Tom & Jerry are back!

The famous cat versus mouse team are back with a bang! There were more than 100 cartoons in Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera’s original theatrical series, produced for MGM between 1940 and 1958, seven of which won Oscars for best animated short film. No one is un-aware of Tom & Jerry, from Pakistan to Britain, UAE to Australia, these famous characters are probably more famous then some real celebrities.

Tom and Jerry: the Movie (1992) – in which the characters spoke, was rare in the earlier films but at least it focused on the duo more. The 2021 more modern version has certainly grabbed peoples attention but maybe more in the negative way as the characters don’t seem to be the main characters in their own movie?

In this year’s version Jerry the mouse moves into swanky New York hotel The Royal Gate on the eve of the wedding of the century between socialite Preeta (Pallavi Sharda) and Ben (Colin Jost). Kayla (Chloë Grace Moretz), having recently blagged her way onto the hotel staff, convinces the management to hire Tom the cat to catch the rodent and save the day.

In fact Terence, played by Michael Peña, and Kayla, played by Chloë Grace Moretz seem to have more focus on the. Tom & Jerry: The Movie joins Garfield , Yogi Bear and The Smurfs as misfiring attempts to combine popular ’toons with live action.

“Tom & Jerry” is supposed to be a comedy, but the laughs are nearly nonexistent. The lack of classic action sequences between the cat and the mouse accounts for much of this, as does the failed attempts at verbal and slapstick comedy by the actors in the film. The film is 101 minutes long which also seems too long for a movie with little comedy and action.

“Tom & Jerry” is in theaters now. BMM RATING 3*/5

Main image credit – Warner Bros