Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992) User Reviews (91)

As a stand-alone title, it's okay.

[nldxyz · 6/10 · 7 August 2009]

Okay, lots of people hate this movie because it goes against just about everything Tom and Jerry stands for. There's a lack of random fighting, the two enjoy each-other's company WAY too much and the plot really has nothing to do with Tom and Jerry in the slightest.

However, does it stand out on its own? If this didn't have "Tom and Jerry" in the title and starred a different cat and mouse duo, would people like it better? As a matter of fact, it could. It's a typical everyday family film in the eyes of one who isn't a hardcore Tom and Jerry fanatic. The songs aren't quite as bad as people say they are, though cheesy nonetheless, and the jokes feel a little dry if you've been watching Tom and Jerry all your life, but it passes.

The plot's alright, but nothing special. It's mostly about a little girl trying to find her father while also trying to escape from a bunch of people who want her for money, and for some odd reason, Tom and Jerry just HAPPEN to get involved. You all saw it coming, right? Again, for the songs, even the villain songs aren't really anything special. However, they're not nearly as bad as people say they are. I actually like the song "Friends to the end" even if it was the song that turned Tom and Jerry into... *Cough* "Really good friends" and in the Nostalgia Critic's eyes "Destroyed them". However, they're not the kinds of songs you want to listen to all the time. If you did, you'd probably hate them.

All in all, as a Tom and Jerry film, it fails. It has little to no relevance to the old cartoons and didn't even seem to be about them more than half the time. However, as a stand-alone title, it's kind of like Final Fantasy: Spirits Within. If you can ignore the fact that it's supposed to be Tom and Jerry, you can at least enjoy it to some extent. Not a great film, but a good one. C+

Not awful, but a disappointing feature length film of one of my favourite cartoons.

[TheLittleSongbird · 5/10 · 23 August 2009]

There are some redeeming qualities to Tom and Jerry: The Movie. There is a good voice cast, that includes Charlotte Rae, Richard Kind, Dana Hill and Tony Jay. The characters are fairly likable, though there may be times when Aunt Figg might scare children. Tom and Jerry still have their likability, Robyn is a very charming character, and the animation is serviceable on the most part, but shoddy in other places.

However, there are a number of things that make this film disappointing. One is the disjointed plot, that has been done better before, and not only that, there is a tendency for it to become unfocused and clumsy. I didn't like the songs either, I found them rather unmelodious and forgettable. The writing wasn't particularly that inspiring, but the biggest disappointment for me was the lack of violence that made the cartoon show such a joy to watch. Instead of the songs, I would've liked to have seen a more focused plot and some violence, so that it could do justice to the show that it took its inspiration from.

Overall, sweet in places, with the occasional likable character, and not awful. But it wasn't at all great, in fact it was disappointing, I just wished it was more faithful to the show. 5/10 for trying. Bethany Cox

Alright, Just Hear me Out

[elicopperman · 5/10 · 12 March 2021]

So back in 1992, we had the first attempt at a Tom & Jerry movie made for the big screen. Directed by TV animation veteran Phil Roman and released by Miramax, the film was a critical and financial failure upon its release and is often seen as the starting point of terrible Tom & Jerry movies to follow. It doesn't help that fans of the timeless cat & mouse look down on this movie for having the duo speak, but that alone is actually the least of the movie's problems. That being said, as poor of an effort as the movie turned out to be, there is a surprising amount of charm in it for all the wrong reasons.

Now despite the movie being named after Tom & Jerry themselves, the central problem with it is that the story focuses on a completely different character, Robyn Starling. Tom & Jerry end up taking a back seat to help this blandly written child escape her abusive aunt and reunite with her long lost father, even though this movie should have been theirs in the first place. Perhaps if the movie was executed in an Alice in Wonderland styled narrative where Tom & Jerry roam around the country in search of a new home, it would be a lot more fitting, but as is, we have to sit through a generic cookie cutter plot of someone who belongs in another film altogether. It doesn't help that the musical numbers by famed composer Henry Mancini and lyricist Leslie Bricusse range from charmingly upbeat to obnoxiously repetitive, some of which are immediately forgotten as soon as they're over. Also, you know a Tom & Jerry movie is in trouble when the duo not only barely chase each other around, but most of the slapstick is given to the villain's dumb dog on wheels (go figure).

However, despite the movie's flaws, what does make it somewhat of a curious viewing are the unexpected characters you couldn't imagine being in a movie like this. In addition to Robyn's hysterical aunt Pristine Figg and her hammy lawyer Lickboot, the people Robyn, Tom and Jerry encounter along their ways should have their own shorts altogether. From an obese dog who needs a roller skate to move around, to an insane animal physician sadly named Dr. Applecheek, to a gay Captain Kiddie and his puppet hand Squawk, this cast comes right out of nowhere and are just as bonkers as they sound in description. Plus, the voice actors and animators brought more life to them than the one dimensional script ever did, complete with over the top performances and appealing character designs. Also, as the film keeps on going, the stakes do at least get higher and higher, even if it's painfully obvious what happens at the end. After all, Tom & Jerry can't die in any cartoon, so why even bother trying to do so in the first place?

So in the end, while by no means a great watch, the 1992 Tom & Jerry movie is so bizarre in its execution that it leaves you wondering why the filmmakers chose to take the duo in this direction from the start. While there are better installments with the duo out there, I would recommend this over the 2021 movie, because this one at least has some weird plot points going for it compared to the corporately manufactured HBO Max original. Die hard fans of the duo might not like me in the morning for saying this, but the cat and mouse have been on worse adventures, as bad as this one is.

