Tom and Jerry
Unfunny in almost every sense, and frequently poorly made from a technical perspective, Tom and Jerry is disappointing fare.
Tom the cat comes to New York City with big dreams of playing piano in front of an audience, but that is all thrown by the wayside when Jerry the mouse, who is looking for funds to rent a place, steals his thunder. An intense rivalry begins, as Tom tries to catch and eat Jerry. Meanwhile, Jerry holes up in the Royal Gate Hotel, where Kayla (Chloe Grace Moretz) has just gotten a job under Terence (Michael Pena) to assist with a big celebrity wedding of Preeta (Pallavi Sharda) and Ben (Colin Jost) that weekend. As Tom and Jerry’s battle starts to impact the wedding preparation and ceremony, Kayla has to find a way to prove her worth to the hotel, and turn these enemies into friends.
Directed by Tim Story, Tom and Jerry is a misfire on all counts. Unfunny for kids and adults alike, this film doesn’t know who it is playing to. It’s too misshapen and basic for adult enjoyment, and too complex for children.
Moretz and Pena turn in career low performances, both absolutely coasting through a script that is as generic as they come. There’s some funny moments from Jost, but even outside of the main cast, it’s a universal 40% maximum effort from everybody on display here.
From a storytelling perspective, there is absolutely no logic on display here. Some animals talk, some don’t, some can only sing. All the animals in the film are animated for some inexplicable reason. And technically, the eyelines of actors and animals are constantly misaligned. This feels like it was shot in 3 or 4 days, with little to no effort put into blocking out shots to make the CGI work convincingly in post.
There is little to love, like or tolerate in this kids movie - irrespective of whether you’re and adult, or a child.
