Have always been a huge fan of Tom and Jerry. Have vivid and fond memories of seeing all of their cartoons, with the classic ones (the Hanna Barbera years, the best of which among the best cartoons ever made, Chuck Jones' output was a mixed bag and most of Gene Deitch's were abominations and disgraces to cartoondom) being watched over and over, at my sister's late godfather's house at the age of six and have been a huge fan since.
Despite the low rating as of now, a lot of me enjoyed quite thoroughly 'Tom and Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers', a Christmas special/Appisode. It's not in the same league as the classic shorts but one does not feel like 25-30 minutes or so are wasted. 'Tom and Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers' isn't flawless. Even for the short running time the story is slight. The visuals at times lack finesse, particularly in the interactive parts and the very sparsely detailed backgrounds, and more fluidity and vibrancy was needed. And Tuffy is more annoying than cute and is not always that useful.
On the other hand, the visuals, while variable, do boast some nice colours and is particularly well done in the facial expressions. The music gives a good flavour of the festive season and fits well.
There is a lot of playful mischief, it's all timed sharply and it never feels sadistic or mean-spirited, nothing makes the stomach churn at the very least. Tom and Jerry are true to character and work wonders together.
Apart from Tuffy, the supporting characters are fun. 'Tom and Jerry: Santa's Little Helpers' is funny, cute and charming, capturing the true spirit of Christmas, with some fun interactive elements that will keep kids amused and engaged and even adults will find it a pleasant diversion.
In summary, pretty good but not great. 7/10 Bethany Cox
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