Kill me

[Smells_Like_Cheese · 2/10 · 26 March 2009]

Tom and Jerry, my absolute favorite childhood cartoon, I couldn't wait to wake up each morning to watch the crazy cat and mouse go after each other. Now I had heard a little bit about Tom and Jerry the movie, but never had an interest just because it frightened me that it was made in the early 90's, just knowing the time and what they would do to butcher our lovable icons, I couldn't see this tragedy. But the movie was on HBO and I had nothing better to watch so I figured, just have an open mind and think that this was made more for the kids. Now I was 7 when this movie was made, so I had to get into that mind set that I might think this is at least if anything just a good family film. Yeah, that was nice, I was convinced for the first 4 minutes of this movie that everything was going to be OK and then I realized... why are Tom and Jerry not making me laugh? What is going on? I suppose I'll tell you.

Tom and Jerry are both together with their owners as they are about to move to a new home. The moving van is at their old house waiting, and Tom overdoses in the back of the car. However when he notices Jerry, he puts him on a stick, and Jerry, noticing no escape and knowing that he will fly, he grabs hold of Tom's whiskers so they fly together into the garden. Jerry quickly dashes into his mouse hole and locks the door, Tom nailing wooden planks on the door. Tom leaves the house, but it's too late: The owners have left. When Tom tries to get in the moving car, he ends up with a bulldog and ties up his ears so he cannot see. Tom runs into the house for safety and stays there for the night. The next day, Tom notices that the house is being destroyed by a demolition crew. He manages to escape but realizes he couldn't just leave Jerry goes back and saves him. The two manage to survive, but now they're homeless. Then they meet a dog named Puggsy and his friend Frankie Da Flea that tries to teach Tom and Jerry to be friends. At this point, something changes in the world of Tom and Jerry. They both start to talk! Tom and Jerry then meet an eight-year old girl named Robyn Starling, whose mother died of pneumonia when she was a baby and is left behind with her horrid and evil guardian Aunt Figg when her dad goes away to Tibet. Robyn runs away after her locket is thrown out the window and that's how she began to run. Jerry said to her that if she runs, her things won't be with her but Robyn said to them that Aunt Figg may seem sweet but "she's mean, real mean". Cut to Aunt Figg crying in the house, scared of losing Robyn. With the help of her evil lawyer, Lickboot and her overweight dachshund, Ferdinand, make a reward of $1,000,000 for the return of Robyn, who they wish to sell for a ransom, engulfed by love of money. Robyn is recaptured, but manages to escape yet again, after Tom and Jerry are kidnapped by Dr. Applecheek and are sent to a city pound where animals are abused, when everyone is now after Robyn for the money.

Yup, you read right, Tom and Jerry talk. Now granted they had a few lines throughout the show, but they were just every once in a while, every GREAT ONCE IN A WHILE. It was just weird having them talk throughout the film, especially with those voices, again, I know that the film was made in the early 90's, but this just wasn't working. The story is too lame and cheesy, it concentrated more on the girl vs. the actual title characters. While it may not be the most horrible movie of all time, it's still just a shame that two adored characters were destroyed within 87 minutes. If you were or are a fan of the original Tom and Jerry show like I am, please stay away, trust your judgment like I should have. If you're not a fan or haven't seen Tom and Jerry, only if you're a child, you might enjoy the movie, note the word might.

2/10

lighten up people...

[eccentric19 · 7/10 · 10 May 2005]

This film may have not a "throw back" to the T&J originals but why should it be.. I was a movie for goodness sake.. I give it a 7 for best effort and when I did watch it some years ago it wasn't that all bad.. In fact I still think it's a great movie.. I hope none of you expected an hour and 25 minutes of tom running around the house trying to catch jerry... Maybe some of you had your hopes set on tom finally catching jerry and eating him in a full length film... I also wish that for those of you who criticize the movie you share with us how you think a certain movie should have been done or what could have been done to make a movie better.. I think their voices are OK but I the film would have been a lil me interesting if they didn't have the voices.. I respect the creators effort.. They took to tradition cartoon characters we were use to seeing chase each other around and blow each other up and put them plot were they are actually coming together to help being about a happy ending.. All in all it's a great movie and deserves 7 out of 10..

Tom and Jerry TALK!!

[anxietyresister · 3/10 · 15 November 2005]

There are three things that must be obeyed in life:

a) The Pope must be Catholic

b) British summers must get shorter and wetter every year

c) Tom and Jerry must never be allowed to speak.

See? This film has only gone and broken one of the sacred rules. They don't just have any voices either.. Jerry sounds like a girl, and Tom has a very fake New York accent!! And what's worse, they're allowed to sing!! Songs so dreadful that even Westlife would have turned them down!! Believe me, you haven't lived till you've seen Tom and Jerry dueting on a sappy ballad about what friends are for. It reminds me of that Simpsons episode where Marge forced TV execs to tone down the Itchy & Scratchy cartoon for fear that children were emulating the violence. That of course, that a hilarious satire about the dangers of over-censorship. This sadly, isn't. However, it is a great advert against taking a classic show, expanding it beyond it's natural length and tinkering with the story just to make a lousy movie. Dukes Of Hazard and Bewitched, are you taking notes?

What else is there to add? Shall I talk about the shoddy animation? Perhaps the paint-by-numbers plot? Or the fascinating cast of supporting characters, which include a pup and his performing, wisecracking flea, another dog who wears a baseball cap and rides a skateboard everywhere, or the schizophrenic carnival guy with the puppet who has a mind of its own? To be honest, you can keep them. I'm more than happy with my complete set of Tom and Jerry shorts on DVD, where they provide ample amusement for a five minute period. This film doesn't even give you that in its whole hour and a half running time. So, avoid this unnecessary slur on the great duo's name, and stick with THE REAL THING. And no, I don't mean Coke.. 3/10

Why so serious?

