Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that this show features brand-new Tom and Jerry adventures that are animated in what's considered the "classic" manner. That means two things: First, they're drawn in pen and ink, and second, they're full of gleeful, goofy, consequence-free violence in the manner of all the old Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera shorts.
Families can talk about Tom and Jerry's relationship. Why are they always out to get each other? Why is it funny to watch them get hurt (and hurt each other)? Why can something be funny on TV but dangerous in real life? How are the new episodes similar to and different from the old classics? Families can also discuss the difference between the pen-and-ink animation used here and in older cartoons, and the flash and computer animation techniques seen in the modern stuff. Can you see a difference? Which do you prefer?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: KJ Dell'Antonia
TOM AND JERRY TALES welcomes back everyone's favorite cat-and-mouse pair in their umpteenth TV incarnation. What's different this time around? Thankfully, not the animation, which bills itself as being done in the old, pen-and-ink Hanna-Barbera style and comes pretty close to living up to the claim.
The content of the shorts (three per episode) follows the classic cartoon tradition pretty closely, too. Characters are flattened beneath anvils, swatted into various shapes (by rackets and waffle irons and whatnot), and generally abused, yet they still pop back up to run and chase another day. Tom (voiced by Don Brown), in particular, is still the bad cat he always was.
Two things are missing in this iteration: the connection to the music (which was one of Tom and Jerry's great strengths in its heyday and has lost much of its vitality here) and a certain internal logic. Once, Tom chased Jerry (Sam Vincent) primarily because cats chase mice. Sure, they might be competing for food, or Tom might think he planned to eat Jerry, but in general, that was the plot. Occasionally, a dog would be added. Tom and Jerry Tales has a lot more surrounding plot rigmarole that doesn't serve any purpose other than detracting from the basic comedic premise.
Which, in the end, begs a question: Why an all-new Tom and Jerry? The best answer seems to be Why not? But kids and families who like the slapstick antics of this new version shouldn't hesitate to turn back the clock and enjoy the originals: Golden Age of Looney Tunes video series and Tom and Jerry.
Rate It!
| Content | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CS | adults | kids | ||
Sexual Content |
 |
|
|
|
ViolenceThis series was supposed to be as "violent" as the original Tom and Jerry (which was known for its extremes), but in the end, it pulls its punches and never surpasses the level of the original Bugs Bunny cartoons. Characters are smashed by anvils, fried by waffle irons, and so on, but they're never hurt permanently. |
 |
 |
|
|
Language |
|
|
|
|
Message |
|
|
|
|
Social BehaviorYou certainly wouldn't want your kids (or even your cat) behaving like this. |
 |
 |
|
|
Commercialism |
|
|
|
|
Drug/Alcohol/Tobacco |
|
|
|
|
