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Category:    Home > Reviews > Animation > Comedy > Children > TV > Tom & Jerry Tales – Volume Two (TV Animation)

Tom & Jerry Tales – Volume Two (TV Animation)

 

Picture: C+     Sound: C+     Extras: C-     Main Programs: B-

 

 

When MGM put out the money for top rate animation to compete against the other studios (especially Disney and Warner Bros.), top treatment went to the Tom & Jerry shorts.  At first, the studio did not give the shorts a second thought when originally launched, but one woman in the South who had a chain of theaters asked where the next shorts were, resulting in the series of cartoons that put the cat and mouse on the map.  After the last theatrical shorts were made in the late 1960s, several attempts were made to do animated TV shows and Tom & Jerry Tales is the latest.

 

With 12 more episodes on this single Volume Two DVD, this might be the best of the shows and revivals since the 1960s.  Hanna-Barbera did the first new show in 1975, then Filmation did a bizarre show in 1980 that used the same 2 minutes of music over and over and over again.  1990 saw the duo as children and lasted three seasons, or one more than the previous series.

 

There was even a feature film musical where they talked, but even Henry Mancini could not make that work.  However, though other character can talk, the duo can only whisper and this is some of the best child-safe high profiles animated TV on TV now.  It began in 2006 and if it continues to be this good, it just might be the most successful Tom & Jerry series yet.  It is definitely worth a look.

 

The 1.33 X 1 image is nice, colorful and new, but without exceptional detail or depth.  The animation is not bad, but not up there with the MGM classics either.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is credited on the box as having Pro Logic surrounds, but they are weak and 2-channel playback works better.  Except for three trailers for other Warner DVD animated releases, there are no extras.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


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