Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale (2007 Video) User Reviews (21)

Okay but could have been better

[robyn-710-767167 · 6/10 · 5 January 2012]

I saw this and will admit that I was bored and didn't really feel like watching it, but decided to. The beginning was really boring and made me consider skipping it like I did a few others. I was in that meh mood. The beginning had a song, and a mouse wishing to be part of the nutcracker. Ends up in a tale that seems typical. Waited for the funny humor and mostly just got the plot. It was okay...

The only real interesting thing was the way the 'lands' were. They were really large rooms and when you got to a certain point you'd hit the wall which would bounce. You could rip the wall like paper to get to the next room. It was really interesting concept. A few of the characters were interesting but in general it just seemed to be meh.

I was rather frustrated that the rocking horse toy revealed everything. She seemed so scared yet the movie seemed to imply that she couldn't help it and was afraid of being in trouble. But on the positive side I found the toy maker's workshop to be cool, with the toys he made to represent the many scenes we had previously scene.

But all in all, I'll just rated it 6/10. Could have been a bit better...

Sweet story brings music alive for young children.

[hhhello · 8 January 2008]

This clever rendition of the Nutcracker brought the music alive for my four year old granddaughter. We watched this movie several times over the holidays- at her request. Later when she heard the music she could remember the action of the cartoon- the tie in helped her to enjoy the music throughout the season. The story was sweet and appropriate for young children- the target audience. Characters were plentiful with interesting personalities. There were enough clever jokes and asides to keep adults chuckling. Perhaps the most difficult thing for old viewers to this new version of Tom & Jerry is the talking! Whereas the older cartoons were mostly silent and easy to send around the world, this cartoon has the other characters talking. The Nutcracker music has been performed as ballet all over the world, as a horse-back production in Chicago and now as a Tom & Jerry cartoon for a new generation used to Little Einstein and his musical escapades.

A horrible abuse of the Tommy & Jerry characters for an awful movie

[imdb1 · 2/10 · 12 November 2007]

If you know the old cartoons of Tom and Jerry and expect something of that quality and characteristic humor, then you will be horribly disappointed. This movie has NOTHING to do with the known characters of Tom and Jerry. Even the way they are drawn is cheap and slightly wrong. The movie is clearly just and only using the names of two of the most famous animation characters of the past in the hopes to draw a large public, but isn't even TRYING to create the same characters.

Ever seen a boring animation series? This movie makes me think of the earliest of animation, like Mickey Mouse and the Steamboat. For a while you wonder why the story doesn't make sense, and then you spot the reason: the producers, no doubt in an attempt to save money, couldn't afford a music writer: what they did is buy a CD with some existing classical music and then created the movie AROUND it. Concentrating mostly on having the rhythm and high-lights in the music correspond with the rhythm of moments of action in the movie. The result is an artificial story line that seems to rotate around nothing. Okay, so they travel from spot A to spot B, that is plot, but the details of the travel is boring, boring and boring. Once you realize that every event is written into the movie solely due to the RANDOM fact the existing music is doing something you can't help but realize that your looking at some time-filler. I really couldn't finish watching this horribly boring movie. I watched until they got on some frozen river, no doubt only written conveniently into the plot because the music made them think of gliding motions, and then quickly jumped forwards through the movie, hoping to see a glimpse of the old Tom and Jerry, were Tom is trying to catch Jerry using evil genius and the weirdest of self-made equipment. Where both, Tom as well as Jerry regularly are deformed, for example splashed flat against a wall, or getting the shape of a cube after swallowing one the size of themselves, or losing all or most of their hair, only to be completely restored again the next scene.... but no, nothing of that in this cheap, boring animation, that has NOTHING to do with Tom & Jerry.

Great for little kids

[spottylover · 10/10 · 26 December 2007]

My five year old loves this little movie, and would watch it over and over if we let him. It has all the music from the Nutcracker Ballet, but the story really has nothing to do with the ballet. Nevertheless, it is a nice little story about helping others and being a friend. It doesn't have the constant violence that the old cartoons have, but it does have some (would it be Tom and Jerry without it?) and there are a couple scary parts where the group has to venture through the world to find the Toy Maker. There is very little dialogue and as usual, neither Tom nor Jerry speak in this adventure. Well worth the watching for little kids and the music is wonderful!

awful 'cause I don't have stupid as rating

[ionica12 · 1/10 · 10 November 2007]

I read the post before...I think he/she never saw an original tom and jerry before....it has nothing to do with the original, even the faces are drawn wrong...and when the hell was so much talking and crappy singing in the original?? this is wrong. It's the first time I comment on something because this kind of remakes are destroying the good old memories and mocking the work of all the talented people who worked so hard back then for the magic to happen. I think it's important to say something about this so the next time someone thinks about "remaking" better do a very good job. It's such a pity the kids today will prefer monsters and anime kind of things just because the old school is so poorly represented.

"Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale" is a Hit!

[drpeppersp · 10/10 · 2 October 2007]

Looking at the new tom and jerry movie "Tom and Jerry:A Nutcracker Tale" you might think that it'll be awful like some of the others T&J movies that they have made. However this is not the case. If you are a purist as I am, and am a true fan of the original Tom and Jerrys then this is the movie for you. This movie written by Joe Barbera and Directed by Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone, has true character, and the animation from this DTV is surprisingly wonderful and impressive. The story shows real character and wonderful graphics to the music of the nutcracker. The real history behind this movie is that Joe Barbera loved Christmas Time. He always believed that the music of the nutcracker fit perfectly with Tom and Jerry. I can also imagine that this movie was difficult to make considering that T&J are hard characters to master, a small DTV budget, and creating an epic adventure that lasts more than more than 7 minutes. So you may ask "Did they succeed?", "Does the movie live up to the original style and humor in which T&J were made?". This can all be answered in one simple word. Yes.

Thinly veiled religious propaganda and bad animation.

[parad1gm · 2/10 · 25 November 2007]

This is neither Tom and Jerry, nor The Nutcracker. It's cheaply animated, horribly voiced, and to top it off heavy-handedly spouts religious propaganda. "Of course there's a toymaker! We were made by SOMEBODY!" "Follow the star!" Jerry is trapped at the bottom of a frozen pond and a heavenly light shines down on him, giving him the strength to break free of the vine binding him to the pond floor. Sick.

In addition to the awful animation and voice acting, there is no real story to the cartoon at all. It's a bunch of unrelated plot lines stitched together with what might have once been the base tale of the Nutcracker. The entire debacle feels disconnected from itself. Skip it.

A bit disappointed.

[ghandalf · 4/10 · 11 November 2007]

Well, poorly performed choreography. Movements don't follow the music in general. Music is mostly on the 2nd place. It's a (real) Tom & Jerry though. It does have some Christmas Spirit.

Story: Jerry's magic Nutcracker Christmas Kingdom brutally taken over by the stray cats. Jerry and 2 toy characters (pixy and horsey) blown trough several world decors, trying to make their way to the Toy Maker, by following the northern star, hindered by Tom and his soldier cats. Finally arrived at the Toy Maker's workplace, Jerry builds an army of toy soldiers to regain his magical kingdom, which he should have accomplished before the sun has fully risen above the horizon (Things would be irreversible at that point).

An enjoyable film...

[dbgeorge · 10/10 · 13 December 2008]

I really enjoyed this film. I caught it by chance on TV. I did not realize it was made in 2007 and thought it was a lost Tom & Jerry special. It is not violent like the old, classic Tom & Jerry cartoons, but this is suppose to be a holiday film. Tom does get a banged up a few times, but nothing like the old cartoons. I am not familiar with the story line of The Nutcracker, so I do not know how close this adaptation is to the original.

I read some of the other comments, but I do not see their complaints. I think the animation is good, the music is good. The plot seems okay. I have my favorite moments. I like the look and feel of the scene in the dragons' den. The animation and music fit very well together.

If they had made this film like the later T & J cartoons in which they are friends and everything is corny with a bad laugh track, then I would have been very, very disappointed.

Not bad at all, in fact one of the better Tom and Jerry DTV offerings

[TheLittleSongbird · 8/10 · 20 December 2009]

I will not say this movie is perfect, for me it is too short and I didn't care for the dialogue that much. That said, it is a very sweet and enjoyable movie for kids. Just for the record, I am 17 and I adore Tom and Jerry. The DTV movies have been mixed, some have been disappointing like Fast and the Furry but others have been surprisingly good especially Tom and Jerry Blast Off To Mars. Tom and Jerry:A Nutcracker Tale is for me one of the better ones, and perhaps the one I enjoyed most. The animation is impressive; it is colourful and fluid, and despite one or two forgivable stiff movements the character movements weren't too bad. The story, very loosely based on the story of the ballet and on the timeless story by ETA Hoffmann, is very sweet and I think original too. There is some great comedy, more to do with what's going on screen, rather than the dialogue. The voice acting wasn't bad either, Tara Strong is a great voice actress and her voicing of Le Petite Ballerina was no exception. Kathaleen Barr is another talented voice actress, and I really liked her as Nellie. And Garry Chalk seems to be having a ball with the King of the Cats. Speaking of the characters, they were still engaging with great personalities, Le Petite Ballerina is beautiful yet feisty and Tom and Jerry while they don't do enough of the hilarious antics that made the original series so enjoyable are still likable. For me though, the best part of the movie was the music. Tchaikovsky's music is always delightful, and it was put to surprisingly clever use here. They had my favourite parts in, though I did wish they had Dance of the Snow Fairies and the Pas De Deux, they could have been so effective. But the climax with the soldiers is inspired. All in all, a very enjoyable DTV offering. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Awful, just plain awful...

