Tom and Jerry The Movie review

2021 seems to be the year of nostalgia. There are multiple movies and shows from the 90s and 2000s celebrating anniversaries this year and Tom and Jerry are back in an all-new adventure. Tom & Jerry The Movie is available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital and if you're wondering if this will make a great pick for your next family movie night, I've got you covered with my no-spoilers review.

Disclaimer: Warner Bros. sent a free copy of Tom & Jerry The Movie to me for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Tom & Jerry The Movie a No-Spoilers, Parent Review

When I first heard there was going to be a live action Tom and Jerry movie I'll admit, I was a bit nervous. I didn't know how they would bring Tom and Jerry into the year 2021. Would they look the same? Would they make them talk? Would they totally ruin the dynamic duo?!

Turns out I needn't worry at all. The animators made the very wise decision of keeping Tom and Jerry's 2D and though they may have teased us with the idea of Tom talking, they never utter any lines.

But is Tom & Jerry the Movie made for adults looking for a bit of nostalgia or is this film OK for kids? Let's discuss!

Tom & Jerry The Movie | Movie Synopsis

One of the most beloved rivalries in history is reignited when Jerry moves into New York City’s finest hotel on the eve of “the wedding of the century,” forcing the event’s desperate planner to hire Tom to get rid of him, in director Tim Story’s “Tom and Jerry.” The ensuing cat and mouse battle threatens to destroy her career, the wedding and possibly the hotel itself. But soon, an even bigger problem arises: a diabolically ambitious staffer conspiring against all three of them.

Tom & Jerry The Movie | No-Spoilers, Parent Review

The Plot

The idea of the movie centering around a "it couple" wedding in New York City feels very, now.
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The couple (or one half of the couple) wanting to go bigger and bigger for the (Insta) gram is something that I imagine happens more often than we'd like to realize.

The stress on the hotel employees for wanting everything with the wedding to go right is a great tie in for Tom and Jerry to really mess things up.

But for as fleshed out as the wedding and the relationship woes of the "it couple" is, how Tom and Jerry wound up in New York is not touched on at all.


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The Peril

Neither Tom, nor Jerry is ever in any actual danger in the film. There is no dramatic pause where viewers are being led to believe that something terrible just happened.

All of the situations Tom and Jerry find themselves in are obviously exaggerated and any time they may appear "hurt" they always bounce right back. For example, at one point we see Tom's teeth fall out but there are back in the next scene like nothing happened.

The cartoon violence depicted in the film is the same type of cartoon violence one would see watching the old cartoons; falling off skyscrapers, being hit by a bus and flattened like a pancake, getting hit on the head with a baseball bat and having a large bump appear and much more.

I'd be remiss to not mention the violence, the slapstick, "3 Stooges" comedy of Tom and Jerry is what makes this duo great. However, if you are a parent who does not like any violence of any nature this is a film that needs to be skipped.

The PG Rating

Tom & Jerry The Movie is rated PG for "cartoon violence, rude humor and brief language".
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As I mentioned, there is certainly a lot of cartoon violence. In terms of rude humor there were some bathroom type jokes for instance in one scene an animated dog farts loudly.

On the language side of it, I thought Tom & Jerry The Movie was fairly tame. The use of the word "sucker" stuck out to me and the word "stupid" is used.

One additional thing I will mention is the depiction of substance use. In one scene viewers see Jerry and then Tom drink what I believe is sparkling cider but the scene certainly alludes to Champagne.


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Tom and Jerry The Movie | My Final Thoughts

Overall, Tom & Jerry The Movie is a feel good, family comedy. This film is a true call-back to the "Tom and Jerry" cartoons we knew and loved as kids.

The animation style of this film is very "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", with the animated animals living amongst the non-animated people in harmony and the animated characters interacting with real life objects seamlessly.

​The only drawback to this film is the length. At over 90 minutes there are parts of this film that really started to lag. My husband and I looked over at each other at one point as if to say, "how much time is left?"

As the adults in the room (my living room that is) we enjoyed the movie. We both laughed at the antics of Tom and Jerry and the jokes from the character titled, DuBros (played by Rob Delany). But with no true conflict and only a superficial antagonist, there wasn't really much there to keep us fully engaged.

I do have to applaud the casting director for this film because they did a great job.

Chloe Grace Moretz is phenomenal in her role and she has great comedic timing. Michael Pena's interactions with Tom and Jerry make for a lot of laughs and Rob Delany's delivery was spot on. This film even has Ken Jeong, though he may have been a bit under-utilized.


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Tom & Jerry The Movie age recommendation: 5+

I watched this film with my children who are both younger than 5 and even though they were laughing at all of the antics (and later chased each other around the house as one pretended to be Tom and the other, Jerry) they got a little bored near the end and had trouble staying seated. 

Tom & Jerry The Movie is a slap-stick, feel-good, family comedy that is sure to bring the laughs at your next family movie night. If your kids haven't seen the original cartoons, I suggest showing them some clips or episodes ahead of time and really build the excitement for them!

Tom & Jerry The Movie is available now on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.