Entertainment

The Garfield Movie: Enjoyable, refreshing take

Unpredictable rollercoaster, hardly any dull moments

Published

May 27, 2024

I watched the advanced screening of The Garfield Movie armed with a wealth of knowledge about favorite fat cat. I’ve seen both of the live-action versions in the 2000s where Garfield was voiced by Bill Murray. I’ve also enjoyed Garfield comics regularly growing up.

Those who’ve come to be a fan of Garfield knows him and his life very well. He hates Mondays, loves lasagna, and blurts out sarcastic lines in thought bubbles which his owner Jon doesn’t really hear anyway. That’s his character that has defined newspapers and digital spaces for over half a century.

I wanted to wait until the end of the film to make my judgement, knowing that it’s a new take. I was right. Here are a few thoughts:

Puts Garfield at the forefront

This version puts the orange cat at the center of it all. That’s unlike the two live-action movies I mentioned. There’s less screen time for Jon (since the movie doesn’t revolve around him), and in the parts he’s involved, it’s comedic enough. I felt the second live-action (Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties) particularly, Jon’s wedding plans with Liz gets in the way of the main storyline.

In contrast, this film is mainly about Garfield. Sure, there’s his dad Vic, but we all know that. I’m also glad we didn’t get just a cliché father-and-son narrative. In the end, it was a fun adventure that focused on what Garfield can bring to the big screen.

Expansion of what we know

The first 10 minutes or so of The Garfield Movie introduces the titular character as the one we know in the comics. The typical elements like pizza, lasagna, spiders, watching TV, and refrigerator runs were packaged in a superficial manner.

Then, it expands on what we’ve already seen in the trailer where he was “abandoned” by his father Vic. Or so that’s what Garfield thought. We’ll get to more of that in a few.

Rollercoaster ride

The main storyline is then introduced when Garfield and Odie are kidnapped by Jinx’s assistants. Apparently, Vic owes Jinx a debt and the main antagonist decides to serve revenge by pitting Vic (and Garfield and Odie) against the ropes.

Believing that doing Jinx a favor will make them even, Vic takes Garfield and Odie to Lactose Farms, where they need to steal thousands of bottles of milk as repayment for Jinx. There, they encounter Otto, a bull who served as the former mascot of Lactose Farms before a change in ownership forced him out of the facility.

Realizing that his love interest, a cow named Ethel is still inside Lactose Farms, Otto decides to help the trio so they can all accomplish their goals. However, Jinx double-crosses Vic and informs the business’ security beforehand that a heist is about to happen.

This is one of the first twists in the movie. I personally enjoyed that it was made unpredictable so viewers are kept glued to what’s about to happen next. I also love how characters just kept being revealed, giving viewers an idea as to how big the story actually is. Moreover, Otto’s substoryline was aptly laced onto the main plot.

Entertaining, refreshing

In between these parts, Garfield showed how indifferent he was at first to Vic. We all know he believed is father left him for good when he was a kitten. But eventually, the truth is revealed, and Garfield warms up to his dad.

Back to the planned heist, Garfield’s crew fails to follow Otto’s original plan to free Ethel. This is as they got trapped in the facility’s cheese room. After the set-up by Jinx, Vic is forced to “leave” Garfield and Odie again to escape. Jon’s pets, meanwhile, were apprehended and ended up in the city pound.

While incarcerated at the pound, Garfield realizes how Vic had been watching him grow up from a distance. He also realizes Vic was saving them by stealing the milk truck so Jon could pick them up. As everything becomes clear to him, he decides once and for all to help his dad.

At the original place where they were kidnapped, Garfield discovers Jinx’s evil plan to dump Vic under the bridge from a speeding train. He uses the help of several hundreds of drone deliveries of pizza, meatballs, salad, and more, battling Jinx and her assistants to free Vic and save the day. In the end, they triumph, and Vic is welcomed to Jon’s place to have dinner regularly.

Enjoyable

The entire journey from Lactose Farms to Garfield’s team’s impromptu training with Otto to the heist attempt and his reconciliation with his father was consistently entertaining. Aside from the story being unpredictable, the makers inserted a lot of Tom and Jerry and Looney Tunes-like slapstick humor to draw regular giggles.

We all didn’t know what was going to happen until it unfolded, and that’s an applaudable mark of keeping the audience hooked. It was an enjoyable story that’s cartoonish enough but not too exaggerated nor out of this world. I felt the film’s length was also just right.

Final thoughts

I get why some Garfield fans are upset as to why the film didn’t reflect the comics as accurately as possible. But for what it’s worth, the makers behind this movie promoted it with the heist as the key idea. But fine. If you want to call it “A movie starring Garfield” instead of “The Garfield Movie,” go ahead.

