Tom and Jerry

As the animated film has come back in vogue with the Pixar, Dreamworks Animation and Blue Sky films, they have truly given a kick in the pants from when we had the older Disney Animation films. Two characters that we used to surround the TV to see was Tom and Jerry, and although they've produced one film back in 1992, "Tom and Jerry: The Movie", it was certainly timely to create another in the form of simply, "Tom and Jerry".

One of the most beloved rivalries in history is re-ignited when Jerry moves into New York City's finest hotel, "The Golden Gate" on the eve of "the wedding of the century", forcing the event's desperate planner, Kayla (Chloe Grace Moretz) to hire Tom to get rid of him. The ensuing cat and mouse battle threatens to destroy her career, the wedding and possibly the hotel itself. But soon, an even bigger problem arises: a diabolically ambitious staffer, Terence (Michael Pena) conspiring against all three of them. An eye-popping blend of classic animation and live action, Tom and Jerry's new big-screen adventure stakes new ground for the iconic characters and forces them to do the unthinkable...work together to save the day. 

Others to round out the cast are Colin Jost as Ben, Rob Delaney as Mr. DuBros, Ken Jeong as Chef Jackie, Pallavi Sharda as Preeta, Jordan Bolger as Cameron, Patsy Ferran as Joy, the bell girl, Somi De Souza as Mrs. Mehta, Ajay Chhabra as Mr. Mehta, Bobby Cannavale as the voice of Spike, Tom as himself and Jerry as himself.

This was directed practically as a homage to Hanna and Barbera by Tim Story ("One of us Tripped" '97, "The Firing Squad" '99, "Barbershop" '02, "Taxi" '04, "Fantastic Four" '05, "Fantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surfer" '07, "Hurricane Season" '09, "Think Like a Man" '12, "Ride Along" '14, "Think Like a Man Too" '14, "Ride Along 2" '16, "Shaft" '19) plus TV, TV movies, documentaries and video shorts. Obviously this filmmaker's comfort zone is in the comedy/action realm which makes him an asset to the genre, however it would be interesting to see him tackle a drama or suspense film. What makes this director effective is that he can make his comedies palatable in that they are actually funny, something Hollywood needs to get a clue about. Hollywood has lost their sense of humor, because the vast majority of comedies produced are not funny. This showcased the classic animation with a very entertaining format and story. If you like his brand of directing, his "My Own Worst Enemy" is in pre-production. It was effectively written by Kevin Costello ("Brigsby Bear" '17) plus TV, and was based on characters created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera. Although this writer doesn't have a massive amount of experience, this story was able to carry the audience's attention and produce an interesting script utilizing the two animated characters with live-action and make it work. Was it an incredibly well thought out screenplay? No, but other than a few choppy places in script and being amazingly predictable (but you already knew this), this had me going until the end reverting me back to my childhood. The Animation by Warner Bros, and visual effects by Framestore were creative and seamless. 

For those who were raised on Tom and Jerry cartoons, like I was, this will certainly touch the funny bone. It's an updated version of a cartoon that dates back to the 1940's whereas the two characters never changed, however their surroundings did, and it all melded together effectively. This one definitely looks better on the large screen and definitely one for the family. Enjoy!

Out of 4 Stars: 3                                      Rated: PG                                           101mins.