[King_billi · 7/10 · 8 February 2009]

What is people's deal with being so critical of movies(for kids usually as in the case of this one) they don't like? And I don't mean simply saying whether or not it appealed to you but really vicious, I spit on your grave, rip your beating heart out of their chest, damn you forever to the pits of oblivion for failing to live up to my happy expectations...

Seriously get over it.

I remember this film from when I was a kid and while admittedly its nothing spectacular, its an enjoyable, funny movie that most kids will love(because lets remember it is a kids film.) Heres a little info on some of the "controversial" aspects of the film.

Tom & Jerry talk - Seriously I don't see what the big deal is, the voices chosen for these two characters are suitable and funny more so than their various speaking voices in the old cartoons (thats right people they did speak in the cartoon.) Its really the highlight of the film as you'd expect.

Tom & Jerry sing - Why not? Tom & Jerry don't fight - In fact they become friends 'sort of' which isn't such a bad message to convey when you think about it, and really at least give the filmmakers some props for trying to do something new with the material.

So the point is just get over yourself and enjoy it.

PS. I just realized I used a quote from The Dark Knight in my summary

And the award for Worst Animated Film EVER goes to...

[Donald_McKinney · 1/10 · 10 September 2006]

Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992) Whoever green-lit this piece of celluloid toilet paper should be hung and quartered. It probably seemed like a good idea, (much emphasis on 'seemed' there), however the makers seemed to have missed the point entirely of what Tom and Jerry is all about, I'll break it down for you, first off, they talk, if they ever talked to each other in the animated shorts, it would either be as a joke or to convey a scene or maybe sing, but here, they talk. It kills the movie, Chaplin's little tramp never talked, even after sound came into cinema, he was still admired by all. Remember, silence is golden, Tom and Jerry must NEVER talk.

Also, the overall sentimentality kills the film, they team up with a young girl who is living with her evil aunt. The film could have been a knockabout romp from start to finish, but no!! They added a few uninteresting characters, a few slushy songs, (Henry Mancini, shame on you!!) One of the reasons for the sentimentality in the first place, is that Tom & Jerry make FRIENDS!! No, no, no!! The reason the original shorts were so funny and entertaining in the first place was because they fought all the time. Making them into friends goes against what the shorts were about!! This sort of departure doesn't work for two cartoon characters who were all about fighting, PLUS it happened before in 1975, when a TV Series called The Tom & Jerry Show, where they were friends, (apparantly to comply with TV rules on violence!! ) It's never been repeated since, and has been quickly forgotten.

Don't waste your time with this film, stick with the original animated shorts, that's how they should be remembered. But, even they are going out of vogue, because references to smoking are being edited out. (OK, smoking not right, but excessive violence is??)

Good, Clean Fun for the Whole family

[ichocolat · 25 March 2008]

T&J are one my favorite cartoon characters. They are cute and cuddly, and they are a bundle of fun to watch. I used to giggled at their playfulness. Tom never gave up hope in trying to catch Jerry, and Jerry has never failed to find ways to avoid being caught. I still remembered that one time when my mom scolded me, I turned on the TV and watched T&J, and I was not sad anymore. That was how good T&J series were to me.

This film is a good, clean fun for the whole family. If I have kids, I would not mind them watch this film, rather than watching all those new cartoons that is filled with adult humors disguised in cute and cuddly characters. There were no sexual remarks or crass jokes and certainly no double meaning humor.

So who cares if T&J can talk to humans? So who cares if they stop fighting against each other and instead help each other to save the girl from the evil Aunt Pigg? If the film has to follow exactly from the TV series, then what is the point of having to make this film? So, a decent score of 8 out of 10. A clean, fun film for the entire family. And a definite watch for the young and the young at hearts.

Tom and Jerry, the way "I" Remember it.

[vegeta3986 · 7/10 · 14 November 2009]

now i know that simply by the score i'm giving this movie, people are going to mark it as "not useful". but you know what, that's OK. But still, i feel that i have to say my share about this film. To be perfectly honest, i NEVER enjoyed the Tom and Jerry shorts growing up. Whenever they came on, i would either change the channel or simply blankly stare at the screen with more of a underlying hatred for Jerry than any sort of enjoyment.

However, when i was around 7 years old i was introduced to Tom and Jerry the movie. And to my surprise, i thoroughly enjoyed it. The songs were pretty catchy and it kept me interested throughout the entire feature. However, you know the old saying about rose colored nostalgia glasses, so i thought i'd watch this movie again. Well, i'm 23 now and i STILL like this movie. Tom and Jerry are FAR more enjoyable then they were in their incredibly violent younger days and i just found myself enjoying the film overall much more. Granted there are some scenes that are random and some of the jokes are corny when you really think about them, but all in all, this was a pretty good movie. The only downside to this movie is that now that i've seen this film, when i go back and watch the old cartoons, i'm once again horrifically disappointed. So once again, downgrade my review away if you must.

I've never been a fan of silent cartoon characters. Sometimes you can get a character even if they don't speak, but with Tom and Jerry, it was never clear. It just seemed like a bunch of bad slapstick gags that made me cringe with pain imagining that damage rather than enjoying it. The same can be said for the Looney Toons. I don't know. when i was little, violence was never my thing. i was more of a care bears/ teddy ruxpin kid rather than a transformers of GI Joe kid. So to me, this film was a breath of fresh air from the unsuitable violence that the original Tom and Jerry shorts had. i liked the Robin character, the fat dog on the skateboard was hilarious, and the two antagonists were pretty enjoyable to hate as well.

Even though many people don't agree with me, i really don't care. To me, this is a great movie and i'd show it to my eventual kids any day of the week over those violent shorts of yesteryear.

With that said, the Tom and Jerry Movie gets 7 bags of MONNNEEYYYY out of 10.

I can't believe this....

[au_law2001 · 2/10 · 21 January 2005]

What were they thinking in messing up a classic cartoon like this? It doesn't even have the feel of the old and classic ones back then, this is completely garbage, worse than that lame Tom and Jerry kids show, ugh, what is with that one. Tom and Jerry don't do those things, well in the old ones, they did say some words, but had better voices, and the chase sequences of the game of cat and mouse were very much missing, there were only a few, but weren't all that brilliant. They didn't even have their hilarious screams neither, or other funny antics with hammers, rockets, anvils, bowling bowls or any other cartoon classic weapon next to the pie. They had some songs that aren't all that worthy, especially the one by Rip Taylor's character. But he's so brilliant. And none of the other supporting characters of the original make an appearance here! That Droopy one is just not satisfactory at all, it's like a blatant Roger Rabbit rip! Where's the maid, or spike, or Nibbles or whatever his name is, the gray mouse, and where's the trio of cats, the black one, the fat short one, the stupid looking one, and where's the canary, or the duckling? Nowhere! They made them talk, and sing, and dance, and put some useless characters, without paying much homage to the original ones. This is nonsense, just watch the old cartoons on Carton Network or any other channel that broadcasts it. Avoid this and the Tom and Jerry Kids Show.

What's so bad about it??

[breezee118 · 10/10 · 15 July 2007]

I guess I'm just too young to understand what makes a "good movie". I'm still a teenager right now, so around the time Tom and Jerry the Movie was released, I was around 5 or 6.

The wonderful melodies and songs in that movie are still haunting to me ( in a good way) to this day. I love Robyn's song "I miss you" and every time I hear it I feel like crying because it makes me think of my dad and how sad I would be if he wasn't there.

I loved every character in the movie. How could you not? they're all goofy and wonderful and can completely crack your children up. Show this film to any child in America and I guarantee you it will light a smile on there face.

I guess some adults just want to get all technical. Tom and Jerry may be a short cartoon that likes playing dirty tricks on each other, but this film really expanded on that and I don't think there was any other script that could have made it better.

Who cares if none of the grown ups liked this movie? I recently showed it to my nieces and nephews and just hearing the laughter that comes out of them lightens me up.

An advice to those who has never seen this film and is watching it for the first time: Set aside what you think should be a Tom and Jerry movie! Just think like a kid and you'll laugh like a kid!! Oh, and the reason I gave this movie a 10 for excellent is to balance out all the low points that others have given it... I seriously don't see what is so bad about this film!! I love it!!

A Decent Movie

[GravityLoudHouseLover1 · 6/10 · 16 August 2020]

I saw this movie a few weeks back & I must say I thought it was okay not great but okay The Tom & Jerry Movie is a movie a lot of people who are Tom & Jerry Fans seem to hate it & I like Tom & Jerry a little bit. Oh and People seem to hate this Movie Because Tom & Jerry talk which I didn't really care if they talked Anyway the Tom & Jerry Movie is a meh movie that I think I will not watch a second viewing of it 6/10.

Despite its promising start and good drawing, "Tom and Jerry: The Movie" is an absolute thud

[TheUnknown837-1 · 4/10 · 27 November 2012]

The surmounting lists of objections to "Tom and Jerry: The Movie" have been understandably consistent: the famous cartoon cat and mouse actually start talking, they go on good behavior, do not chase each other around with every makeshift club or projectile known, and most of the narrative consists not of what we usually get from them in a seven or eight-minute cartoon. I had some objections to the material here as well, but only on this level: the way it was done. In actuality, I am all for the idea of trying something new with these characters, even if they had been doing the same stuff for forty-some years. After all, if the movie's going to the last 90 minutes, unless the filmmakers really know what they're doing, just seeing the cat and mouse torment each other will lose its spark eventually. So I'm marginally grateful they tried something new.

The opening ten minutes of "Tom and Jerry: The Movie" effectively capture the charm of the long-running cartoon shorts, utilizing silent humor and cartoon violence to a gut-splitting max. It's also fun looking at the drawing style, reminiscent of the 1960s where everything exists without excessive detail. The houses are one or two stories, have a single tree in the yard, and surrounded by a white picket fence. And when Tom and Jerry venture into the streets, there is a wonderful, 1960s feeling in the jazz music score playing in the background.

What I did not like after this point was not the new ideas, but—and this goes back to my initial statement—the way these new ideas were executed. I do like the tone of the voices given to Tom and Jerry, with the latter being given a sort of husky, little boy tone, just as I always imagined him. I always pictured Jerry as a little kid and Tom as sort of a twenty-something who never quite grew up. And I did not mind so much that the plot unravels to become more of a "The Rescuers" remake, with the cat and mouse befriending an orphan girl wanting to escape the clutches of her domineering aunt. In fact, if Tom and Jerry had stuck with the girl, and been allowed to take center-stage more often, the idea could have worked. Instead, they end up playing second-fiddle, disappearing for obnoxiously long stretches of time, and the little girl, Robyn (though sweetly voiced by the talented Anndi McAfee) is a complete bore.

As a result, the story becomes insufferably slow starting around the thirty-minute mark.

What I could not stand at all in this movie—the one thing I thought could not work in the least bit—were the songs. I personally do not connect musical numbers with a Tom and Jerry cartoon, even if it is feature-length. But the crushing blow is just how incredibly awful these musical numbers are, and how they become progressively worse as the movie progresses. The first one, in which Tom and Jerry are unsuccessfully talked into trying to be friends, is lame and bad enough as it is. The second one, following much too closely afterward and sung by a gang of not-amusing alley cats who stop the story cold in its tracks, is even worse. The remaining count of songs, if memory serves me correct, is three or four. Each one the cognitive equivalent of sandpaper being rubbed on your scalp. Even if these songs were bland and not horrendous, they would still drag the movie to its doom because there are so many—too many. Even most musicals don't plant this many sing-a-longs in such narrow proximity to each other.