I’ll be upfront: It’s still a good, entertaining, and refreshing take on our favorite cartoon cat. It actually feels great to come across a lot of new characters and elements in this movie we haven’t seen in the comics. And even then, towards the end of the film, Garfield saves Vic doing with something he knows best: food. In a way, that’s sticking to the core.

Sure, there a things that could have been portrayed more obviously. For example, Garfield being superior to Odie or him gobbling up all the cheese in the world at Lactose Farms. But in the end, that hardly matters.

This is a one-off film meant for younger audiences. And the makers managed to stitch together a cool story that takes them on an enjoyable rollercoaster ride with hardly any dull moments. So yes, for all the “Garfield shouldn’t be that energetic or going on an action-packed adventure” and whatever an actual orange tabby should be doing in real life, it’s also good to leave that and suspend disbelief every once in a while.

Because if we wanted to stick to the grumpy, Monday-hating, lasagna-loving narrative, then let’s just stick to reality. That’s already how we feel on a daily basis especially as adults, right?

The Garfield Movie hits Philippine theaters starting May 29, 2024.

Related Topics:Chris Pratt Columbia Pictures Garfield Samuel L. Jackson The Garfield Movie

Entertainment

Samsung brings the Galaxy Z series into Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Tracking Spidey this summer

Published

June 17, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles

Samsung is swinging into theaters this summer.

Ahead of the release of Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Samsung announced a new collaboration with Sony Pictures. It puts its Galaxy devices directly into the world of Marvel’s friendly neighborhood hero.

At the center of the campaign is the Spidey Tracker, an interactive experience inspired by the upcoming film. In the movie, Ned Leeds develops the tracker on a Samsung Galaxy device to help locate Spider-Man. Now, fans can use a real-world version through a dedicated website.

The tracker will serve as a hub for Spider-Man-themed content throughout the summer. Fans can follow sightings, discover hidden easter eggs, view cast appearances and interviews, and participate in community-driven activities.

Samsung says the Spidey Tracker will be available in 35 countries worldwide through SpideyTracker.com and on X via @SpideyTracker.

Galaxy devices join Spider-Man’s world

The partnership extends beyond marketing.

In Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Samsung’s Galaxy devices will be featured throughout the story. Spider-Man will be seen using a Galaxy Z Flip, while Ned Leeds relies on Galaxy Z Fold devices and Galaxy Watch wearables as he searches for the web-slinger.

According to Samsung, the collaboration highlights how its devices help users stay connected, whether they’re sharing moments with friends, keeping in touch with family, or, in Spider-Man’s case, saving New York City.

The company also said the campaign reflects the importance of human connection and self-expression, themes that have long been part of Spider-Man’s story.

More Spider-Man sightings this summer

Sony Pictures says the partnership helps expand Spider-Man’s connection to his community beyond the movie screen.

Throughout the summer, fans can expect Spider-Man-themed appearances across live events, creator content, special activations, and even select Samsung Experience Stores.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens exclusively in theaters on July 31.

Meanwhile, fans can start tracking their favorite wall-crawler through the Spidey Tracker beginning June 17 at 3PM ET.

Entertainment

X-Men ’97 returns to Disney+ for second season

Emmy-nominated series to continue mutant team’s story

Published

May 30, 2026

GadgetMatch

Marvel Animation’s Emmy-nominated X-Men ’97 is returning to Disney+ for a second season, starting July 1.

Along with this announcement, a trailer and poster have been made available. The first season of the animated series was one of the most-watched Disney+ originals, and a hit with fans and critics alike.

Season 2 continues with the heroic mutant team of X-Men, divided and thrown across different eras in time as they struggle to navigate their return home.

Meanwhile, back in the 1990s, suspicious foes and new strains of mutant intolerance are on the rise in the wake of the protagonists’ absence.

The second season will be comprised of nine episodes. The voice cast includes:

Ross Marquand as Professor X
Matthew Waterson as Magneto
Ray Chase as Cyclops
Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey
Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm
Cal Dodd as Wolverine
Lenore Zann as Rogue
George Buza as Beast

The series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, Julia Lewald, Eric Lewald, Larry Houston, and Beau DeMayo.

Jake Castorena serves as the supervising producer. Episodes were written by JB Ballard, Beau DeMayo, Bailey Moore, Antony Sellitti, Brian Ford Sullivan, and Mariah Wilson.

The episodic directors are Emmett Yonemura and Chase Conley.

Entertainment

Now Playing: The Mandalorian and Grogu

This is the way

Published

May 19, 2026

Rodneil Quiteles and Dawn Pangilinan

Image from StarWars.com

It’s been a while since a Star Wars movie made me walk out of a cinema feeling genuinely pumped. Not necessarily emotional nor mind-blown. And not even scrambling to re-evaluate the entire franchise. Just… pumped.

