From what I've seen, the production team really stayed as closely as possible to the quick-witted humor that made "Tom & Jerry" the cat and mouse duo many came to know dating back to the 1940s and 50s. To have their tomfoolery (eh?) now be used in the modern times in a live-action setting? Well, it seems to be a step up from its fully animated 1992 predecessor, which had them speaking and singing.
Here in 2021, keeping them mute is better off as they don't need words when all their actions always spoke volumes. The throwbacks to their past cartoon shorts was a great tribute. It also fills me with glee Warner Bros. used some archival recordings of William Hanna and Mel Blanc to give off the screaming and yelling sounds Tom makes when in pain or in fear. What a way to honor these men who gave Tom a voice.
As for the plot? There's not much there when you place familiar faces like Chloe Grace Moretz, Colin Jost, Michael Peña, and Ken Jeong getting caught in the crossfire of the duo's antics in a lavish hotel setting in New York City. Chloe's character Kayla does her best at her new job, but proves difficult with the chaos that ensues. It's just okay. I can understand from Chloe that she cited Bob Hoskins as her inspiration to interact with animated characters, much like what he did as Detective Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (a classic).
Cartoon animals sharing the screen with live-action characters has been done countless times in the past, so overall, this live-action/animated film does give off an old-school charm of classic cartoon violence and slapstick humor, but it just falls short on expectations. My one nitpick is relying too much on today's trends and lifestyles. They don't need them to be funny. It's no Roger Rabbit, but definitely fun for kids. For adults who grew up watching the original cartoon shorts? You can sit this one out and stick with the originals for a good laugh.
Here in 2021, keeping them mute is better off as they don't need words when all their actions always spoke volumes. The throwbacks to their past cartoon shorts was a great tribute. It also fills me with glee Warner Bros. used some archival recordings of William Hanna and Mel Blanc to give off the screaming and yelling sounds Tom makes when in pain or in fear. What a way to honor these men who gave Tom a voice.
As for the plot? There's not much there when you place familiar faces like Chloe Grace Moretz, Colin Jost, Michael Peña, and Ken Jeong getting caught in the crossfire of the duo's antics in a lavish hotel setting in New York City. Chloe's character Kayla does her best at her new job, but proves difficult with the chaos that ensues. It's just okay. I can understand from Chloe that she cited Bob Hoskins as her inspiration to interact with animated characters, much like what he did as Detective Eddie Valiant in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (a classic).
Cartoon animals sharing the screen with live-action characters has been done countless times in the past, so overall, this live-action/animated film does give off an old-school charm of classic cartoon violence and slapstick humor, but it just falls short on expectations. My one nitpick is relying too much on today's trends and lifestyles. They don't need them to be funny. It's no Roger Rabbit, but definitely fun for kids. For adults who grew up watching the original cartoon shorts? You can sit this one out and stick with the originals for a good laugh.