JOIN US'Tom & Jerry' movie review: Makes for a good watch
Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, Colin Jost and Pallavi Sharda
Director: Tim Story
Rating: 3/5
Tom & Jerry is a delightful attempt at storytelling that is likely to appeal to kids as well as young adults. The film revolves around the adventures of the famous cat and mouse duo while highlighting what happens when the two are forced to 'work together' following a twist of fate. The basic plot is quite engaging and has everything one would expect from a story featuring the iconic characters.
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The deft screenplay does justice to the story, helping it live up to its potential. It does a good job of highlighting the dynamics between the famous duo. The scenes revolving around Tom's failed attempts at entering a hotel room have a vintage feel and are likely click with die-hard fans of the franchise.
Many of the gags are similar to the ones seen in the shorts/TV shows, which is not a bad thing considering that there is a great deal of nostalgia associated with the characters. The sequences dealing with the 'Indian wedding' come across as a grand celebration of chaos as they are as whacky as anything can be.
On the flip side, the romantic track featuring the 'VIP guests' has not been fleshed out properly even though it had tremendous potential. It might have added emotional depth to Tom & Jerry had the execution been up to the mark.
The sequences involving Tom's 'love interest' too do not make a strong impact. The pace drops a bit post the interval but this is a minor issue as things soon get back on track.
Tom and Jerry, not surprisingly, are the heart and soul of the movie. Their nok-jhok keeps fans hooked right till the end. Chloë Grace Moretz delivers a sincere performance that lacks the 'spunkiness' needed for the part. Michael Peña is top-notch and does justice to a character that could so easily have been reduced to a caricature.
Colin Jost and Pallavi Sharda fail to make much of an impact as they are burdened with characters that can best be described as bare bones. Rob Delaney, however, makes his presence felt despite the limited screen time. The supporting cast is decent.
The background music gels with the narrative of Tom & Jerry. The production values are good and may work well with the younger crowd. The editing, however, is a little lacklustre as a couple of sequences drag a bit. The other technical aspects have been handled well.