Tom and Jerry: The Movie is a 1992/1993 animated musical film produced and directed by Phil Roman starring Tom and Jerry and the only feature to be theatrically released worldwide, although Tom and Jerry: The Fast and the Furry was theatrically released in select cities of the U.S. by Kidtoon Films. The characters' co-creator and Hanna's partner, Joseph Barbera served as creative consultant for the picture. It was first released in cinemas in Germany on October 1st, 1992 and then released in the United States and Canada on July 30th, 1993.
This film has acted a sequel of sorts to the vintage shorts, meaning that Tom and Jerry have been around for 50 years and that Tom asked Jerry that why he hasn't spoken before (which he presumably reference to the previous shorts which dated back in 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s).
Plot
Tom and his owners are about to move to a new home. While Tom dozes in the back of the car, he notices Jerry and chases him, causing Tom to be left behind when his owners leave. The next day, as the house is being destroyed by a demolition crew, Tom escapes but goes back to rescue Jerry.
The two wander the streets looking for food and shelter, but cannot find any. That night in an alley they meet Pugsy, a stray dog, and his friend Frankie Da Flea. Tom and Jerry both introduce themselves, before comically expressing shock at having spoken for the first time. Pugsy and Frankie encourage the two to be friends, as it would be difficult to survive in the streets alone. They agree, and they also all agree to have a "feast" at their place and Pugsy makes a "buffet" by collecting leftovers in the bin. When Pugsy's tray is full, two stray-catchers capture him and Frankie and lock them in their truck.
With Pugsy and Frankie gone, Tom is ambushed by a gang of mean singing alley cats who chase him, but Jerry saves him. Tom and Jerry then meet a girl named Robyn Starling, whose mother died when she was a baby and is left behind with her evil guardian Aunt Pristine Figg when her father goes away to Tibet, but her father is now presumed killed in an avalanche. Figg has proceeded to steal the family fortune with her sleazy lawyer Lickboot, even moving Robyn into the attic as her bedroom and give her room to Ferdinand. Robyn had run away after her locket was thrown out of the window and that is how she began to run. Tom and Jerry, knowing what it is like to be homeless, attempt to persuade her to return home, convinced that deep down, Figg loves Robyn.
Indeed, Aunt Figg is crying in the house, scared of losing Robyn and begging a local police officer to find her safely, but reverts to her cold, money-hungry self once the officer is gone. The officer finds Robyn, Tom, and Jerry, but Figg has Tom and Jerry sent to an animal shelter run by Dr. J. Applecheek, who is in secret the employer of the two stray-catchers and in charge of an abusive prison-like pound. Tom and Jerry are reunited with Pugsy and Frankie. With help from several other dogs, including Droopy, they stage an escape. Meanwhile, Robyn discovers through a telegram that her father is alive and, once reunited with Tom and Jerry, she and they run away together to find him. Figg discovers this, and at the suggestion of Lickboot places a $1 million bounty on Robyn, without the intent of paying, since Robyn's father cut Figg's funding until Robyn is proven safe. Meanwhile, Robyn's father Mr. Starling is notified that his daughter has run away and immediately returns to America to find her.
Tom and Jerry end up separated from Robyn after their raft crashes into a ship. Robyn is found by the owner of a local amusement park Captain Kiddie and his talking hand puppet Squawk. Meanwhile Tom and Jerry finds Robyn's locket and look around wondering where Robyn is. Captain Kiddie then gives Robyn milk and cookies. Kiddie notices Robyn's face in the milk carton and begs Captain Kiddie to step out who then realizies who was with him and decides to call Figg. Tom and Jerry sees Robyn in the milk carton that Captain Kiddie threw at them. Meanwhile Dr. Applecheek blames Figg for the escape of Tom and Jerry. Figg then hears her phone ringing as she and Dr. Applecheek to argue and answers it, she was delighted that Robyn is in Captain Kiddie's carnival and returns to find Dr. Applecheek already left having overheard of the 1 million Dollar on Robyn. Dr. Applecheek decides to get Robyn before Figg and the million Dollar on Robyn will be his unaware that Captain Kiddie has already waiting Figg to get the money and is promptly throw out by his henchmen for not sharing the money and is almost run over by Lickboot.
