Garfield
Running Time: 76 mins.
Rated:
With this film, Disney hand-drawn animation, which has prevailed for almost seventy years, comes to an end. Dreamworks and, especially Pixar Studios, have proved that computer animation is the present and the future.
What we have here is a rather old-fashioned story, with an old-fashioned look that is reminiscent of Clarabelle the Cow and of the Looney Tunes and their chases and slambang pratfalls.
It is the story of three cows who come from a dairy farm called A Little Patch of Heaven. Villains rustle cattle, want to buy out poor and helpless widows and give the west a bad name. We share the adventures of the cows, as well as their trying to get on with one another. Maggie is an interloping show cow, so is voiced with her kind of panache by Roseanne Barr. The lady of the farm, called Mrs Calloway, sounds like M, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Victoria because she is voiced by Judi Dench. Amusing with her New Age psychological observations and explanations is Jennifer Tilly voicing Grace. So, there are all kinds of adventures, perils and bonding till the cows come home.
Perhaps the plot and action will seem old-fashioned to today's children. The adults can reminisce and enjoy the voices.
Fr Peter Malone MSC is the International President of SIGNIS: the World Association for Catholic Communications and an Associate of the Australian Catholic Film Office.