Tom & Jerry: The Movie (2021) Blu-ray Review

By Paul Rudoff on Jun. 9, 2021 at 10:48 PM in Home Video

Tom & Jerry: The Movie (2021) is the latest film in the venerable Hanna-Barbera franchise about frenemies Thomas D. Cat and Jerome A. Mouse. Read on to find out more about it...

Tom & Jerry: The Movie (2021) is the story of one of the most beloved rivalries in history, which is reignited when Jerry moves into New York City's finest hotel 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 of Ben (Colin Jost) and Preeta (Pallavi Sharda), and possibly the hotel itself. But soon, an even bigger problem arises: diabolically ambitious staffer Terence (Michael Pena) conspiring against all three of them. Can Tom and Jerry do the unthinkable - work together to save the day?

Watching this film gives me a great sense of deja vu. It's very reminiscent of The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000), the live-action/animation hybrid film based on an old animated TV show starring Piper Perabo as a young F.B.I. agent whose career is boosted thanks to support from the animated team of Rocky and Bullwinkle. Here, cutie Chloe Grace Moretz is in the "Piper" role as a young woman who swindles her way into a prominent position at a four-star hotel, with her career getting a boost from the animated team of Tom and Jerry. The movie also has shades of Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), with 2D animation interacting with a live-action world. The animation is clean and looks good on Blu-ray, even though it doesn't blend as well with the live-action as the traditional cel animation did in Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Story wise, there isn't much here. None of it is grounded in any sort of reality, and all of the humans are pretty much unlikable, even Chloe's "Kayla". Furthermore, this isn't a movie about Tom and Jerry. It's a movie primarily about humans Kayla, Ben, and Preeta. The cast does what they can with the material, but they're no miracle workers. Rob Delaney channels his inner Patrick Warburton, which I found amusing. I do have to wonder why Ken Jeong was hired to play Chef Jackie. When I watched the film in the theater back in March, and saw how briefly he's in the film, I thought that there would be a lot of deleted scenes with him in them. Other than one brief 10-second shot, he's not in any of the deleted scenes on this Blu-ray. There's nothing here to indicate why they hired a "name" actor for such a barely-seen forgettable role.

The film looks nice enough, with appealing animation, and tributes to the franchise's history with familiar jokes and supporting characters. Although the animation is fast and furious, with a lot of classic slapstick, and a wise decision was made not to have the characters talk - as they did in Tom & Jerry: The Movie (1993) - I get the feeling that this film will annoy fans of the classic shorts. That said, it's a nice touch that all of the animals are animated, even those in the background. Finally, the movie was primarily filmed in London, though some of the background plates for the scene with Tom and Jerry careening through the streets on a skateboard were filmed in New York City on Madison Avenue, by the spot where the businessman got a ride from an undead cabbie in Ghostbusters.

Tom & Jerry: The Movie is presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio with a runtime of 1:41:03. Audio languages include English Dolby Atmos, English Dolby Digital 5.1, English Descriptive, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. The film includes English SDH, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. subtitles.

Here's a list of all of the bonus features that can be found on the Blu-ray disc.

Deleted Scenes (13:34) - These ten scenes, presented in various stages of completion, prefaced by comments by director Tim Story.
1. "Home Destroyed" - This alternate opening shows how Tom and Jerry's rivalry gets them thrown out of the house.
2. "Job Hopper Task in Park" - Kayla is hired to break up with someone's boyfriend.
3. "Tom Hit by a Truck" - Tom crashes into life in the Big Apple.
4. "Kayla's at Sadie's Apartment" - Kayla's roommate forcefully kicks her out of the apartment.
5. "Tom on Stilts" - Tom tries to sneak into the Royal Gate, while Jerry finds a sweet new place to crash.
6. "Kayla Shown Hotel Room" - Kayla's new job comes with a fancy new place to live.
7. "Tom Dream" - Tom daydreams about musical fame and true love.
8. "Terence in the Car on the Phone to London Hotel" - Terrence learns a secret about Kayla's past.
9. "NY Tour / Tom and Jerry Street Portrait" - During Tom & Jerry's selfie tour of New York City, they stop and have their caricatures painted.
10. "Jackie and Kayla at Cake" - Tensions are high at the Royal Gate as the staff prepare for Ben and Preeta's wedding.
Gag Reel (3:01)
Bringing Tom & Jerry to Life (14:11) - The cast and crew discuss bringing the classic cartoon to life in a contemporary world.
Tom & Jerry's World (4:17) - Explore the world of Tom and Jerry in this behind-the-scenes feature about the set, production, and props.
The Feud: #TeamTom vs. #TeamJerry (4:15) - Are you Team Tom or Team Jerry? Discover what it was like to work with these two feuding rivals.
Jerry's "A House For a Mouse" (3:58) - See how Jerry Mouse found and decorated his forever home in an iconic hotel in New York City.
The Tom & Jerry Guide to New York City Wildlife (4:52) - Tom and Jerry may be our dynamic duo, but they're not the only animals in this movie. Meet the other animals roaming the Big Apple!
Inside the Wedding of Ben and Preeta (5:24) - New York City's favorite couple is tying the knot at the Royal Gate Hotel. Get the scoop about the big day from the cast and crew.
A Scene Comes to Life: Scene #1 - Ben and Preeta's Wedding (5:11) - Find out how the cast and crew pulled off the planning (and destruction) of the incredibly lavish Indian wedding scene.
A Scene Comes to Life: Scene #2 - Animal Lock-Up (3:54) - When Tom and Jerry get hauled away by animal control, the creators had to play a game of cat and mouse to pull off the prison scenes.