Common Sense Media Review
By Joly Herman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Iffy messages and guns make this a good one to skip.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 7+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Garfield's Pet Force
What's the Story?
Far off in another galaxy, a clever professor creates a device that can switch the DNA of two creatures so that they become zombies. His gun is hijacked by an evil alien named Vetvix (voiced by Vanessa Marshall), who steals the gun and forces the Professor and the Emperor to do her bidding. The Pet Force, led by Garzooka (Frank Welker), tries to stop him, but they are thwarted by Vetvix. Garzooka then scans the universe for DNA replicas of the Pet Force, which leads him to Garfield (Frank Welker) and his gang. Mass chaos ensues as Garfield tries to save the universe from an alien invasion.
Is It Any Good?
As much as we might want it to be the good old wisecracking Garfield from the funny pages, this movie falls short of any expectations. Sure, kids who like action might be entertained by the space chase and the superhero comic book qualities of the story. But this movie pushes some boundaries that fans might not expect; whoever thought roly-poly Garfield would be wielding a gun? The two funny lines in the whole movie come from Garfield, and they relate to his food obsession. The rest is pretty much pulp.
Kids who love Garfield are better off checking out the TV series or even the live-action movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence here. Why does Vetvix want to destroy everything? Does she give a reason? How does hearing those words make you feel? Check out these tips about how violence in the media affects kids.
How are the females in the movie portrayed? How do the male characters behave toward them? Are they treated as equals?
Garfield's obsession with food is a joke, obviously. And it does allow for some of the humor in the movie to come through. But who allows him to overindulge? Could Jon set boundaries? Is being fat funny?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : June 16, 2009
- Cast : Frank Welker , Vanessa Marshall , Wally Wingert
- Director : Mark A.Z. Dippe
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
- Genre : Comedy
- Topics : Adventures
- Run time : 78 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : General Audiences
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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