A mouser named, of course, Tom Cat, is hired by a snooty hotel to rid the premises of a pesky mouse (named Jerry) before a big-deal society wedding gets under way. Okay, the story’s a bit bland, but at least the characters are dull and the live actors (Chloe Grace Moretz, Michael Pena and Colin Jost) are fake and stilted. Shoulda got rid of the humans, instead.
The director of this clunky live-action/animation is Tim Story, who made the critically mixed Barbershop and a host of not-even-that-good other bombs, notably 2007’s Fantastic Four and its equally execrable 2009 sequel. It’s clear he’s never met his protagonists. To be fair, a few slapstick sequences work. It’s just that they’re buried by, well, everything else.
Firmly in the soulless, babysitting movie category. Tip: If you’re looking for the forgotten fun of this classic cat-and-mouse battle, hunt down some of the original cartoon shorts. (101 min)
Tom and Jerry Japan release date: March 19, 2021
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