To watch the episode of BBC’s cartoon documentary series ‘Stay Tooned’ that covered this film (as well as the duo’s history along with some complete shorts) one may have thought that the most controversial thing in the film was that the cat and mouse talked. In many ways I can see how this could be a shocked to the system to some people, whose knowledge of Tom and Jerry doesn’t extent to shorts like The Lonesome Mouse and others were either or both characters talk, however briefly. The fact is that talking, however you look at it, is not the real problem with this movie.
First of, no-one seemed to have thought that the usual cat and mouse antics to work in a full-length feature (a theory that didn’t stop the Magic Ring and other Tom & Jerry DTVs from being released). To ‘solve’ this the film makers have put it upon themselves to wedge an “Orphan Annie” style plot into proceedings. Whatever credibility Tom and Jerry have in this film, disappears entirely when they meet Robyn Starling, daughter of a multi-billionaire only ever referred to as Daddy Starling (which only emphasises the Annie plot).
Her false Aunt Pristine Fig and Lickboot are the stereotypical greedy aunt and sleazy, untrustworthy lawyer; two two-faced generally forgettable antagonists, though they do at least get the most inventive and fun song in the whole film.
The music and songs written by Henry Mancini, composer of the Pink Panther theme, suggests that he was either a hired name, or else didn’t have much incline as to how to write for animation. The only highlights to be had are the film’s intro music and the instrumental music; his songs are weakly designed and badly sung: with songs like “Friends to the End” “What do we Care” and “I’ve done it all” being cringe-worthy additions to animation’s musical history.
The most impressive parts, like the music, are the introduction which keep the action of the older shorts (only nowhere near as accomplished), with cat and mouse actually behaving as love-hate adversaries toward one-another; right up until the introduce themselves to Puggsy the first of a assortment of characters. In fact this film has one too many characters, between Aunt Fig and Lickboot, we also have Dr. Applecheek, Captain Kiddie and his puppet/assistant Squawk, not to mention the incidental characters.
Despite some moments of half decent animation (mostly on Jerry), the film generally suffers from lacklustre animation. Wither this was due to the restraints of the budget or the skills of the animators is uncertain, although the isolated incidents were the animation steps up a bit suggest time problems more than any lack of ability.
What is clear however is that you can’t do justice to the world’s most famous animated cat and mouse team with a hacked plot, terrible writing, worse songs and just a poorly realised overview. It’s a fact that companies will never leave their greatest mascots and iconic characters alone, but times have changed since Tom and Jerry where at the height of their game, winning Oscars for MGM. The trouble is that although those shorts are timeless, those who handle the stars in today’s world seem uncertain with what to do with their greatness in the politically correct world of today.
One can only hope that things may one day change, but for now at least we have to wait for that while we relish the past (although the companies tend to wreck that as well). The makers of Tom and Jerry: The Movie seem unsure of what to do with their stars, ultimately putting them into the PC friendly story that stripped them of what made them great in the first place, that of the chaos they can create on the great chase.
Tom and Jerry, minus the Cartoon violence, equals: dull and not worth the effort it took to make.
/ 2 reviews)
Reviews for Tom and Jerry: The Movie