[savageogre · 1/10 · 16 January 2008]

First off I just wanna express how glad I am to not have invested a single penny in viewing this movie, because this is horrific in every single way.

The whole movie looks and sounds like it was made by a bunch of useless people who clearly lack both humor, and are stripped of any artistic talent what-so-ever.

Now, what is wrong with this movie? Short version; everything. It doesn't look right, doesn't feel right, its not Tom&Jerry at all.

I curse Time Warner for ever letting this garbage hit the market, one lousy episode of the old Tom&Jerry is 100x better than this sorry excuse for a cartoon.

If T&J was a crappy cartoon to begin with, maybe I wouldn't bother, but its not! T&J is one of the best cartoons out there, and now its clear that the legacy died many many years ago..

Don't buy it, don't watch it, thats all I can say.

A typical but fun Nutcracker story

[LadyDerpyCritic · 4/10 · 23 August 2022]

I have seen this movie many times. Back then, it was a fun holiday movie. In retrospect, yeah, fun but it just wasn't the best work for Spike Brandt. He has worked on many of the direct-to-video animated Tom and Jerry movies. This one is his first Tom and Jerry movie. Sometimes, movies like this can be good and can be bad. It's just near a meh film to me. But I will note that this movie was the last animated production by Joseph Barbera before he died. This film is dedicated to his memory. I will say it is a thoughtful start for a film like this but again- I just never felt too engaged with it much.

The plot is basically The Nutcracker and the Mouse King story. Pretty much it but with a twist; Jerry and his pal Tuffy are pulled into the Nutcracker play and the toys come to life with Christmas magic. Meanwhile, the cats and their Cat King take over the Kingdom of the Toys. It is up to Jerry, Tuffy, and their new friends Paulie and Nelly to save the kingdom and the Ballerina from the Cat King and his cat army. As I said with the plot, it is your basic Nutcracker story.

The quality of the film is not too bad. I enjoy the animation. The art style of the characters is cute. It gives me a Disney and Looney Tunes look to it. It's unique but it has its flaws to be honest.

The writing for the entirety of the animated film, it's okay. The setting through the story is not too bad and it has its moments where it is magical to watch. The scene with the dragons and the fairy fire dancers was beautiful. The Nutcracker world opened up new horizons when the characters were blasted far away from the Toy Kingdom. I didn't mind The Toy Maker quest for the characters to set out on. Overall, there are only very few moments that I enjoyed.

The acting? Eh, it is fine. What's more to say?

The characters, I favor a few over the rest. A lot weren't interesting to care for. A heart warming but short development with one was Nelly the Toy Pony. The Toy Maker is your typical Santa Claus but it was nice to see him. I guess the last character I enjoyed was the Cat King because of his song and his tyrannical, stupid nature.

Speaking of the songs, I enjoyed the soundtrack of the movie. It is better than the rest of the film entirely. I enjoyed the Nutcracker instrumentals and the vocal soundtrack with the cats.

Furthermore, I guess for people who enjoy holiday films, I recommend a watch. Personally, I rather watch it once or twice and be done with it.

Adorable, sweet holiday movie

[scorzine · 10/10 · 13 June 2012]

I saw this movie on Christmas 2007, and I loved it. It was adorable and touching, and I thought the idea of a Tom and Jerry Christmas movie was simply adorable. It has excellent animation and the voices are very nice. The plot is nice too. I cry whenever I watch this movie, because this movie never fails to touch me in the heart. But there's one thing I don't like about this movie. I love the movie's voices, but I'm a little disappointed because neither Tom nor Jerry got a chance to say even one thing. I was hoping for that to happen, but I guess I can't have everything. But on the plus side, this movie is so gosh-darn amazing. If you want to watch a holiday movie, this is exactly what you need.

Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale

[studioAT · 2/10 · 30 December 2022]

I'm afraid I can't join in with the rousing chorus of how good this straight to DVD outing was.

I thought the animation was bland, the storyline rather unexciting and predictable at best.

It's a real shame, because when utilised correctly Tom and Jerry all these years later can still be extremely funny and entertaining.

Unfortunately though I don't think they were used correctly here, and it all makes for a rather drab and largely unexciting/interesting affair.

It's a real shame overall, because based on the Christmas theme and the synopsis I thought that this was going to be far far better than it ended up being.

