It was in 1976 that cartoonist Jim Davis created his iconic character Garfield, who soon went on to be declared by the Guinness Book of Records as the most syndicated comic strip around the world.

With that kind of familiarity, it’s surprising that the lazy, pasta-loving feline hasn’t made more of an effort with the big screen; certainly the signs were there that it was an IP that could do well, with the 2004 live-action film making over $200 million on a budget of $50 million.

This time it’s an all animated affair, with the ubiquitous Chris Pratt as the titular, furry hero.

Living his best life with his owner Jon (Nicholas Hoult), doggy friend Odie (Harvey Guillén) is big puss Garfield (Pratt).

But then one night, Garfield and Odie get kitty-napped and whisked off to an abandoned mall. There they face Jinx (Hannah Waddingham), an eccentric British Persian cat, who has particular beef with a cat called Vic (Samuel L. Jackson), who just so happens to be Garfield’s estranged father. She wants them all to do a heist for her, involving breaking into Lactose Farm, and then all will be forgiven.

With little choice, Garfield’s paw is forced into a criminal act, with his father no less, but is the chubby kitty up to the task?

Although critically frowned upon on release, lovers of this iconic cartoon cat were out in force for this film; with a budget of $60 million, it went on to make a credible $257 million worldwide at the box office.

It’s unlikely that many of the fans of the comic strip were amongst them, which is ironic as it was one of the criticisms levelled at it for not being close enough to the source material, but the millions of children and families that rocked up in numbers didn’t appear to mind.

And why would they, as it is a bright and breezy affair, with a subtle, pleasing animation palette that the longer you watch it, the more it can be appreciated.

The story itself is fine, and more than adequate for a younger audience, but the script actually has a few unexpected laugh out loud moments, so if you have kids nagging you to watch it, there’s a small chance that you will be mildly entertained, which is no doubt the Garfield way.

It’s also worth hanging around 'til the end credits for a cute and no doubt accurate message from Garfield’s creator himself in strip form.

It’s by no means a classic, but it’s also not the steaming pile of cat poo it’s been made out to be either.

So if you’re a fan of Garfield, or just a fan of cats in general, this is one you can certainly curl up in front of with your family and enjoy.