Tom and Jerry brings the live action cartoon fusion back and it is a charming movie! It was released in theaters and streaming on HBO Max on February 26th. The cartoon fusion movies are a mixed bunch, but this one hits just entertaining to watch. The duo started in animated shorts in 1940 by Hanna and Barbera. They won seven Academy Awards for their animated short films. Tom & Jerry were eventually made into a television show by Filmation. This was parodied by Itchy & Scratchy in The Simpsons. It is the first film for Tom & Jerry. The film is directed by Tim Story whom I’m more familiar with his Fantastic Four (2005) movie than his comedy Barbershop (2002). It is written by Kevin Costello who also wrote the comedy Brigsby Bear (2017). The opening has New York as we get an animated pigeons followed by others. All of the animals are animated here. The animation is by Framestore who worked on Paddington 2 (2017).
We also get a song, “Can I Kick It?” By A Tribe Called Quest, but it is the pigeons singing it to the camera. The hip hop is the background of the movie. A subway train has Tom riding with his keyboard. A rat is showing Jerry a rundown car for his new living place. Most of the animals talk except Tom and Jerry, most of their sounds come from the classic cartoons. Tom walks out of the subway. Jerry ends up in Central Park. He sees Tom playing keyboard to a nice crowd. He wears sunglasses to pretend that he is blind. This is part of the movie’s theme. Jerry decides to perform in front of Tom’s keyboard as the dancing mouse. Tom tries to snatch Jerry and ends up ruining his keyboard. He catches Jerry, but the crowd is disappointed that he can see because a piano playing cat is not impressive? The chase is on through Central Park. Tom collides into a bike rider, Kayla Forester, played by Chloë Grace Moretz. She was in the horror movie, Shadow in the Cloud (2020).
The strength of these animation live action movies is the protagonist and Moretz makes for a plunky, well intentioned woman. Her delivery of clothes, underwear, is scattered around the road. Kayla finds that she is fired by her employer. Tom sees that Jerry with his lil’ backpack is outside of the Royal Gate Hotel. He chases Jerry inside, but is caught by the doorman, Gavin (Daniel Adegboyega). Jerry likes the luxury of the hotel. Kayla is greeted by Gavin who notes that she goes to the hotel for free food. Jerry finds an abandoned part of the hotel and moves in. Kayla is munching on a cookie and sees the suitcase of a woman. Linda Perrybottom (Camilla Arfwedson). Kayla sits next to her and offers a walking tour of NY. Linda is there for a temporary job which is for the high profile wedding of Preeta and Ben. Kayla says that she failed the interview test, keeping the wedding private, and looks over her resume. Linda leaves and Kayla takes her resume to apply for the job.
Kayla goes to the hotel's clothing store to shop for a new jacket. At the loading dock, Tom tries to sneak in, he doesn’t quite make it. Some alley cats, led by Butch (Nicky Jam) finds and threatens Tom. He calls over the animal control officer in a van to send them away. Jerry envisions a cobwebbed cubby hole as a luxury apartment. Kayla enters an office for her interview and meets Terence Mendoza (Michael Peña), the events manager of the hotel. Pena was in the Blumhouse horror movie, Fantasy Island (2020). Terence is uptight, busy with details, so he misses the human touch. He introduces her to Henry Dubros (Rob Delaney), the general manager of the hotel, Delaney was Peter in Deadpool 2 (2018). Mr. Dubros sees the potential of people and sides with Kayla. There is such fun with the actors that their parts work. Kayla is hired. She has a new hotel uniform. Kayla is greeted by Terence first thing in the morning. Terence briefs her about the hotel’s history while Jerry starts taking items around the hotel.
Terence brings her to the kitchen where they see Chef Jackie (Ken Jeong) angrily directing his staff. Jeong was in the action movie, Operation: Rainfall (2020). He introduces Kayla to Gavin, but of course he already knows her. Terence is surprised by the bell girl, Joy (Patsy Ferran), she was in the comedy How to Build a Girl (2019). Strange, but kinda helpful to Kayla. Next, Kayla is introduced to the barman, Cameron (Jordan Bolger). The actor was in the sci fi show, The 100. They have a nice connection, Cameron backs and helps Kayla, he is also pouring champagne for the VIPs. We have the arrival of Ben (Colin Jost) and Preeta (Pallavi Sharda). Jost is of course known for his Weekend Update job on Saturday Night Live. Sharda was in the historical remake Begum Jaan (2017). We also have their pets, the bulldog Spike (voiced by Bobby Cannavale) and Preeta’s cat, Toots. Kayla is sent to take out Jerry and also has to deal with Preeta’s lost wedding ring! In all of the craziness of an increasingly out of control wedding, Kayla has to get things simple and be herself. A charming family movie with some laughs!
Three Wedding Rings out of Five!
#TomandJerry, #TimStory, #ChloeGraceMoritz, #MichaelPena, #KenJeong
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