Great movie

[cfisler-2 · 10/10 · 9 May 2010]

This Tom and Jerry A Nutcracker Tale also has the Wilhelm Scream. You can hear the scream when the cats fall off the cliff. The Wilhelm scream was first heard in the 1951 movie Distant Drums. The sound effect was first done by Sheb Wooley. He played in many western movies and was also a regular on the television series Rawhide. The Wilhelm Scream is often used in modern day movies and you can hear it in Troy, Twilight Saga: New Moon, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, License to Wed, Kill Bill Volume One, Inglorious Bastards, Knowing, Are We Done Yet, The Water Horse, Tropic Thunder, Family Guy Blue Harvest, Space Balls, Transformers and Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Plot keywords: Christmas story, comedy, cartoon, and Wilhelm Scream.

So close to perfect it just needs one thing

[johnnytrotter · 10/10 · 20 December 2021]

So I'm not gonna sugarcoat that this movie is the greatest Tom and Jerry movie ever but I'll gladly say this one's the most ambitious and it fits what the nutcracker is whilst at the same time fits as to what Tom and Jerry is. It's great but I have one slight complaint nothing major though. When Nelly is reported dead I felt maybe they coulda extended that scene not by much but kinda flesh it out maybe have everyone say something nice about her then cue to her revival. I know it's nit picky but I still thoroughly enjoy this movie and I'll let it slide. Where I think they really got it right was the music whoever the music person was that made king of the cats and marching off song whoever wrote the lyrics deserved a raise. This is a definite 8/10 I recccomend it to both the new and older Tom and Jerry fans. It has some fun for all fans.

It was a cute special

[mitsubishizero · 8/10 · 23 September 2020]

It was nice to watch growing up as a kid. There was a great blend of slapstick and heart in this short. It's basically a retelling of the eponymous take we know just with Tom and Jerry so there's not much to say really. Even so, it's still enjoyable. I like the toys Jerry and stuffy journey with as well as the gags you'd expect.

If you have little kids, they'll enjoy it. Adults I think will like it to. Pop it in if you're in a jolly mood and see for yourself.

It's short but beautiful

[mforsting · 8/10 · 20 January 2021]

This short had one problem it's only 45 minutes long. However the backgrounds feel like a modern Fantasia and the jokes are hilarious to look at.

Good modern animation, music makes it worth watching

[miaalike · 8/10 · 26 February 2021]

Animation in our age imported the aggressive aspect of fringe Cartoon Network experiments from a decade or so ago. Gone the soft lines, the attention to detail that educates the children's sensibility and sense of beauty. Many cartoons feel like caricatures, and few new ones escape this curse. CGI deformed shapes fit the profile, too. That being said, this TJ movie is dancing on the edge of this issue, but manages to save its looks, and adds a great musical score to climb higher on the hierarchy. There is fine orchestration and perfect story/movements coordonation with the music - children and adults will hum the Nutcracker tunes for days after seeing this. It manages to be a good Christmas animation, with timely characters barely saved from the ugliness of modern animation.

My favorite Tom and Jerry in 21th century

[mechanicalmaterialist · 10/10 · 8 March 2021]

This movie is as stunning as I watched The Cat Concerto many years ago.After Warner took over Tom and Jerry, the music feature of Tom and Jerry is the most retained one.I am really like it.

It's the "must have" for winter holidays!

[BlondeHQ · 10/10 · 30 December 2022]

Yeah, it's soon 2023, late December..

And while I was makinnn some list for this winter holidays, I was in search and for animation..

And when I saw this!

As someone who grow up watchinn Tom and Jerry!

Of course, original series, all episodes, how many times on repeat!

But, interesting, that was all, and, when I saw this, I checked, and I saw they made actually many movies, specials, series, etc.. but few and in that holiday atmospher, and this was first on my list, and let me tell you!!

First, I told myself, I have to check all what they've made!

But, slow down my reindeers, let's first for holidays!

And this one!

It's perfect! It's one of the most beautiful, not only animation, but and usually one of the best winter holidays movies/specials I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot!

It's Tom and Jerry, it's like original series, but in higher resolution, it has even that atmosphere, that feeling, that excitment, that adventure, that funny moments, oh, so many funny moments, I haven't laugh like this since.. ah, since I was that kid who used to watch them every day, eatinn sometinn while they have fun!

I lost in their world, like I was little kid again, (and kinda never wanted to get back), yeah, it's that good, keeps you in completely!

It's too beautiful!

It has that well known great sense for music!

That classics!

And it's from first to the last moment!

It makes this great, if I haven't mention it, great story, even better note!

It really brings that holiday atmosphere!

It's everything!

Beautiful! Magical!

I completely recommend!

It'll bring finest vibes of winter, holidays, etc..

Hidden gem!

Called..

"Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale"