Tom & Jerry

One of the best things I can say about the “Tom and Jerry” feature movie, now streaming on HBO Max, is that it isn’t wholly terrible. The animation is bright, the human cast delivers enjoyably goofy performances, and the film stays true to the original cartoon’s roots. It isn’t super funny nor creative, but the fun story about a celebrity wedding gone awry and a stuffy New York City hotel that employs a cat to rid them of a mouse problem lays the groundwork for a bit of amusing mayhem. Blending classic animation with live action, the effects are better than expected. The actors (including Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, Pallavi Sharda, and Colin Jost) do a great job interacting with their cat and mouse counterparts, and the cartoonish elements are reminiscent of the classic Tom and Jerry of the past. The story rekindles the rivalry between the two, but is updated for modern audiences. The physical comedy and sight gags are good for most of the giggles, but that’s where the humor stops. There’s also a lot of unnecessary potty humor and a few questionable plot points (the movie does little to rise above certain stereotypes) that may feel cringe-worthy to some adults. “Tom and Jerry” isn’t noteworthy at all, but it’s not awful, either. There’s enough here to entertain most kids for a couple of hours.

Oh, for heaven's sake!! Why? What for? Who on earth ever thought this was a good idea? Those of us who regularly watched the chaotic antics of "Jerry", his arch-nemesis "Tom" and his own persecutor "Spike" know well that these are at their best when delivered as quickly paced, entertaining, five minute bursts of slapstick comedy. This, on the other hand, is a turgid and lacklustre vehicle for Chloë Grace Moretz ("Kayla") to demonstrate that she has a lovely smile but very little else as this nonsense sees her impersonating someone to get a job at an hotel. Here, a celebrity wedding with an Indian theme is set to take place and she is charged with making the wedding of "Ben" (Colin Jost) and "Preeta" (Pallavi Sharda) (or ought that to be Chopra-Jonas?) - complete with animated elephants - go smoothly. "Tom" and "Jerry" have to stop their constant bickering to put on a united front to help her out after predictable carnage ensues. When this is left to the two cartoon characters, it can be passable - otherwise it is a travesty of animated history that ought to be consigned to the deepest vault in the deepest trench of the Pacific Ocean. Shocking!

Well, I don't want to say it's HORRIBLE... but that's about all. For a Tom and Jerry cartoon, there is very little actual Tom and Jerry and more of the focus is on the live action actors than the animated characters. And that, honestly, is my biggest complaint. All the rest of it is exactly what one would expect. Especially since Tom and Jerry doesn't lend itself to an actual feature film, at least in length. So the plot is as cliche as you would expect, the only down side is that you expect that cliched plot to focus on the titular characters.