Garfield 2

image for Garfield 2

Short takes

Not recommended under 5, PG to 8 (Scary scenes)

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This topic contains:

  • overall comments and recommendations
  • details of classification and consumer advice lines for Garfield 2
  • a review of Garfield 2 completed by the Australian Council on Children and the Media (ACCM) on 9 September 2006.

Overall comments and recommendations

Children under 5 Not recommended due to scary scenes
Children aged 5-8 Parental guidance recommended due to scary scenes
Children over the age of 13 Though this movie is really aimed at younger children, older children will probably also enjoy it.

About the movie

This section contains details about the movie, including its classification by the Australian Government Classification Board and the associated consumer advice lines. Other classification advice (OC) is provided where the Australian film classification is not available.

Name of movie: Garfield 2
Classification: G
Consumer advice lines: None
Length: 78 minutes

ACCM review

This review of the movie contains the following information:

A synopsis of the story

Garfield’s owner Jon (Breckin Meyer) wants to marry Liz (Jennifer Love-Hewitt). As far as Garfield is concerned this will ruin his lifestyle so he decides to interfere. This works the first time but then Jon decides to secretly follow Liz to London so that he can propose to her there. Garfield and Odie, Jon’s dog, stowaway in Jon’s luggage to stop the proposal.

In the meantime, in London, another cat called Prince has been left a castle by his wealthy owner Lady Bellingham, who has recently died. Lady Bellingham’s nephew Lord Dargis (Billy Connelly) who wants the castle for himself, puts Prince in a picnic basket and throws him in the river, and Prince floats downstream to London

Once in London, the two cats become victims of mistaken identity. Garfield ends up back at the castle and Prince ends up with Jon in his hotel room. In the meantime Lord Dargis is still trying to get rid of the cat who is now Garfield. Garfield of course has no idea and is enjoying all the food and attention.

Eventually Prince gets back to the castle where he and Garfield must decide how to set things right.

Themesinfo

Children and adolescents may react adversely at different ages to themes of crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependence, death, serious illness, family breakdown, death or separation from a parent, animal distress or cruelty to animals, children as victims, natural disasters and racism. Occasionally reviews may also signal themes that some parents may simply wish to know about.

None of concern

Use of violenceinfo

Research shows that children are at risk of learning that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution when violence is glamourised, performed by an attractive hero, successful, has few real life consequences, is set in a comic context and / or is mostly perpetrated by male characters with female victims, or by one race against another.

Repeated exposure to violent content can reinforce the message that violence is an acceptable means of conflict resolution. Repeated exposure also increases the risks that children will become desensitised to the use of violence in real life or develop an exaggerated view about the prevalence and likelihood of violence in their own world.

There is some violence in this movie including:

  • Lord Dargis threatens some solicitors with a crossbow.
  • an aggressive rottweiler tries to attack Garfield.

Material that may scare or disturb children

Under fiveinfo

Children under five are most likely to be frightened by scary visual images, such as monsters, physical transformations.

In addition to the above-mentioned violent scenes, some children under the age of eight could be concerned when Prince is floating away down the river in the basket.

Aged five to eightinfo

Children aged five to eight will also be frightened by scary visual images and will also be disturbed by depictions of the death of a parent, a child abandoned or separated from parents, children or animals being hurt or threatened and / or natural disasters.

Children in this age group may also be scared or disturbed by the scenes mentioned above.

Aged eight to thirteeninfo

Children aged eight to thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic threats and dangers, violence or threat of violence and / or stories in which children are hurt or threatened.

It is unlikely that anything in this movie would scare or disturb children over the age of eight.

Thirteen and overinfo

Children over the age of thirteen are most likely to be frightened by realistic physical harm or threats, molestation or sexual assault and / or threats from aliens or the occult.

It is unlikely that anything in this movie would scare or disturb children over the age of thirteen.

Product placement

None

Sexual references

At the end of the movie Liz and Jon kiss each other but this is very mild.

Nudity and sexual activity

None

Use of substances

There is one pub scene where John and Liz have a beer.

Coarse language

Occasional use of the word ‘butt’.

In a nutshell

Garfield 2 is a movie aimed at younger children, but with some scenes that may scare under 8s. The message of the film is to be happy with what you have and that having material things in life is not as important as being with someone who loves you. Values in this movie that parents may wish to reinforce with their children include:

  • loyalty
  • teamwork