There have been numerous cute Tom & Jerry shorts and feature-length cartoons that have featured the beloved Hanna Barbera animated cat and mouse, but this 2021 adventure for the pair is the first to mix live action with animation. And it doesn’t exactly work.
The action places feline Tom and his eternal foe Jerry in New York, where they create chaos in a swanky hotel that is preparing for the celebrity wedding of the century. This doesn’t help Kayla (Moretz) who has scammed her way into a job there, but risks losing it as the furry rivals trash the establishment at every turn.
While Moretz is fun as Kayla, and there is nice support from Pena as her suspicious boss and Patsy Ferran as Joy the quirky bell girl, the movie only really raises a smile when Tom, Jerry or Spike the dog are on screen – which just isn’t often enough.
Kids will be disappointed there isn’t enough of the fighting, chasing and anarchic silliness we all want from a Tom & Jerry story (and – shudder – they even team up at one point), while adults will have bailed out five minutes in during the opening hip hop number by a group of pigeons.
Is Tom & Jerry: The Movie (2021) suitable for kids? Here are our parents’ notes...
This features the high-jinks, pranks and jokes you would expect from Tom & Jerry, including cartoon injuries. It should be suitable for all ages.
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