Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure Blu-ray Movie Review

Fee, fi, fo, fum! Tom and Jerry, but where's the fun?

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown August 5, 2013

With the Scooby-Doo gang churning out decent, even occasionally clever direct-to-video animated releases, is it too much to ask for a Tom and Jerry original movie capable of tapping the same nostalgic vein? Apparently so. I know Tom and Jerry comes with challenges Scooby-Doo never will -- silent lead characters, a never-ending rivalry, and a simplicity that doesn't lend itself to fuller, story-driven movies -- and I know I'm probably looking into the failings of Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure more than most, but such classic, iconic cartoon characters deserve a better life in the 21st century than this. Giant Adventure isn't especially bad per se. If nothing else, kids will at least get a kick out of it. But it also isn't very good, no thanks to a host of problems up to and including the fact that it isn't much of a Tom and Jerry vehicle. The cat and mouse duo are just along for the climb.

When a young boy named Jack (Jacob Bertrand) sets out to save his mother's struggling theme park, Storybook Town, from opportunistic fat cat Mr. Bigley (Tom Wilson), he doesn't expect the solution to be found in a handful of beans. But these aren't any beans. They're magic beans. With a little bit of water and some fresh soil, Jack and his four-legged pals, Tom and Jerry, find themselves at the top of an enormous beanstalk, where they find a magical fairytale land waiting for them beyond the clouds. The sky realm and its ruler, King Droopy (Joe Alasky) have troubles all their own, though, including a tyrannical bully of a giant named Ginormous (Wilson). Can Jack defeat the giant, lay claim to a golden egg and save Storybook Town? With the help of some new friends -- the Red Fairy (Grey Delisle), Farmer O'Dell (Garrison Keillor), Screwy Squirrel (Paul Reubens), Tuffy (Kath Soucie) and Barney Bear (Richard McGonagle), among others -- he certainly gives it his best shot.

The voice actors give it their best shot too, albeit to hit or miss ends, as do the animators, who throw together a wacky, colorful kingdom for Jack to explore on a limited budget and tight schedule. So what role do Tom and Jerry play in the adventure? Not much of one, whatever it is. They tag along, take harmless, good-natured swats and swipes at one another, and watch Jack do all the heavy lifting. Remove Tom and Jerry and you'd have the exact same movie, minus a few tangents that take a few seconds to give the immortal frenemies something to do. Other familiar Hanna-Barbera faces are the biggest draw and the source of the most consistent entertainment, but even the king of 'em all, Droopy, is wasted on tired bit gags and cameos. Kids will laugh, adults will groan, and both will forget all about Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure within a day or two. Parents, meanwhile, will be particularly disappointed that two beloved characters from their childhood aren't going to become beloved characters in their children's lives with little more to go on than half-hearted direct-to-video movies like this.

Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure features a crisp, colorful but somewhat unremarkable 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation free from serious issues. If anything, the animators' hyper-bright palette is too bright, with colors that are largely washed out despite the presence of vivid reds, purples, blues and golds. Black level aren't quite as deep as they could be either, but such things appear to trace back to the original source and animation, nothing more. Line art is also sharp and refined, with only a hint of intermittent aliasing, and banding is the only thing that undermines the integrity of the otherwise pristine image. So while Giant Adventure isn't the most striking original animated movie the studio has released, Warner's encode is sound.

Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The same could be said of Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track. It isn't anything to write home about, nor is it all that involving. But the movie's sound design is handled nicely, even though much of the mix is front-heavy and flat. Fortunately, voices are clean, clear and well-prioritized, effects are full of pep, and music is full and lively. The LFE channel perks up when Ginormous enters the fray (even though it remains restrained on the whole), and the rear speakers have their fun, particularly in the third act when the toons team up to take down the giant and help Jack make it home. None of it amounts to a memorable sonic experience, but it gets the job done.

Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure doesn't include any special features.

Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There isn't a lot to love about Tom and Jerry's Giant Adventure, or even much to enjoy. It's a Tom and Jerry movie minus the star attractions; one that amounts to an animated parody starring a few new characters and a slew of other Hanna-Barbera icons. The famed cat and mouse duo are there every step of the way... they just may as well not be for all they have to do. Warner's Blu-ray release is better as far as the proficiency of its video presentation and audio track are concerned, but the movie isn't much to look at or listen to. It's enough to earn solid AV scores, as the encode and lossless mix are about everything they could be, but not enough to warrant high praise. And without any extras on tap, there isn't much to save this one from the bottom of the bargain bin. Ah well, your kids will have a good laugh with it, so there's that.