Now, in all fairness, the drawing style is beautiful. It effectively captures the spirit of the 1960s cartoons while updating it at the same time. The colors are vibrant and pretty, everything has a lot of gorgeous detail, the movements seem old-fashioned and yet contemporary at the same time—if that makes any sense to the reader; you really need to see the movie to understand (or just look at some silent clips of it, as I would recommend). The director was Phil Roman, who made his fame in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s in continuing the animated "Peanuts" cartoons after Bill Melendez decided to stop. He's got a good style, knowing how to pace shots and sequences. But it all goes back to what Pauline Kael, John Huston, Akira Kurosawa, Alfred Hitchcock, and so many other movie critics and filmmakers have said about directors and screenplays: the latter is, in so many ways, more important. The director can have as much style as he wants, but without an interesting story and some firm ground to walk on, no matter his still, the picture will probably end up collapsing. And despite its promising start and good drawing, "Tom and Jerry: The Movie" is an absolute thud.

Agh!

[hikarulover · 22 July 2004]

I'm a Tom and Jerry fan, and I can't believe how they release this movie... it's bad, really bad, lacks of T&J essence... the music sucks... Please! Don't waste your time watching this crap and stay with the T&J classics, with their awesome animation and their simple but funny stories. I really can't believe how MGM releases this BAD movie... it isn't the worst in animation history ("Bolívar, el héroe" IS THE WORST ANIMATION MOVIE ever), but I really think and advice all of you not to watch it... look for the classics -specially when Hanna and Barbera worked for MGM-. I'm a Tom and Jerry fan, and I'm really offended with this crap. I HATE IT!

Tom and Jerry: The Movie

[jboothmillard · 3/10 · 16 September 2005]

The famous cat and mouse duo starred in 161 short animated films (produced by Hanna-Barbera/Fred Quimby, Gene Deitch, and Chuck Jones), won seven Academy Awards and appeared in movies with Gene Kelly and Esther Williams, they are as popular today as they ever were. It must have been exciting at the time to see them in a full length movie, unfortunately, this is not what fans were expecting or deserved. Basically, cat Tom and mouse Jerry are made homeless after the owner moves house and it is demolished. They wander the streets before meeting stray dog named Puggsy (Ed Gilbert) and his flea companion, Frankie (David Lander). Through introducing themselves, Tom (Richard Kind) and Jerry (Dana Hill) discover that they can talk, and they are persuaded to become friends ("Friends to the End") to survive. While Tom and Jerry are searching for food, Puggsy and Frankie are captured by dogcatchers. Tom is tormented by a group of hostile alley cats ("What Do We Care"), before Jerry gets rid of them. While walking, Tom and Jerry meet runaway girl Robyn Starling (Anndi McAfee). Her mother died when she was a baby, and her father supposedly died in an avalanche whilst on an expedition in Tibet. Robyn wants to escape her nasty guardian, "Aunt" Pristine Figg (Charlotte Rae) and her lawyer Lickboot (Tony Jay), who hold her family's fortune, only looking after her for the money ("Money Is Such a Beautiful Word"). A local policeman (Tino Insana) brings Robyn home along with Tom and Jerry, and Figg reluctantly allows Robyn to keep them. However, after a food fight between Tom, Jerry and Figg's obese dog Ferdinand (Michael Bell), Figg suggests taking them to a home for animals, run by the kind Dr. Applecheeck (Henry Gibson). Jerry sees a telegram has been received that reveals Robyn's father is alive. He and Tom attempt to tell Robyn, but Pristine and Ferdinand catch them. Tom and Jerry are taken to Dr. Applecheeck, who is revealed to be a cruel animal kidnapper. Whilst caged up, Tom and Jerry are reunited with Puggsy and Frankie, and Jerry manages to open to cage to free all the captured animals (including a cameo from Droopy (Don Messick)). Robyn reminisces on the life she had before her father disappeared ("I Miss You (Robyn's Song)"). Tom and Jerry return and inform her that her father is alive and they escape. They travel downriver on a raft, but the raft is struck by a ship and they end up separated. Meanwhile, in Tibet, Mr. Sterling (Ed Gilbert) is informed that his daughter has run away and decides to travel back to America to find her. The next day, Figg and Lickboot to decide to offer a fake $1 million reward, advertising on milk cartons, to find Robyn. Robyn is found by amusement park manager Captain Kiddie (Rip Taylor) and his first mate Squawk (Howard Morris), a parrot puppet. Kiddie is initially friendly and talks about his career ("I've Done It All"). But he and Squawk see Figg's bounty on a milk carton, contact Figg, and trap Robyn on the ferris wheel until Figg arrives. Applecheek and the dogcatchers try to beat Figg, Lickboot and Ferdinand to the amusement park, hoping to collect the reward. Tom and Jerry find and free Robyn and trap the dogcatchers on the ferris wheel. They escape on a paddle steamer while Figg, Lickboot, Kiddie and Applecheeck chase after them. Applecheek and Kiddie end up crashing into each other when Ferdinand causes a bridge to break up, while Figg and Lickboot realise that the trio are heading for "Robyn's Nest", a small cabin in the woods where she and her father spent their holidays. Tom, Jerry and Robyn arrive at the cabin, but Robyn is apprehended by Figg and Lickboot, while Tom and Jerry are locked outside with Ferdinand. During a tussle, an oil lamp is knocked over and starts a fire. While Figg and Lickboot attempt to escape, leaving Robyn behind, Tom and Jerry manage to get Robyn safely on the roof. Figg and Lickboot manage to escape, but stumbling onto Ferdinand's skateboard causes them crash onto the paddle steamer and are sent sailing away downriver. Robyn's father arrives by helicopter and rescues her, but Tom and Jerry fall as the cabin collapses into the river. But the cat and mouse survive and reunite with Robyn, and her father promises never to leave her again. The pair's heroics appear in the newspaper. Tom and Jerry begin a new life in Robyn's luxurious villa and return to their old habits of chasing each other. The animation looks similar to that of Fred Quimby, one or two songs are okay, the music by Henry Mancini (The Pink Panther) is reasonable, and children unfamiliar with the classic cartoons will have some fun. But fans will be most disappointed, it is not a Tom and Jerry feature, it is much more the story of the little girl with an evil aunt, with supporting characters focused as well, and the cat and mouse, who now speak, are almost on the sideline. There are almost no slapstick jokes, no comic mayhem, and no hilarious violent cartoon gags, it is a predictable story that doesn't fit with Tom and Jerry, and it feels rather tacky, but it is not completely awful, a naff animated family musical comedy. Adequate!

