FanUnity B(uzz)log

You know a movie’s coming straight from the cookie cutter when a child identifies it as formulaic. Before even walking into “Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties”, my kid pointed it out that it seems just like “The Parent Trap.” While such a realization might keep an adult away from a movie, kids tend to watch the same DVD about 2000 times in a row, so this might have actually been appealing.

“Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties” is obviously a play on the Dickens classic, but “The Parent Trap” reference was close enough. When Jennifer Love Hewitt’s character runs off to London to speak at an animal rights conference, Breckin Meyer’s Jon is left holding an engagement ring he expected to offer her on a romantic night alone. Jon gets the idea to follow her to London and propose there. After he drops Garfield and Odie off at the kennel, they quickly escape and stow away in his luggage, which fortunately for them isn’t searched at the airport apparently. Meanwhile a highfalutin cat named Prince, who is Garfield’s doppleganger, lives on a vast British estate. When his owner dies, she lives her lands and wealth to Prince rather than her brother played by Billy Connolly. Being second in line to the cat in inheritance, Connolly does what any rational person would do, try to eliminate the kitty. After succeeding in losing the cat, which drifts down the Thames River to London, Connolly is perplexed when it apparently returns quickly. Of course, that’s really Garfield, while Prince is at the same time taken in by Jon. Hijinks ensue.

Some kids movies can be enjoyed by parents on a different level, or even the same level if they are just damn good stories like “The Lion King.” “Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties” is no “Lion King.” Not that anyone expected that. It’s a dumb movie with talking animals that will make kids laugh a couple times. They’ll like it. You probably won’t. And if you don’t have kids, I don’t even know why you are reading this review. You already spent too much time on this movie.

Rating For Kids: 3/5 Stars.