Live action Tom and Jerry Movie

[Randall]

Funny you brought this up, Eric. I was just watching trailers for those T&J mash-ups last weekend, and got curious as to what they're like. I find the concepts pretty bizarre, yet oddly intriguing. Just what can one do with such high (low) concepts? Though, your explanation of being like Lion King 1-1/2 seems to indicate what I suspected. The question is, are they at all clever or enjoyable? The only T&J mash-up I've watched is the Jonny Quest team-up - what a weird one that was, though I guess I enjoyed it. But dumping T&J into other properties really just feels like bouncing back and forth between two separate movies.

[Ben]

I’ve seen the Oz and Wonka ones, and they are exactly what you expect: the films almost "as is", with additional T&J asides occurring occasionally throughout, kind of in the Lion King way. They’re not "clever", and are more than a little bizarre — especially Wonka — but Oz at least feels more "natural" for being the same era's MGM, where the idea of T&J in the film, or an animated sequence as per Anchors Aweigh, isn’t so much out of place. But they don’t really interact as much as you’d think with what’s going on, so they have no impact…so what’s the point…?

[EricJ]

The question is, are they at all clever or enjoyable?

Because they're good little corporate slaves, Warner Animation seems to treat T&J with a lot more house-retro respect than they, ahem, treat the Looneys or Hanna-Barberas.

Despite a little bit of modern hyperkinetic animation, the gags--at least in the Wonka, and "Magic Ring", from all reports--are perfect loving replications in the style of the original cartoons. (While we're on the "Shape-flattened T&J" gags.) I wasn't the biggest fan of the originals, but what funny there was, and what occasional likable/sympathetic moments Tom had, the new animators at least tried.
Even the obligatory Droopy cameo is cleverly worked in.

Apart from the motivation theory, didn't find the mashup "bizarre" per se, except for their attempt to cram it into a "Kids' direct-video" idiom, give Slugworth a villain song (even though his role in the original movie wasn't changed), and have him chase the characters in a third-act climax where the writers apparently forgot how Wonkavision was supposed to work.

[DarryRain]

I can't say that I liked this movie... from my point of view, every old and popular movie/cartoon is better left untouched and remade. Every time some studio tries to remake a cartoon or movie of our childhood, especially if they remake a character's appearance, it looks lame. Don't you agree? That's why I think there's no point in remaking something old, it's better to create something new. However, I love old movies, especially the ones that came out in the 80's and 90's. I watch them at https://www.999flix.com and enjoy the beautiful and exciting atmosphere of romance, dreaminess, humor and kindness.

[Ben]

Welcome! I’m not sure if, given your comment above, your avatar is meant to be ironic or not…?

[Daniel]

Next direct-to-video will be Christmasy:



..."or dancing with Bruno Mars" Well, that was cringey. Shame it's sticking with the Show animation style. Still, looks kinda cute. I'll check it out when it eventually airs on Boomerang.