Decent movie even with it's few flaws.

[whateverarchive20 · 6/10 · 6 February 2022]

It's a slightly well animated movie. I wish it could have more scenes with violent slapstick so the jokes will be more funny but the songs are alright. The plot to be honest dosen't fit with the 2 main characters. I really like how Tom and Jerry talk which is interesting to say the least because I just want to know the voice of a mute character or a character that barely talks. The girl is cute I guess. Lickboot has a funny voice and had a memorable qoute in one part of the film.

In total it's an almost decent film. 6.8/10.

Warner Bros Family Entertainments think it's a good movie. Don't you believe it! This movie ruin Tom & Jerry!

[ironhorse_iv · 4/10 · 26 July 2014]

I was deeply disappointed as a kid, watching this movie in the theater. I really wanted something like the old 1940's Tom and Jerry animated series of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer short films by Hanna & Barbera. If not that, something like the Gene Deitch or Chuck Jones shorts from the 1960s. I was even alright if the movie was similar to 1990's Tom & Jerry kids with the violent tame down, as long as they were chasing after each other. It's not that hard of a plot. Yes, the cartoons were only 7 minutes long, but I can see an hour-long plot center on Tom's numerous attempts to capture Jerry and the mayhem and destruction that follows. Sadly, that isn't what we got! The movie is lacking slapstick comedy. The hilarious sound effects, the comedic timing, and all the destruction. It was lacking everything that made Tom & Jerry a worldwide success. Somebody was smoking some awful catnip when they came up with the Tom and Jerry: The Movie. Directed by Phil Roman, the movie repacked the duos from enemies to friends after a mishap that cause both of them to become homeless. With nowhere to turn, they find themselves in adventure, helping a young girl, Robyn Starling (Voiced by Anndi McAfee), reconnected with her long-lost father. Robyn's current legal guardian, Aunt Pristine Figg (Voiced by Charlotte Rae) with her sleazy lawyer, Lickboot (Voiced by Tony Jay) presumed that Robyn's father was killed in an avalanche while away in Tibet, wants the kid to inherent her brother's fortune, but young Robyn thinks otherwise, and go off to find him. The movie has this recycle runaway kid orphan plot; that was in better used in 1989's All Dogs Go to Heaven or 1986's Great Mouse Detective. It's brings nothing new to the table, and really does take most of the movie, away from Tom & Jerry. I guess, the movie was trying to do a theme that has to do with the emotional side of life and the feelings of abandonment people feel at one time or another, but it's sadly get lost in the story. Honestly, what was the dad doing so important that he would leave his kid, alone in the states? He looks like Indiana Jones, and they don't bother, showing his job. It might be more entertaining this movie. Instead of having a treasure-hunting adventure, the movie instead go all musical. Most of the songs here, were all pretty forgotten and lousy. Did we really need a song from the West Side Story jazz number alley cats? What do they care! They running the clock-time! They should care, because it such a filler scene that play little to no part to the main plot! It's awful! The movie has all, too many, one-dimensional villain songs. I can't stand the ice cream cart rapist, Dr. Applecheeks (Voiced by Henry Gibson) 'God's Little Creatures', song. Don't get me started on how bad, "Money is a beautiful word" is. These songs are so negative, it kills the film's mood. Then, there are songs sung by actors that should never sing like Rip Taylor as Captain Kiddie in the 'I've Done It All' sequence. Even the movie opening theme was lacking. Nobody is going to beat the classic theme song that Scott Bradley made. Why couldn't they keep that song? The only songs that was alright is 'I miss you' sung by Anndi McAfee and 'Friends to the end'. I was deeply disappointed with the soundtrack composed by Henry Mancini of 1963's Pink Panther fame. Another part that sucks is the voice acting. Tom & Jerry didn't need voice actors. They should stay silent like the most of their careers. I really didn't think Richard Kind match the voice of Tom, anyways. I always thought of Tom having a deeply voice, since most of the cartoons, where he did talk, were pretty deep. I really hate the new supporting characters that they put in the film, like Puggsy the dog (Voiced by Ed Gilbert). What-ever happen to Spike from the original cartoons!? He's a better establish character than Puggsy. Glad, at less, they didn't put the controversy character of Mammy Two Shoes. So no over racial stereotypes or blackface jokes, here. Even a cameo from Droopy Dog couldn't save this film, from sucking. It did bomb at the box office in 1992. Since, then there has been a number of Tom & Jerry movies such as 2002's Tom and Jerry: the Magic Ring, 2005's Tom and Jerry: Blast Off to Mars, and others. Overall: Tom & Jerry has been often spoof, homage, or copy in other works like Looney Toons, Simpsons, and other shows, because the show was so good. Sadly, this movie is one of those that sucks. Not worth watching it, unless, you're really bored or a huge Tom & Jerry fan in the first place. This movie felt like walking in kitty litter full of mouse traps! It's disgusting and it hurts to watch.

