Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.0

Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz Blu-ray Movie Review

And now, my beauties, something with poison in it...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown September 3, 2011

Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz is meant to be a cute and clever little game of cat-n-mouse-n-classic-film; a match made in Golden Age heaven. But the "cute" in "cute and clever" amounts to frying pan smashes, telephone pole bashes and ham-fisted mashes -- the usual T&J slapstick schtick, minus the charm -- and the "clever" amounts to... well, the "clever" never materializes. Arguably the most unnecessary, careless, half-baked adaptations of The Wizard of Oz to ever grace the screen, silver or small, Warner's latest animated direct-to-video mashup turns frenemies Tom and Jerry loose in Oz, propels them from one end of the yellow brick road to the other without any regard for the story and, on occasion, defiles one of the most beloved family fantasies of all time as if it were nothing more than a cinematic litter box.

Weeeeeeee're off to see... what's on another channel.

Like Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes, Hanna-Barbera's cat and mouse duo aren't quite the stars of Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz. They're merely along for the ride, glorified tagalongs, and tend to come and go as the fates please. When the story focuses on Dorothy (voiced by Grey DeLisle, who pulls off a slick Judy Garland impression) and her new friends -- the Scarecrow (Michael Gough), the Tin Man (Rob Paulsen) and the Cowardly Lion (Todd Stashwick) -- it works. Sort of. It pales in comparison to Victor Fleming's 1939 classic, but that's to be expected. It's at least competent and colorful, and follows the original story with some measure of faithfulness, however small that might be at times. The Wicked Witch of the West (Laraine Newman) has been transformed into a somewhat bumbling comic villain, a misstep, but it only proves to be a passing distraction. The flying monkeys are suitably creepy, so that's a plus, and some of Oz's original music finds its way into the mix, which is by far the film's greatest asset. But each time Tom and Jerry crash into view, things get muddled in the mix; things like tone, tempo, humor, pacing and the magic and wonder of Oz. You know, nothing important.

Will your children laugh? Sure. Maybe. If they're young enough, bored enough and fond of bubblegum slapstick. Should that give Tom and Jerry's romp through Oz a free pass, though? Let's give that notion a spin. Should I hand my son a spoon and turn him loose on a gallon of ice cream just because it tastes good? Should I let him ride his bike without a helmet just because it makes his head hot on a summer day? Or perhaps allow him to watch four, six, eight hours of TV a day? Peruse the internet unsupervised? Watch whatever movie he pulls off my shelf? Extreme examples, I'll admit, but I feel a certain sense of responsibility to help hone my son's cinematic tastes, and Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz just doesn't cut it. As an adaptation, it's lazy and relies on lifting scenes, beat for beat, from the original film; as a Golden Age hybrid, it ignores the fine line between homage and cash-in; as a family film, even when completely divorced from its vastly superior sources, it wanders toward the Emerald City without any sense of purpose; as a comedy, it isn't very funny; as a cartoon, its animation borders on average; and as an adventure, it lacks, well, adventure.

It's possible, though, that a house landed on my estranged sister. A quick look at the customer reviews at Amazon suggests I'm being too hard on dear Tom and Jerry. Actually, the reviews either suggest I'm off my critical meds or in a plain ol' bad mood. (To the cynics among you, it might suggest that a few animators and writers have busy fingers and a knack for hyperbole. But I like to pretend that never happens.) That said, I can only go with my gut here and my gut was tied in knots early and often; my love of The Wizard of Oz betrayed, my affection for Tom and Jerry unsatisfied. Even my son, rapidly approaching his seventh birthday, seemed indifferent to the whole thing. He cracked a few grins, laughed three times and hasn't asked to watch it a second time. (Which is practically a death sentence for any animated movie in our house.) If you and your family end up enjoying Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz, don't be surprised. No nasty e-mails, please. I have no doubt many will be entertained by the film's animated antics, even if only a bit. But parents and kids should demand more of their family-friendly entertainment. No good will ever come from giving a mediocre mashup a free pass.

Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

If nothing else, Warner's 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation is crisp and colorful. Wonderfully crisp and whimsically colorful. Lovely reds, suitably witchy greens, stormy grays, vivid blues and inky blacks abound, and contrast and clarity are spot on. The animators' lines are particularly refined and every last flick of the pen and CG touch is as sharp as it should be. Unfortunately, the encode has its share of problems. Artifacting and macroblocking (minor as it usually is) appears throughout, banding and compression anomalies frequently flicker into view, and slight aliasing and pixelation haunts the movie's finer lineart. I suspect many of the eyesores are tied to the source, but determining the root of each issue and instance isn't an exact science, at least not in this case. It's also safe to assume those who aren't sensitive to digital oddities will be happier with the presentation than I was.

Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Tom and Jerry's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track is bright and lively, tossing its unlikely duo too and fro, through storm and tornado, with cartoonish ease. Dialogue is crystal clear and neatly centered, effects are snappy and weighty, and the LFE channel has a few standout moments, even though it lacks feature-film presence. The rear speakers have a slight direct-to-video vibe as well. Despite the soundstage's assertiveness, the experience isn't entirely immersive as audiophiles will find themselves sandwiched between two distinct soundscapes (one at the front, one at the rear). It's par for the animated TV course, mind you, but it's often as two-dimensional as the animation. Still, the film's music does a fine job of filling the void, some nice directional flourishes keep things exciting, a handful of hearty booms make their presence known, and there's a decent amount of whirlwind fun to be had. And it all comes courtesy of a lossless track! All things considered, it would be silly to expect much more.

Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz paves its Yellow Brick road with three extras: "Tom and Jerry and the Science of Oz" (HD, 7 minutes), a kid-friendly science how-to; "Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz Classic Style" (HD, 59 minutes), an alternate version of the film with a few key tweaks (a sepia-toned opening and closing); and a series of trailers for Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes, Happiness Is... Peanuts: Snoopy's Adventure, LEGO Battles: Ninjago, The Looney Tunes Show and Happy Feet 2: The Video Game.

Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If only it were a dream, Dorothy. I have a special place in my heart for Tom and Jerry and an even deeper love of The Wizard of Oz. Tom and Jerry & The Wizard of Oz should have been a match made in heaven. Sadly, it amounts to a missed opportunity. Warner's Blu-ray release doesn't impress as much as it could either. Its DTS-HD Master Audio track is easily the highlight of the disc as its problematic video presentation disappoints and its supplemental package doesn't deliver. I would suggest giving this one a rent before adding it to your cart or wish list.