The original cat vs mouse rivalry of Tom & Jerry returns when Jerry moves into a fancy New York City’s hotel on the eve of an over the top celebrity wedding, forcing the hotel to hire Tom to get rid of him. Kayla (Chloë Grace Moretz) is a local who cons her way into a senior position at the hotel, but the ongoing battles with Tom & Jerry threaten her job, the wedding as well as the hotel.
I have fond memories of watching endless Tom & Jerry cartoons as a kid and enjoyed the nostalgic trip down memory lane. The movie remains faithful to the characters, animation and slapstick cartoon violence. I really wanted to like this movie, and I wanted to be able to introduce the cartoons I enjoyed as a kid to my daughter.
The best phrase I can think of to describe this movie is “mildly amusing”. My 11 year old daughter thought it was “ok, I guess”. It’s a comedy that didn’t generate any laughter in the cinema. A throwback aiming to revive a forgotten franchise.
The live action-animation was well done, reminiscent of Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Space Jam. I appreciated the consistency with the original animation, and that all animals throughout the movie were animated, not just the titular characters. The gratuitous violence throughout the movie made it feel like it was from another time, despite what seemed to be an intentional effort to drop updated references wherever possible (Instagram! People buy high-end sneakers now! John Legend!).
If you are looking for something to be mildly entertaining, this may be the movie for you, but try not to get your hopes up too high, or else you too may be disappointed.
Tom & Jerry will be released in cinemas April 1.
