Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 5 - 'Xtreme' Isn't Quite the Word
DVD Review by Matthew Hunter
DVD Review by Matthew Hunter
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classiccartoonsdvd.com |
Well, we do get the Tom and Jerry action with various sporting equipment. Sadly, it's not particularly "Extreme", "Fast" or "Funny". Some wonderful animation and good concepts are hampered by a particularly lacking musical score, and the adherence to the "themes" runs out of gas faster than a dirt bike with a fuel leak. I have to hand it to Spike Brandt, Tony Cervone, and TJ House, the directors credited with most of the entries on this volume. They really do care about the characters, and there is nothing inherently wrong with any of the cartoons presented. We even get Mammy Two Shoes back, sort of, though she is no longer black and much less abusive!
Spike and Tyke, Butch the Alley Cat and even Droopy make welcome appearances in these shorts. In "Game, Set, Match", Spike forces Tom to teach Tyke the game of Tennis, while in "A Life Less Guarded", Tom and Droopy compete for a job as a swimming pool lifeguard. "Sasquashed" is a clever take on the "Bigfoot" legend, with Jerry showing a bit of his old mischief. It's all fun the first time, but it probably won't warrant repeat viewings in your DVD player if you are more familiar with the classic MGM cartoons. If you have kids, however, this DVD would be a good way to spend a rainy afternoon together with them, as it won't annoy adults and will no doubt thrill the younger set.
It's tough to be too hard on "T&J Tales", considering how bad most classic cartoon revivals have been. The talents behind this show really want to be as true to the classic cat and mouse team as possible, which is to be applauded. If somebody gave them an orchestra instead of a keyboard and the freedom to create episodes that didn't have to adhere to a "theme", they could really hit a home run. Until that happens, though, they're really stuck with your average "base hit".
