THE BEST OF THE TOM AND JERRY MOVIES (2017?)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *comedy*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *psychological*

I didn't see a date on this DVD collection of eight STV "Tom and Jerry" movies, but since the latest of them came out in 2017, I'll use that as a default date. All eight of the films appeared long after the properties of Hanna-Barbera had been absorbed by other companies. Nevertheless, though the scripts only range from decent to poor, the quality of the animation is quite good, especially compared to a lot of the DTV movies with H-B franchises (like some of the Scooby-Doo movies). The basic premise of all eight involves sticking the duo into some generic situation, sometimes horning in on some other iconic story, and adding the usual violent pratfalls to the mix. In order of appearance, rated either P for Poor or F for Fair.

TOM AND JERRY: SHIVER ME WHISKERS (2006) (P)-- Cat and mouse show up in the era of piracy and get caught between a devil (a ghostly apparition warning them of a treasure and its curse) and the deep blue sea (represented by two warring pirate brothers). This one has no crossovers, though Tom's perpetual enemy Spike the Bulldog appears in a support role. Mark Hamill voices the ghost.

TOM AND JERRY MEET SHERLOCK HOLMES (2010) (F)-- This seems to be the first of the STV films in which the cat and mouse overtly team up with a major fictional icon. This story adds the wrinkle that for regular human beings are okay interacting with walking, sometimes talking anthropomorphic animals, including not just Tom and Jerry but also a trio of thug-cats who serve the main villain. Said villain is of course Professor Moriarty (Malcolm McDowell) -- who else would a routine team-up flick pit against the Great Detective (Michael York)? The plot seems somewhat derivative of the 2009 live-action Holmes film starring Robert Downey Jr. In addition to support-characters Spike and Tyke, the script also works in Droopy and his frequent antagonist Butch. A battle between Holmes and Moriarty makes this a combative comedy.

TOM AND JERRY AND THE WIZARD OF OZ (2011) (P)-- This is easily the worst of the eight, being little more than a straight retelling of the 1939 film with the cat and mouse shoehorned in. Butch, Droopy and Jerry's cousin Tuffy are present as well.       

TOM AND JERRY: ROBIN HOOD AND HIS MERRIE MOUSE (2012) (P)-- Again, it's just the standard Robin Hood story, with the addition of Tom, Jerry, Spike and Droopy. The only asset is that the flick revives the character of Red Hot Riding Hood, infamous from the memorable MGM cartoon directed by Tex Avery. This time Red doubles as Maid Marian, but she still sounds like the Red of MGM as voiced by animation stalwart Grey Griffin. Red has a fine moment escaping a trio of guardian wolf-dudes by making them jealous of one another. Also a combative comedy, with Robin, Richard the Lion-Hearted joined by cat and mouse in battling Prince John and the Sheriff of Nottingham.

TOM AND JERRY'S GIANT ADVENTURE (F)-- Thanks to the script of the peerless Paul Dini, this retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk allows more space for original gags than the previous flicks. Cat and mouse work at StoryLand, a nearly bankrupt amusement park based on a fairy-tale theme. It's run by young Jack and his widowed mother, but the usual evil banker threatens to foreclose on the park, The mother asks Jack to sell their cow for money, but an odd fellow named Farmer O'Dell (read "Farmer in the Dell") convinces the young boy to accept magic beans in trade. Of course the beans grow the usual stalk, but this time Jack and his animal-buddies ascend and find a whole kingdom of fairy-tale icons. Most of them have only minor gags-- Mother Hubbard and her two dogs (Spike and Tyke), Humpty Dumpty, Simple Simon and the Pieman (played by Meathead and Screwy Squirrel), Old King Cole (Droopy), Barney Bear (playing no one in particular), and best of all, Red Hot Riding Hood's return, this time as a generic fairy. The fairy-kingdom is menaced by a giant named Ginormica who continually robs the residents, but Farmer O'Dell brought Jack to Fairy Land to fulfill his destiny to defeat the giant. The story's standard but is made more tolerable by the gags, particularly another sexy/funny song from Red. No combative mode.

TOM AND JERRY: THE LOST DRAGON (2014) (P)-- Tom and Jerry are raised in some medieval town by a good elf-girl, Athena. The three of them find a baby dragon and thus get on the bad side of dragon-hating townsfolk. In addition, Athena's evil aunt Drizelda has insidious plans for the baby dragon and for pretty much everyone else. No crossovers and no combative mode. It's not actively bad but just ordinary.

TOM AND JERRY: SPY QUEST (F) (2015) -- Frankly, this movie is the only one that urged me to check out this collection, as I'd never heard that anyone had attempted a teamup between the cat-and-mouse and the cast of JONNY QUEST. The animators and scripter Jim Kreig render yeoman service in trying to find a happy medium between the funny antics of the dueling duo and the "straight" adventure of the Quest team. For the most part they succeed, though I certainly could have done without villainous Doctor Zin having the three cat-thugs-- Tin, Pan and Alley-- as his henchmen. (Maybe Moriarty wanted to sabotage Zin by giving the trio a good rating?) Overall SPY QUEST feels sort of like a dual homage to William Hanna and Joe Barbera for both their wacky animal comedies and their brief but brilliant plunge into high-adrenaline adventure. Oh, and original Jonny-voice Tim Matheson has a small role here, while Tia Carrere contributes her version of the sultry Jezebel Jade. And yeah, Droopy's there again and is wearing out his welcome. Combative comedy all the way.

TOM AND JERRY: WILLIE WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (P) (2017) -- This isn't as ill-advised as the OZ crossover, but it's still very unnecessary, as it's just another reprise of the classic movie adaptation of the Roald Dahl tale with the cat and mouse worked in. Oh, and at least Droopy's time is brief, though unfortunately that of Cousin Tuffy is not.