Good evening, everyone! Tonight, we have come to the what may be the end of the Tom & Jerry franchise either for good, or just for the time being, something like that. Well, for the conclusion of this film franchise, or just the end for now, something like that, we talk about the newest Tom & Jerry movie that was given a theatrical release. Released just a few days ago, the movie is simply titled Tom & Jerry.
Plot: Cat and mouse duo Tom & Jerry arrive in New York City to start their own new lives. Jerry tries to find a new home, and Tom tries to make success as a pianist. But one day, a new hotel named Kayla (Chloe Grace Moretz) is trying to help with wedding plans where she works, by the name of the Royal Gate Hotel. Having stumbled upon Tom and Jerry, she asks the duo to quit fighting, and help out with the wedding arrangements. Can Kayla, with the help if her new friends, help pull things off well in the end?
Now, for those of you who read my review for the last Tom & Jerry movie that I talked about just yesterday, and of course was released in the 1990s, you may recall me mentioning that I basically was not a fan of that film, and gave it a really negative review because of that. You may be wondering, then, is this film an improvement from 1992’s Tom & Jerry: The Movie? I’m delighted to let everyone know that this Tom & Jerry film pulls off nearly everything quite well. Again, this film is not perfect, but more on that later! For now, let’s talk about the mostly positive aspects of this film, shall we? First of all, this Tom & Jerry story is crafted very well. To begin, the real world, and the animated are both structured surprisingly well. Well, I’m fact, real life, and animation end up blending together in a way that not many people might have possibly dreamed of before. How so? Well, picture this! Imagine if we humans were still all in our live-action versions. Now, picture all the dogs, birds, lions, tigers, and every other animal that you think of. After that, imagine that instead of them being in live-action form, like us humans, the animals all looked like cartoon characters. That is how the world of this Tom & Jerry movie is designed this time around. Can you imagine? How much more clever can you get than that? Next, there’s the animation. Yes, the animals seem to have more of a CGI look in each of their designs this time around. However, even if that may be the case, you can tell that each of the cartoon characters look more hand-drawn than computer animated. The music in this film, both the songs, as well as the score, are composed, and written well for this film. Additionally, there come the jokes. Wow, wow, wow, the jokes, along with every comedic moment hit the mark in nearly every way that one can think of. There comedic moments, and lines that both kids, and adults will enjoy one way, or another. Yes, some of the jokes could possibly feel somewhat childish. Still, there are jokes that adults will more than likely love too. In addition to all of this, the movie does a very good job of balancing out the moments with Tom and Jerry, with the human characters, or even some of the additional cartoon characters as well. Speaking of the characters, that is another vast improvement from 1992’s Tom & Jerry: The Movie. Remember how I mentioned in my review for the 1992 film that almost no one outside of Tom, Jerry, Robyn, and Robyn’s father, were likable all that much? Well, folks, if you also felt that way as well, and were worried that most of the characters in this film would be mostly mean-spirited here as well, then fear not! Nearly every character is fun to watch onscreen this time around. This goes for human characters like Kayla, the couple that have plans to get married at the Royal Gate Hotel, you name it. There are also some really good messages about how we should not compare our lives, or our gifts, and talents, to other’s. Seeing as there were some characters in this film who did that, as well as the fact that many of us find ourselves comparing our lives to other’s, the message is most definitely a good one to learn again even in this film.
However, one could probably find one, or two gripes with this film. First of all, there’s the character that actor Michael Pena plays this time around. Now, please, hear me out! Yes, his acting is very good in this film even this time around. However, when you compare his role here to say some of his roles in movies like the Dora The Explorer film, or the Ant-Man films, for instance, you could tell that Pena seems to lack the same amount of charm, and comedy here that he had in previous movies like those. Yes, I understand that this film was a different role for Michael Pena. Still, does that mean that he has to lose some of the charm, and comedy that he had in previous films? Just a thought! Finally, there are one, or two aspects about how this film ended. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll most likely love the ending overall. However, there were certain aspects of the ending that felt a little strange. And that’s as far as I’ll go on that.
And that’s my review for the new 2021 film, Tom & Jerry. Wow, one could maybe tell that Warner Bros. came a long way from the 1990s. The executives seem to know how to make a more well-crafted film, and most of the characters seem more likable this time around. Definitely see this film regardless of whether or not you’re a diehard Tom & Jerry fan. The movie has a good blend of animation, and live-action. Oh, and of course, there were good messages in this film too. Well, can the upcoming Space Jam: A New Legacy perform just as well, if not better, than this new Tom & Jerry film? Let’s hope so!
Final Grade: A-
Matthew’s Animated & Live-Action Movie Reviews 