The Mandalorian and Grogu feels like a proper Star Wars blockbuster again. The kind built for crowded cinemas, loud reactions, and collective gasps during action sequences. More importantly, it feels approachable in a way the franchise hasn’t always managed to be lately.

As someone whose interest in Star Wars slowly waned after The Rise of Skywalker, this movie felt oddly refreshing.

I watched the film alongside occasional GadgetMatch contributor Dawn, whose relationship with Star Wars sits somewhere adjacent to mine. Familiar with the Skywalker Saga and select spin-offs, but not necessarily deep into every corner of the lore either. Not because it reinvented the wheel. Quite the opposite, actually. It understood exactly what kind of movie it wanted to be.

I came into the film fairly blind. No rewatches, just a little prep work, and no “required viewing” marathons beforehand. And somehow, none of that really mattered.

Even without context from multiple seasons of Disney+ shows, Din Djarin and Grogu’s bond clicks almost immediately. You don’t need a detailed explanation for why these two care deeply about each other. The movie trusts viewers enough to simply accept their connection and move forward.

Grogu also remains ABSOLUTELY THE CUTEST. No further notes.

Well, maybe one more note.

That little guy carries an absurd amount of emotional weight throughout the movie. Whether he’s unintentionally causing chaos, silently reacting to situations, or simply existing onscreen, he consistently draws laughs and reactions from the audience.

There’s one sequence in particular where Grogu takes care of Din that managed to get a few giggles. It’s a small moment, but one that perfectly captures why this duo works. They don’t feel manufactured. They just feel natural.

Safe storytelling done right

One thing we kept coming back to after the screening was how easy the movie was to watch. Not “easy” in a dismissive way. More accessible and comfortable.

It’s the kind of blockbuster that lets you settle into the experience without requiring homework beforehand.

One observation that stood out during our post-movie discussion was describing the film as a “palate cleanser spin-off.” Despite growing up with the Skywalker Saga and several Star Wars spin-offs herself, she appreciated how welcoming the film felt.

“It’s interesting enough to lure you back into the lore and fall back into love with the franchise,” she said.

That really captures the movie’s biggest strength.

The Mandalorian and Grogu doesn’t spend its runtime obsessing over lore density or trying to prove how important it is within the larger Star Wars timeline. Instead, it focuses on delivering a straightforward adventure with familiar emotional beats.

Sometimes, that traditional recipe is enough.

There are definitely moments where the story feels predictable. We found ourselves correctly guessing certain developments well before they happened. But surprisingly, that never hurt the experience.

If anything, the predictability made the movie feel oddly comforting.

The film knows when to slow down for tender scenes, when to ramp things up with explosive action, and when to simply let viewers breathe inside its world. There’s also very little visual fatigue throughout the runtime. The pacing stays clean and the movie rarely overstays its welcome.

One of my favorite sequences involved Rotta the Hutt in a gladiator-like setting that weirdly reminded me of Thor: Ragnarok. It was chaotic, funny, and surprisingly entertaining.

Also, I need it on record that I identified with Rotta look-wise.

That comparison was apparently questionable according to my companion for the screening.

A low-friction way back into Star Wars

More than anything else, The Mandalorian and Grogu reminded me why people fell in love with Star Wars in the first place.

Not through endless callbacks or franchise homework. But through companionship, adventure, and a healthy helping of heart.

Underneath all the sci-fi spectacle and action sequences is a story about choosing to care for people even when it might not be the smartest thing to do in the moment. Din and Grogu’s relationship may often get described online as father-and-son, but honestly, they felt more like disproportionately-sized bros constantly looking out for each other.

And somehow, that dynamic works incredibly well.

By the end of the movie, we arrived at almost the same conclusion. We wanted more.

Not necessarily because this was the greatest Star Wars story ever told. It isn’t trying to be. But it successfully reignited interest in a franchise that can sometimes feel daunting from the outside looking in.

One immediate effect of the movie was successfully convincing my co-viewer to finally start The Mandalorian Season 1 once schedules calm down a bit. In the meantime, Grogu doomscrolling on Instagram will apparently suffice.

Meanwhile, I’m suddenly considering diving back into Star Wars shows I skipped over the years. I might check out The Acolyte. Maybe Obi-Wan Kenobi. Maybe even tap into gaming with the adventures of Cal Kestis if time and workload permit.

That’s probably the biggest compliment I can give this movie. It made me want to care again.

For longtime fans, The Mandalorian and Grogu delivers good, clean Star Wars fun with heart and hype.

For newcomers, it offers a surprisingly low-friction entry point into a universe that can otherwise feel overwhelming.

That might be exactly what Star Wars needed right now.