"Tom and Jerry" review: a cat and mouse is a combo sure to cause mayhem

Tom and Jerry are back, and have returned to the big screen.

By Cesar Padilla, Staff Writer

The classic cartoon duo Tom and Jerry star in a 2021 live-action/CGI comedy movie. (Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros.)

Grab your cereal, the cartoon duo Tom and Jerry that was televised Saturday mornings have returned to the big screen in an excellent live-action animated film that sure would have anyone that watched this movie feel nostalgic.

“Tom and Jerry,” the beloved ruthless cartoon fueled by violence, has been revamped and was released to select theaters along with streaming platform HBO Max on Feb. 26.

The film begins with the duo in New York City, as Jerry is attempting to find a place to live and Tom is playing the electric piano in Central Park. In true comic violent fashion, Tom crashes into Kayla (Cholë Grace Moretz), who gambles herself to obtain a job in an elegant hotel in the city. The hotel is preparing for a prestigious wedding for celebrities Ben (Colin Jost) and Preeta (Pallavi Sharda). Later, Kayla discovers that Jerry inhabits the hotel and recruits Tom in the hopes to catch Jerry. Her boss, Mr. Dubros (Rob Delaney), is frightened that word will come out that there is a mouse infestation and supports Kayla’s plan. However, her co-worker Terrence (Michael Peña) is against it and intends to sabotage her plan.

The film is directed by Tim Story, who is behind the “Fantastic Four” and the “Ride Along” film franchises. The film features classic cartoon moments, from the ‘fight tornado,’ to the iconic Tom scream and the traditional Tom and Spike hatred. Just like Tom and Jerry’s cartoon rivalry, there is also a rivalry between Kayla and Terrance. However, seeing Tom and Jerry put aside the violence to work together is a strange sight to see. The film was remarkable to watch, and just as nostalgic as watching the cartoon series as a child.

Moretz is a great fit for the role of Kayla, as her character presence of wearing a leather jacket provided a picture that her character was determined, but still irresponsible in not thinking about the consequences of her actions. Of course, Peña has natural comedic behavior, but his character being stuck-up was unfamiliar.

This film took live-action animation to the next level as the actors were acting to clay sculpted puppets mimicking Tom and Jerry and used talented puppeteers to simulate the movements of the pair. Due to that process, the movie was smooth with the CGI and it felt life-like.

The movie's goal was to relieve the wistful feeling of watching Tom and Jerry, and it introduced the new generation who is unfamiliar with the cartoon. Sure, those who watched the movie already know the characters from the cartoon series just by watching them on Saturday mornings, but this movie would be a perfect example to show future generations what cartoons were like.