-thumb-380xauto-20891.jpg)
The Tom and Jerry brand continues to be a lucrative franchise for Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. Whether made up of new or repackaged material, the titles keep on coming. Falling into the former category is the all-new Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure, available on Blu-ray and DVD (or both formats together, along with a code for an UltraViolet digital copy, in a combo pack). Lately there seems to be a glut of updated retellings of fairy tales, including Jack and the Beanstalk in Warner’s own recent feature Jack the Giant Slayer. Now, the classic cat-and-mouse adversaries have been grafted on to a new version of the tale.
Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure will undoubtedly appeal most strongly to the very youngest of viewers. The surprisingly melancholic opening features the dulcet tones of narrator Garrison Keillor explaining the downfall of the Storybook Town theme park. Following its creator’s untimely passing, the park fell into disrepair. Widow Violet and her son Jack do their best to keep it operational, but the customers aren’t there. Their main attraction, in fact, is the trio of animals still residing on the grounds: Tom, Jerry, and a cow named Hermione. Mr. Bigley shows up to announce he’s acquired the park’s mortgage and plans to demolish it the next morning. Unless Violet and Jack can come up with enough cash to buy the park back, it’s history.
-thumb-380x211-20889.jpg)
As a Tom and Jerry vehicle, Giant Adventure falls a bit short. Aside from some typically cartoonish antagonism early on, they’re a little too friendly and comfortable around each other. I like Tom better when he’s mean and snarling. After Jack trades Hermione to Farmer O’Dell (also voiced by Keillor) for some “magic beans,” Tom and Jerry essentially become supporting characters. The duo accompanies Jack to a real version of Storybook Town after the beans sprout sky-high vines overnight. Cameos by classic cartoon characters pepper the land of Ginormous the giant, including Spike and Tyke, Tuffy the Mouse, Droopy Dog, and Screwy Squirrel (the latter voiced by Paul Reubens, aka Pee-wee Herman). As Jack takes on Ginormous, Tom and Jerry are mainly along for the ride.
The Blu-ray looks fine for direct-to-video, kidvid animation. It’s a crisp, clean 1080p transfer. Audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Again this is more than sufficient for a release this modest in scope. Audio is always well prioritized, including during the film’s several musical numbers. Somewhat surprisingly, the disc includes nothing in the way of bonus features. With a running time of 57 minutes, a few extras could’ve certainly added a little value.
Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure is a harmless hour of fun that should ably hold the attention of its target audiences. However, longtime Tom and Jerry fans may wonder why there’s not more the fighting, chasing, and general struggle between the title characters.
Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure will undoubtedly appeal most strongly to the very youngest of viewers. The surprisingly melancholic opening features the dulcet tones of narrator Garrison Keillor explaining the downfall of the Storybook Town theme park. Following its creator’s untimely passing, the park fell into disrepair. Widow Violet and her son Jack do their best to keep it operational, but the customers aren’t there. Their main attraction, in fact, is the trio of animals still residing on the grounds: Tom, Jerry, and a cow named Hermione. Mr. Bigley shows up to announce he’s acquired the park’s mortgage and plans to demolish it the next morning. Unless Violet and Jack can come up with enough cash to buy the park back, it’s history.
As a Tom and Jerry vehicle, Giant Adventure falls a bit short. Aside from some typically cartoonish antagonism early on, they’re a little too friendly and comfortable around each other. I like Tom better when he’s mean and snarling. After Jack trades Hermione to Farmer O’Dell (also voiced by Keillor) for some “magic beans,” Tom and Jerry essentially become supporting characters. The duo accompanies Jack to a real version of Storybook Town after the beans sprout sky-high vines overnight. Cameos by classic cartoon characters pepper the land of Ginormous the giant, including Spike and Tyke, Tuffy the Mouse, Droopy Dog, and Screwy Squirrel (the latter voiced by Paul Reubens, aka Pee-wee Herman). As Jack takes on Ginormous, Tom and Jerry are mainly along for the ride.The Blu-ray looks fine for direct-to-video, kidvid animation. It’s a crisp, clean 1080p transfer. Audio is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Again this is more than sufficient for a release this modest in scope. Audio is always well prioritized, including during the film’s several musical numbers. Somewhat surprisingly, the disc includes nothing in the way of bonus features. With a running time of 57 minutes, a few extras could’ve certainly added a little value.
Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure is a harmless hour of fun that should ably hold the attention of its target audiences. However, longtime Tom and Jerry fans may wonder why there’s not more the fighting, chasing, and general struggle between the title characters.
-thumb-80x80-24358.jpg)