Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale (2007)

Film & Disc Review, Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale

by Cam Williams
reviewed: 2007-10-02 What a very nice concept, Joe Barbera, the creator of Tom and Jerry find themselves in a fanciful world made all the more real when set to the music of Tchaikovsky's "The Nutcracker". The back of the box puts it this way: In an empty opera house, Jerry wishes for his chance to perform and magically his dream comes true. The little mouse is whisked away to an enchanted kingdom where anything is possible... candy forests, singing snowflakes, even the toys spring to life! Jerry has a great time with his new friends and when Jerry dances with a music box ballerina, he is as happy as happy can be. Unfortunately, a group of alley cats partially led by Tom, crash Jerry's party, kidnap the music box ballerina, and wreak havoc in the holiday kingdom. It's up to Jerry to set things right and send those mean old cats back to the alley where they belong. With some help from a mouse named Tuffy and all his newfound friends... Jerry just might win the day! That foolish feline and naughty mouse are starring in this holiday story that is scored with Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker. Jerry has a dream about a vacant theater and wakes up in the story with Tom and a collection of cats that join in on the fracas. Jerry and Tuffy are the good guys, er, mice that live in the music hall. They are watching the last seasonal presentation of the Nutcracker, which Jerry claims as his favorite. Jerry would love a chance to act in the play when in true holiday musical style, the empty stage is changed into a magical world with Jerry in the lead of the story and the toys under the Christmas tree begin to show life of their own. The ballet dancer in a music box also animates and she and Jerry minuet together. That is when the magical buffet appears.

When the entrance flies open a band of roughneck cats captained by the King of Cats smack their watering lips at the sight of the magical buffet that had recently came forth before the Nutcracker Prince, er, Jerry. The rabid pack of cats, including Tom, attacks the theater along with the King and declares him the victor and throws the mouse prince out. Jerry, a talking horse toy, and a Christmas tree ornament take off across the enchanted realm to hook up with the toymaker so he can get down to the business of resetting things back the way they were. In spite of this, the King has other ideas and sends Tom and his motley band of cats to make sure that Jerry doesn’t get to the toymaker. A Nutcracker Tale is a concept formulated by the late originator of Tom and Jerry, Joseph Barbera. The tale does not really follow the entire Christmas fable with Tom and Jerry in the thick of things, but a holiday story that interweaves into the classic tale with Tom and Jerry basically playing Tom and Jerry. Sadly, Tom is really knocked down to second banana and what could’ve been his part is taken over by a cat that talks and Tuffy does the same for Jerry.

Fortunately, they didn’t force Tom and Jerry to talk because that would simply be just wrong. There’s some light gratuitous violence, but it is nothing remotely like the original cartoons, particularly since those theatrical shorts are only accessible by collectors as of late. Still, I feel that the animation does have an original Tom and Jerry feel to them since Joseph Barbera was part of the creative process, but really is unfairly compared to those original cartoons. The cartoon just doesn’t seem to hold up for adults that well. But so what? I think kids will enjoy the heck out of it since most of them never really got a chance to bond with the theatrical releases. Tom and Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale is presented in full screen. The special features are all on the DVD-ROM side of the disc. The features include “Tom and Jerry Holiday Story Factory” which will let you whip up your own holiday card or storybook. There’s also a game called “Journey to the Toymaker”. Tom and Jerry is sure to satisfy the kids; then again Christmas should hold children’s dreams anyhow. Pick it up and be a hero to the little ones around your household over the holidays.

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