We try to make sure to stay positive her on The Grind. However, sometimes we got to be real, and say, things just are not good. And Tom & Jerry is one of those. It is just, not good. So I am going to look to find some positivity in the film as I write this but understand that might be a little difficult.

First off, I grew up on Tom & Jerry! All of us did, well us Millennials, and Gen X at least. They were not really known for their stories, or cliff hangers, or plot lines. We watched Tom & Jerry for the random entertainment of a cat and mouse hitting each other with random objects. So how do you make a feature length film out of something who’s plot was a cat chases a mouse, and no one ever says anything?

They tried back in 1992 with Tom & Jerry: The Movie, a fully animated feature that placed our favorite cat & mouse rivals in the care of an orphan on the run from an evil caretaker. What I can say is that 2021’s Tom & Jerry is much more faithful to the IP lore then that film was. At least in this look at the iconic duo on the “big screen” they do not speak. No that is not me being negative, I like that they do not say anything. They never did in the cartoons I loved, so them being silent advisories was a big plus for me.

So in Tom & Jerry is a legendary rivalry begins when Jerry moves into New York City’s finest hotel on the eve of the wedding of the century, forcing the desperate young woman who is masquerading as an event planner to hire Tom to get rid of him. The escalating cat-and-mouse battle soon threatens to out her as a fake, and destroy the wedding, and possibly the hotel itself. Tom & Jerry is directed by Tim Story and has an impressive cast. Chloe Grace-Moretz, Michael Pena, Collin Jost, Ken Jong, Rob Delaney, Pallavi Sharda, Ken Jong, Bobby Cannavale, and Lil Rel Howery.

Unfortunately, the stars of this film are kind of all phoning it in. Chloe is her normal charming self but acting across the screen from an animated cat and mouse is not a strong point in the actress’s career. She tries to save the film, but in a story that is pretty much forced since the lead characters are mute, it is awfully hard to save this.

The film is at it is best when it is just Tom & Jerry going at each other. And characters we remember, like Spike, showing up to join in the mayhem. Jost is miscast in this role that does not utilize his talents. Pena, who for lack of a better term, plays the antagonist, seems to be watered down, and even his comedic talents cannot save the film. Ken Jong is pointless and just shows up as a chef, which was a killer waste of his talents.

I think the positives in this film lie in the fact that younger kids might enjoy it. The animation is very pretty, while it does not blend with the live action very well, I doubt my niece will notice that. SO I am excited to show her this film because I think she might get a kick out of it.

For the most part Tom & Jerry is a letdown. Other then being able to see characters we grew up on go at it again in 4K. We are scoring Tom & Jerry a 1.5, with a positive bonus of .2 for Chloe Grace Moretz trying to save the film. That brings the positive score up to 1.7 out of 5. But what kind of positivity did you find in Tom & Jerry? Are you excited to show your little ones the film? Answer The Call in the comments below!