Cartoon Network" has been playing this unlikely crossover movie for some time now. Being a "Tom and Jerry" and, of course, "Wizard of Oz" movie fan, I plopped myself into my easy chair and watched "Tom and Jerry and the Wizard of Oz" (hereafter T&J&WOOZ) one day, curious to see if it would work. To my delightful surprise, it does, and should satisfy both "Tom and Jerry" and "Wizard of Oz (1939)" fans.
The cartoon is essentially a nearly shot-for-shot duplication of "The Wizard of Oz" (including the "Over the Rainbow" singing sequence), with Tom and Jerry accidentally tagging along for the ride. The only scenes missing are Dorothy's first encounters with the Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, and Cowardly Lion, plus a few minor others, which was prudent because otherwise it would have inhibited T&J&WOOZ's manic pace. In this feature, the cat and mouse are mostly allies, trying to help Dorothy get back home to Kansas. However, every so often, they hilariously get their licks in against each other. Other "Tom and Jerry universe" characters appear, such as Tuffy the Munchkin Mouse, who wants the Wizard to make him taller (SPOILER: The Wizard gives him stilts), Droopy the phlegmatic head of the witch's guard, and Spike the Irish bulldog as a hapless guard trainee who always manages to hit Droopy with his pikestaff.
I think both children and adults will enjoy this lightning-paced and even harrowing and suspenseful movie, especially the climactic scene as Tom, Jerry, and Tuffy attempt to get a bucket of water to Dorothy to take care of the Wicked Witch of the West, including lassoing a little storm cloud. It has vintage Tom and Jerry cartoon violence (including lightning jolts) but nothing too upsetting except for really sensitive children. But somehow TJ&WOOZ preserves and respects "Wizard"'s classic stature with fluid, vibrant colors and movement, and even enhances it with the cat and mouse's presence. The duo are not a sideshow; they truly are integral to "Wizard"'s plot. It's kinda like an animated "Wizard of Oz: The Lost Scenes".
So please relax, "Wizard of Oz" movie purists. T&J&WOOZ is no travesty. Not at all.
The cartoon is essentially a nearly shot-for-shot duplication of "The Wizard of Oz" (including the "Over the Rainbow" singing sequence), with Tom and Jerry accidentally tagging along for the ride. The only scenes missing are Dorothy's first encounters with the Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman, and Cowardly Lion, plus a few minor others, which was prudent because otherwise it would have inhibited T&J&WOOZ's manic pace. In this feature, the cat and mouse are mostly allies, trying to help Dorothy get back home to Kansas. However, every so often, they hilariously get their licks in against each other. Other "Tom and Jerry universe" characters appear, such as Tuffy the Munchkin Mouse, who wants the Wizard to make him taller (SPOILER: The Wizard gives him stilts), Droopy the phlegmatic head of the witch's guard, and Spike the Irish bulldog as a hapless guard trainee who always manages to hit Droopy with his pikestaff.
I think both children and adults will enjoy this lightning-paced and even harrowing and suspenseful movie, especially the climactic scene as Tom, Jerry, and Tuffy attempt to get a bucket of water to Dorothy to take care of the Wicked Witch of the West, including lassoing a little storm cloud. It has vintage Tom and Jerry cartoon violence (including lightning jolts) but nothing too upsetting except for really sensitive children. But somehow TJ&WOOZ preserves and respects "Wizard"'s classic stature with fluid, vibrant colors and movement, and even enhances it with the cat and mouse's presence. The duo are not a sideshow; they truly are integral to "Wizard"'s plot. It's kinda like an animated "Wizard of Oz: The Lost Scenes".
So please relax, "Wizard of Oz" movie purists. T&J&WOOZ is no travesty. Not at all.