Going into The Garfield Movie, the latest film based on the beloved comic strip from creator Jim Davis, there are a few things you'd expect. Lasagna? Check! Hating Mondays? Check! Heist antics in the style of the Mission: Impossible movies? Wait, that wasn't on the list...
However, that's exactly what we get from the new animated adventure which sees the beloved ginger moggie Garfield (Chris Pratt) reunite with his long-lost father Vic (Samuel L. Jackson) for a dangerous mission that will challenge them both physically and emotionally.
Usually the domain of the likes of Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt, why are we now seeing Garfield become essentially an undercover agent? For star Pratt, making the new film 'Garfield meets Mission: Impossible' is the perfect way to raise the stakes from the stories we see in the comics.
As he explains to GamesRadar+ and the Inside Total Film podcast: "It feels like a Mission: Impossible movie, especially when you get into the third act with these massive chase sequences and set pieces. It’s beautiful. The comic strip has always focused on Garfield’s perfectly pampered life – hating Mondays, loving lasagna – but the story here is about his scruffy street cat father (his biological dad Vic) which forces Garfield and Odie to explore this epic outdoor life. They are plucked from their perfectly pampered lives and taken on this hilarious high stakes heist which plays like a Mission: Impossible movie."
Garfield and his dog pal Odie sure get into plenty of mischief along the way, mainly thanks to Jackson's character Vic who let's say may not be the best influence. Pratt is very excited by the fact the legendary actor is playing his dad in the new film, even though the pair have starred together in numerous Marvel movies – with Pratt portraying Star-Lord and Jackson playing Nick Fury.
The star revealed to us: "It’s so epic. Honestly he might be the GOAT [greatest of all time]. I’ve always wanted to work with him so it’s nice to be adjacent. We have been in the same films together but he’s never played my father so, here we go."
The Garfield Movie releases in UK and US theaters on May 24. For more from our interview with Pratt, here's the star discussing the future of the Mario movie series.
And keep your eyes peeled for the latest episode of the Inside Total Film podcast for the full chat.
