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
