Tom & Jerry introduce, for the first time in the human world, the classical Hanna Barbera cartoon characters. Still, in so doing, it questions the furious cartooning logic of the film. But how people deal with them in the storey poses some logical – and sometimes even ethical- questions. The famous cat & mouse at the core of the storey is still animated. While the film presents a sleek, family-friendly tale that both reminds of and reminiscences the classic Tom and Jerry franchise, it is not unquestioned.
In 1941, through short films, television programmes and two theatrical films, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera developed their famous cat-and-mouse tale into a cultural cornerstone. Tom and Jerry have won the pair of seven Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film during a 161 short film series which adds a lot of credit to their reputation. The Tom and Jerry Show (1975), the Tom & Jerry Comedy Show (1980–1982) and the Tom & Jerry Kids (1990–1993); the Tom & Jerry Show (2006–2008), the Tom & Jerry Show (in 2014–show), appeared in numerous TV shows, during the late 20th century.
But here are the reasons why this one does not make much sense:
Tom & Jerry are trying hard to find a happy middle ground between the natural world and the cartoon world for the characters. All the animals in the cinematic world are lit up and are also 3D shaded. The continuous repetition of an “animal tornado” makes no more significant impact on any given scene. Hence, all the animals displayed in the movie are just cartoons and nothing else.
The movie keeps juggling here and there between treating its animals as humanly and functionally-non-sentient, whenever they feel like it suits their story’s convenience. Both Tom & Jerry want to have all of the cake and then eat it as well; Tom and Jerry are both treated as sentient characters, but all the other animals are treated as though they were just some ‘regular’ animals. The hotel suggests at one point to employ an exterminator, implying that even though animals are sentient, their lives in certain circumstances are still considered to be vermin. Like many history extras, the bride and the wife hold their animals and inquire if they feel people, what do ethical issues raise?
Finally, Tom cannot talk but is somehow able to sing, but he does not sing to communicate. In reality, many of Tom’s explosions in the film are taken from archives. The filmmakers managed to build something true to the cartoon’s initial spirit during a fresh, contemporary audience. The T-sultry Pain’s self-croon gives Tom’s emotions voice, but Tom’s more significant.
