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Parents' Guide to

Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes

By Joly Herman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Spooky story, cartoon violence; too much for preschoolers.

Movie NR 2010 47 minutes
Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 4 parent reviews

treadpath
treadpath Parent of 6-year-old
July 7, 2011
age 6+

So inappropriate!

Horrible gender stereotypes... or, really, stereotype as there is only one woman in the movie. Female character seems to find sexual harassment charming. And quite violent, of course, with all the things being dropped on, swallowed by, run over, etc. However, seeing this movie with my daughter prompted a good conversation about strong female characters in movies.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
iuytiuyt
iuytiuyt Parent of 8-year-old
March 22, 2011
age 3+
Ok, to whoever wrote: "bumbershoot" (who knows what this means, but it sounds randy in the context of the racy song), a bumbershoot is an umbrella. The one she is holding in the song. Smarten up.
See all 4 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Diamond thieves are on the loose in London town, where we find Jerry the mouse helping his master, Sherlock Holmes (voiced by Michael York.) Tom the cat arrives with a letter for the great detective, and a mystery is afoot. Between the flying forks and barrels of TNT, Tom and Jerry help Holmes and Watson (John Rhys-Davies) defeat the devilish Professor Moriarity (Malcolm McDowell.)

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4 ):
Kids say (2 ):

Heavy hitters in the talent department come out to play in this rollicking tribute to Sherlock Holmes. There are some great Holmesian moments, like when the detective follows the trail to discover the maker of a button in Lancashire, only to find that he has been tricked by his nemesis. But the mixture between the manic antics of Tom and Jerry and the more serious sleuthing of Holmes and Watson makes for an uneven product.

Yes, we know how rough Tom and Jerry are -- they've built an empire on finding new ways to maim one another -- but somehow the slapstick here seems forced, rather than funny. Moreover, the catcalls and the whistles aimed at the lone female in the cast would have been better left in the past. Some colorful, fun moments make it worthwhile for series fans, but be warned that the cartoon violence does not let up in this movie.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about cartoon violence and whether it has an effect on young viewers. This article points to the facts that show how violent images influence vulnerable viewers.

  • Red is a singer and dancer who uses her female charms to solve the mystery. How do men react to her? What might a modern heroine do differently?

  • Sherlock Holmes is a legendary detective who uses the power of deduction to solve mysteries. What is deduction? How does it work?

Movie Details

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