal: the two characters look much better than the animated cat. As for the actors, the film seems to have made safe bets on competent people who could add some talent to the film and guarantee a minimum of quality: Jennifer Love Hewitt does a very competent job, but it is a film that she cannot save, she is in a position too secondary to do it; Bill Murray, despite only lending his voice to the cat, is the ideal actor to do it. Not only does he have the most suitable tone and voice, he also has an extraordinary comedic streak and ability to make jokes loaded with sarcasm. However, even he knows this film is weak, despite the cash he received for lending his voice! Stephen Tobolowsky is a weak, pantomime villain, with no personality or ability to threaten, and Brekin Meyer doesn't give Jon a personality worthy of our esteem, he turns him into a sympathetic fool.
movieMx Verified
This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.
Useful Links
More with Bill Murray



Part of the Garfield (Live-Action/CGI) Collection
Explore the full watch order, ratings, and collection details.
View Full Franchise








