Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties Parent Guide
Parent Movie Review
What more could Garfield the cat (voiced by Bill Murray) want than to be treated like royalty? The egotistical domestic pet already thinks the world revolves around him, so living in palatial glory ought to be the cat’s meow.
He gets the chance to live the high life while traveling in London with his owner Jon (Breckin Meyer) and his sidekick Odie the dog. Mistaken for a famous cat that has just inherited the Castle Carlyle, Garfield is picked up by the butler (Ian Abercrombie) and whisked back to the expansive estate where he is treated to luxury linens, succulent meals and an entire staff of servants devoted entirely to his happiness.
But he soon discovers his position as “prince” is under attack by the nephew of his recently deceased benefactor. As the next in line, Lord Dargis (Bill Connolly) plans to rid the castle of the regal kitty and take over the land and assets. Fortunately, the other barnyard animals realize they too are in jeopardy and take on the task of protecting the self-centered feline.
Meanwhile the real Prince (voiced by Tim Curry) pulls himself out of a stinky London sewer after being maliciously tossed in the river by Dargis. Falsely identified as Garfield, the imperial feline is treated like a common house cat until he makes his escape and starts heading back to his royal litter box in the country.
Taking a comic strip aimed at adults and stretching it into a full-length film for a broader audience is challenging at best, and keeping young viewers engaged proves to be difficult. Garfield’s satirical attitude and snide remarks are definitely adult oriented, as is his spiteful intention to interfere with Jon’s wedding proposal to his veterinarian girlfriend Liz (Jennifer Love Hewitt). As well the film has some minor language infractions, drunken animals, flatulence gags, burping jokes and dog piddling problems.
However the biggest concern with the script are the dastardly deeds of Lord Dargis as he attempts to annihilate the four-legged heir of the castle. Using a skeet shooter and later a crossbow, he threatens the lives of animals and solicitors alike. He also sets loose the palace’s guard dog to tear up the tubby kitty. In turn, the other animals respond by inflicting their own form of justice on the nasty nephew. The comic actions include a man being hit, kicked and repeatedly attacked in the groin and buttocks by animals.
Fortunately, this film has improved upon its predecessor Garfield: The Movie in its ability to merge computer generated images and real life actors. Using a change in filming procedures, the interactions between the characters are now more realistic. Still Garfield’s A Tale of Two Kitties is barely worth purring over.
Starring Breckin Meyer, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Bill Murray. Running time: 80 minutes. Theatrical release June 15, 2006. Updated May 1, 2009About author
Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties
Rating & Content Info
Why is Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties rated PG? Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties is rated PG by the MPAA for some rude humor and mild comic action.
In addition to Garfield’s cantankerous personality, the film relies on flatulence, burping, a urinating dog and a bath in a bidet for laughs. A character points a gun at two animals and later threatens a group of humans with a crossbow and pistol. A man gets his fingers caught in a trap, is crushed under a falling statue and is struck by a falling bed canopy. A character is attacked in the groin area and bitten in the buttocks by a dog. As well a ferret run up his pants. A bird is caught in a fan. A cat falls out of a window. A man attempts to kill a cat on several occasions. A character is chased by a dog, kicked, shot and punched in the nose. A man makes mildly suggestive remarks to women. One animal is accused of using catnip and another is depicted as drunk. Language includes some name-calling and at least one profanity.
Page last updated May 1, 2009
Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties Parents' Guide
Why is Garfield so unhappy about Jon’s relationship with Liz? What does he hope to gain by sabotaging it?
While pretending to be royalty, what perks does Garfield experience? What things does he miss about his life as a common house cat?
Home Video
The most recent home video release of Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties movie is October 10, 2006. Here are some details…
Garfield’s A Tale of Two Kitties comes with the full screen and extended widescreen on the same disc. As well, the DVD release features Drawing with Jim Davis, an exclusive Garfield comic strip, a music video, and the games Odie’s Photo Album and Garfield’s Maze. Audio tracks are available in English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround) and Spanish (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), with subtitles in Spanish.
Related home video titles:
In addition to playing the role of Jon in Garfield: The Movie, Breckin Meyer also stars as the personal promotion manager of an anger-ridden college basketball coach in Rebound. Bill Connolly (Dargis) is an eccentric herpetologist named Uncle Monty in Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events. In Hallmark’s adaptation of Mark Twain’s classic tale, The Prince And The Pauper, the heir to the thrown and a look-alike peasant step into each other’s worlds by switching clothes and identities.