I thought it was ok

[mitsubishizero · 6/10 · 23 September 2020]

It wasn't the movie needed to help the duo start their film career but as is, it's ok. Many fans hated how the two talked but personally, I thought it was interesting. The story's very similar to "All Dogs go to Heaven" in that the duo go on an adventure with an orphan trying to find her missing father while trying to stay a step ahead from the baddies pursuing them. They're trying to find a new home after theirs was demolished with them inside.

It's ok. The songs are very hit or miss. The one where they sing about finding their way home is a little grading and you'll either love or hate their voices. I'll give it this, it gave us the line, "We've Got to Have Money". If you like Tom and Jerry, I'd say skip this movie(though it probably goes without saying for many). If you have kids, I'm sure they'll watch it just fine. If you're curious to watch it, be my guest.

Tom and Jerry's first feature outing is largely underwhelming; a footnote in an otherwise dynamic career.

[Son_of_Maltin · 5/10 · 7 May 2014]

How do you adapt two animated characters from 7-8 minute shorts into an 84 minute movie? There is never an easy solution. Typically it's easier to construct a narrative to entertain and occupy an audience's attention for a few minutes, but when the running time is much longer so must the narrative be. The importance when adapting short film characters for feature films is to keep the original spirit of the characterizations intact, while not forcing the characters far out of their element and having them deviate widely from the original source material. In other words Tom and Jerry: The Movie should not have been the talky, musical buddy-comedy it became. I can understand how the novelty of watching a cat and mouse fight for 84 minutes would eventually wear off; even watching several hours' worth of Tom and Jerry cartoons can eventually become routine, even if they are highly entertaining. This Film Roman production however made too many missteps in an attempt to be different, and instead became an underwhelming experience.

Tom and Jerry: The Movie marked the cat and mouse's first and only theatrically released film; made at a time when American traditional animation was rebounding from stagnation, experiencing a classical revival that lasted for most of the 1990s. Originally created for MGM theatrical shorts in the 1940s by William Hannah and Joseph Barbera, they have since gone through multiple iterations with other animation directors and studios, and spawned several spin-off shows and direct-to-DVD movies. Tom and Jerry typically shared a love/hate relationship; Tom would try to destroy Jerry, while Jerry would try and outwit (while painfully humiliating) Tom, though there were some situations where they would help each other if both could benefit from teamwork. What could have been a big hit in 1993 was instead soon forgotten. The movie opened at #14 at the U.S box office, was commercially unsuccessful and mostly a critical failure. Although the movie has some highlights with its 2D art and music score by Henry Mancini, they are largely overshadowed by poor choices in the script and direction, along with many unnecessary and unmemorable songs.

Tom and Jerry begin their movie in a suburban home not unlike the ones where they would wreck havoc in the original shorts. This time however, their antics cause their owners to accidentally forget them during their move to a new home. A wrecking ball demolishes the house and Tom and Jerry find themselves wandering the streets. Soon they encounter a dog and flea who are pals, and this is where the film introduces its first big mistake: giving Tom and Jerry voices.

Tom and Jerry were originally pantomimes. Up until this movie they had faithfully remained so, even when placed in situations where other characters were communicating with dialogue. Although some of the MGM shorts had Tom talking (though sparingly) in an exaggerated voice, the majority of the acting was done non-verbally, except with the occasional screams of pain emanating from Tom. Screenwriter Dennis Marks had previously worked on the series Tom and Jerry Kids (1990) which primarily led him to work on this movie, and it's unclear whether he or director Phil Roman decided to have Tom and Jerry talk. It's not that Richard Kind and Dana Hill's voice performances are bad, they just don't suit the characters, and giving the title characters voices significantly reduces their non-verbal dramatics. The musical numbers (for which virtually every character has one) further stretches the story which is too thin to last 84 minutes.

The biggest problem however comes later, when the movie introduces Tom and Jerry to a girl named Robyn Starling, and a plot that seems heavily inspired by Disney's The Rescuers. By this point Tom and Jerry are now friends thanks to earlier musical numbers, as they are mostly reduced to supporting roles for what unfolds as Robyn's movie. Robyn has run away from her nasty guardian Aunt Figg, who is keeping her as insurance, hoping that her adventuring father doesn't return from an accident in Tibet, so she and her lawyer Lickboot can keep squandering the Starling fortune. Tom and Jerry encounter Aunt Figg's dog, Ferdinand, whose excessive weight forces him to wheel about on a skateboard. This leads to mayhem in the kitchen, and one of the few times Tom and Jerry act like their natural selves. Their destruction leads to their incarceration with a veterinarian who is more of a prison warden than physician, and to a somewhat wasted cameo by another MGM character, that only older, astute animation enthusiasts would have recognized in the movie's initial run, and many kids today probably wouldn't identify him either. Robyn discovers her Aunt's deception and runs away again, and later winds up with a nautically-centric amusement park owner, Captain Kiddie, and his parrot puppet Squawk.

With all these supporting characters it's upsetting that none of them are more than mildly interesting, even with the capable voice performers behind them. Their development and motivations are quite shallow, especially the adult humans who are eventually driven by greed once a reward is offered for Robyn Starling's return. Even the quirky but friendly Captain Kiddie with his song about world travel, devolves into a greedy opportunist along with the rest. Once the main plot resolves itself, Tom and Jerry return to their traditional antics, and you wonder why they couldn't have been more like themselves in a shorter running time (as they later would be in direct-to-DVD movies). Instead they were made into supporting characters in their self titled movie, to support a musical buddy comedy, with a plot too reminiscent of a better developed plot from an older Disney title.