Meanwhile Captain Kiddie shows Robyn his carnival and rides her in the ferris wheel and traps her there while waiting for Figg. Mr. Starling finally arrives at the US base called "Starling Enterprise" and hops on his helicopter and discovered that Figg has planted a million Dollar bounty on his daughter. Tom and Jerry finds Robyn in the ferris wheel and returns her locket back. Figg then arrives who then confronts Captain Kiddie demanding to return Robyn back. Tom, Jerry and Robyn traps Dr. Applecheek's henchmen on the ferris wheel and escapes on a boat with Figg, Lickboot and Ferdinard give chase. Dr. Applecheek then arrives on an ice cream motorbike which he stole after being thrown out earlier and follows them leaving his henchmen behind on the ferris wheel, he then crashes unto Captain Kiddie and Squawk when the bridge was accidentally destroyed by Ferdinand's skateboard. Robyn tells Tom and Jerry they are heading to her nest the place the she told them about. Meanwhile Figg, Lickboot and Ferdinand got lost and found themselves on an intersection road. Lickboot then realizes and explains to Figg knowing where Robyn, Tom and Jerry are going. They turn right which leads to Robyn's nest.
Robyn, Tom and Jerry sail their boat down the river and finally finds her cabin and she explain to Tom and Jerry that they come at the cabin every summer. Robyn enters her cabin to find Figg already there. Tom and Jerry are locked outside by Lickboot along with Ferdinand. Figg and Lickboot then attempt to take her back which they accidentally set the cabin fire. Tom and Jerry climb unto the roof and get Robyn out of the cabin with a rope while Figg and Lickboot fights for the key which they accidentally drop only Lickboot grabs her knocking the door down in the process and slides on Ferdinand's skateboard sending them flying right into Robyn's boat and it sail them away.
Mr. Starling finally arrives on his helicopter seeing his cabin burning, realizing he is too late seeing that Figg has already set the cabin fire and finds Robyn, Tom and Jerry in the roof. He sucessfully saves Robyn but is unable to rescue Tom and Jerry and the cabin burns to the ground. They land the helicopter on the cabin's dock which was not destroyed and find Tom and Jerry emerged from the wreckage alive and unharmed. Mr. Starling then apologizes to Robyn that he will never leave her again. Mr. Starling has arrest Figg, Lickboot and Ferdinand for their crimes and putting a one million Dollar bounty on his daughter and destroying his cabin which is then immediately rebuild. Pugsy and Frankie sees this on the news pleased and wonder if they are getting along. Robyn gives Tom and Jerry their new home. However as soon she and Mr. Starling are out of sight to rebuild the cabin, Tom reverts back to what he was (unaware to Pugsy) and forgotten what Pugsy told to him earlier and he and Jerry run around the house.
Cast
- Richard Kind as Tom
- Dana Hill as Jerry
- Anndi McAfee as Robyn Starling
- Charlotte Rae as Pristine Figg
- Tony Jay as Lickboot
- Henry Gibson as Dr. Applecheeks
- Michael Bell as Ferdinand and Straycatcher #1
- Ed Gilbert as Puggsy and Robyn's Father
- David L. Lander as Frankie DaFlea
- Rip Taylor as Captain Kiddie
- Howard Morris as Squawk
- Sydney Lassick as Straycatcher #2
- Don Messick as Droopy (cameo)
- B.J Ward as Tom's owner
- Greg Burson as Moving Man
Reception
Reviews of the film were mostly negative. Joseph McBride of Variety wrote, "'Tom & Jerry talk' won't go down in film history as a slogan to rival 'Garbo Talks.'" Charles Solomon of The Los Angeles Times appraised the film's songs as well as Phil Roman for direction. Hal Hinson of The Washington Post complained about the dialogue between Tom and Jerry, and said that the voices "don't fit [them]." Hal also said that the songs are "forgettable, as they [are] intolerably bouncy and upbeat." As of April 2011, Rotten Tomatoes reports that 20% of critics gave the film a positive review, based on 10 reviews.
Box-Office
Tom & Jerry: The Movie was budgeted at $3.5,000,000, but only grossed $3,560,469 and as such was a box-office flop.
Home Media
Tom and Jerry: The Movie was first released on VHS on October 26th, 1993 by Family Home Entertainment. It was re-released on VHS by Warner Home Video on March 2nd, 1999 and for the first time on DVD on March 26th, 2002 by Warner Home Video, also. The first VHS release cover used the same artwork as the poster, but the VHS re-release and the DVD covers used the same figures of Tom and Jerry, but a different background. There are currently no plans for a Blu-ray release for this movie.
Gallery
