‘Tom & Jerry: The Movie’ doesn’t belong on the big screen
The new Tom & Jerry movie disappoints viewers and leaves much to be desired. The movie was anticipated to be filled with the kind of humor present in the TV show, but instead it contained a lackluster plot and poorly scripted jokes that missed their mark.
Going into watching the new “Tom & Jerry” movie, I was excited. What’s not to like? A live-action yet animated film with actors like Chloë Grace Moretz, Michael Peña, and Saturday Night Live writer/Weekend-Update host Colin Jost sounded amazing to me. But the film is terrible, and no one should have to endure what I did.
The first issue I had with the movie was that it’s not even really about Tom and Jerry. The plot surrounds a big celebrity wedding, which is to be coordinated by Kayla – portrayed by Chloë Grace Moretz, who’s starred in movies like “Kick-Ass” and “If I Stay.” Tom and Jerry start mischief that coincides with her plans, but they certainly aren’t the stars of this movie in the slightest.
To name a movie after an iconic duo and then make them almost background characters is misleading and insulting.
Another issue is that the plot is just so cheesy, and not in the fun, cartoony way. Kayla trying to catch Jerry with Tom’s help is accompanied by a weird, unnecessary love conflict between the two engaged celebrities, played by Colin Jost and Pallavi Sharda. There are so many different plot lines going on at the same time that it’s all a jumbled mess.
Colin Jost’s performance was disappointing as well. I love to watch him on SNL, but I was a bit hesitant about the prospect of him pursuing an acting career, especially one in a movie like this. And it turns out that my hesitations were valid.
It was obvious from the get-go that he has very little acting experience. The lines came out forced, he seemed consistently awkward, and the script was unfunny – something you’d think an SNL writer would notice. It was honestly a bit painful to watch, and he should definitely stick to the gig he has right now.
The movie script was a huge issue for me. Jokes didn’t work, dialogue was unnatural, and even with the talent they had, it just didn’t feel right. Far too much time is spent on moving forward the plot about the wedding, and not enough time is left for what viewers actually want to see – Tom and Jerry, hashing it out.
There’s just no point wasting time watching this movie. Even for kids there are so many better options out there right now, especially on streaming platforms. “Tom & Jerry: The Movie” is definitely not worth the watch.