Tom and Jerry: The Movie has not affected the cat and mouse duo in the long run however, as their continued success on DVD and television has left the 1992 movie as more of a footnote in an otherwise dynamic career, which will likely continue for many years to come.

Pretty Good Kids Film

[Terrifik · 7/10 · 7 March 2021]

To get this out of the way. I don't care that Tom and Jerry talk. I actually think that was a smart move for this movie. They don't have to talk, but removing that lane of communication, I feel, forces less talented writers to push them into the background of their own movies. (Like in 2021). So for what it's worth, if there is ever another movie, the director really needs to think about that.

I was probably a toddler when this movie came out. Just watched the 2021 movie so I decided to rewatch this one for comparison.

The only things they share in common are humans. This movie has songs and an actual plot. Oh, and Tom and Jerry talk. Honestly I don't blame you if you think I am blinded by nostalgia. I admit I am at least half blinded by nostalgia. I like this movie but its not without its problems. This movie is more a vanilla adventure than a comedy. The Tom and Jerry antics are in it though limited, they take a back seat to the story.

Most of the songs are okay (and short). The Friends til the End song is great. So is the 'Money' song that birthed the hilarious meme. 'God's Creature's' song is too short to count. Robyn's song is sweet but also short. The only song I'd cut from this is the super pointless alley cat "this is our terf or whatever" song. Those cats never do anything so why give them a song?

About the humans, Robyn is obviously the most controversial character. She is a store brand Jenna from Oliver and Company and to be honest her presence drags the movie down. Mostly because 'helpless damsel girls' is one of the most tired tropes in the universe. My adult self understands she's helpless but Tom and Jerry animations need more proactive/kinetic characters for action and comedy. So a little damsel girl falls way out of the scope of what I think Tom and Jerry should 'be'.

My only real complaint with this movie is that even though it has a shorter run time, it still feels too slow. I chock most of that up to the animation (It doesn't look as good as I remember it) with mostly competent but clearly lower budget than Disney animation, the action/chase scenes could have been a lot better. But as a kid I really thought this movie was one of the best ever. Another complaint is the random crazy captain man near the end of the movie. I know the Tom and Jerry 'universe' is devastatingly limited but there are several animal characters that could have had this role. That is the problem with these Tom and Jerry films at their core, they keep introducing one in done humans instead of using Butch or Spike or Toodles, or Quacker Jeff etc. Heck I'll even take Nibbles. Yes Butch trying to steal 1 million dollars of ransom money would be funny.

So in the end. It's not the best, but it isn't as horrible as people make it out to be. A bit doddering and amateurish, but its also cute and inoffensive and nowhere near as cringe as I thought it was going to be from watching it after so many years.

A once great cartoon classic ruined by filmmakers

[gavin-thelordofthefu-48-460297 · 2/10 · 27 September 2011]

Tom and Jerry was by far one of the greatest cartoon classics ever made. With amazing sound effects, those silent cartoon characters made me laugh throughout the rest of the episodes they were in.

When I heard that Hollywood made a film about it that I've recently seen in the 1990s, my family got a DVD of it and I watched, betting that it was gonna be good.

Boy was I wrong.

After viewing it, I was so disgusted at how this movie ruined a once great cartoon classic by pointing a few things that were wrong.

The story has nothing to do with Tom and Jerry, the characters were boring (I mean, Aunt Figg?! Dr. Applecheek?! Lickboot?! Is it me or did the writers were high when they've come up with that stuff?), and the songs were forgettable (except the pop songs in the ending credits).

The only thing that I kind of liked about this movie was the animation and voice acting. That's it.

Tom and Jerry is, without a freaking doubt, one of the worst animated films I have ever seen. Avoid it at all costs like a plague unless you have kids.

one out of five stars

An under-appreciated gem

[polyvinylchloride · 10/10 · 21 April 2013]

I was shocked when I found out how poorly this film is received. I think it fits the Hanna-Barbera T&J shorts very well. Many people seem to forget that Tom and Jerry aren't just archenemies but also friends... they can't live without each other. Things start like a typical T&J cartoon but there are some one-time changes for this special occasion: Tom and Jerry talk and put their differences aside to help a little girl. There's still some funny slapstick like Tom falling from the 2nd floor, Jerry getting burnt in a ship's boiler and a fish biting Tom's tail. The musical score is marvelous and works perfectly with the high-quality animation. Dana Hill was the best voice actor for Jerry. The Droopy cameo in this is actually funnier than the one in Roger Rabbit.

It wouldn't be that bad if joe or Hanna were part of this

[mforsting · 6/10 · 20 January 2021]

Yeah this was from my child hood and it wasn't that bad. Songs are not that good especially that Tom and Jerry theme should have used the original. The act of tom and jerry speaking wasn't unexpected since they already could talk in the shorts(besides the screaming). The story isn't that bad but the secondary characters are not interesting and they never used any characters from the shorts. I did like the droopy cameo which actually made me laugh. It's ok but it would have been better if joe or Hanna were writers for this.

Weak

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 2/10 · 7 February 2001]

I can't believe that this got a theatrical release. The standard of animation is worse than direct-to-video and the ramshackle story is among the weakest and clichéd in this sub-sub-genre.

Most of the Tom and Jerry shorts from the 1950's were made in "Cinemascope" widescreen but this wasn't. Did the makers learn anything from the past. Clearly not as the short cartoon quality is far superior to this 90's effort.

The plot concerns the Cat and Mouse duo, who have been made homeless, helping a lost orphan escape from her evil aunt. These are all major clichés in kiddies cartoons. But guess what? Tom and Jerry become friends, so there is no combat or action. It's just all infantile slush.

If you really want to buy a cartoon movie for your kids or want to advise them on what to watch then direct them towards the new Scooby Doo movies and forget that this rubbish exists. After all, the people who made forgot what Tom and Jerry originally were.