One of the most ostentatious weddings in the long and storied history of arguably New York’s finest hotel ... and Tom and Jerry at each other’s throats. What could possibly go wrong?
Skilfully blending live action with animation, Tom & Jerry is loads of fun.
Tom is an entrepreneurial, piano playing cat who doesn’t mind the odd scam.
Jerry is a boisterous mouse with no home, intent on finding appropriate lodgings.
But try as he has, one lead after another has come to nought.
Wearing dark glasses, suggesting he is blind, Tom regales an appreciative public in Central Park, where he busks.
That is until an unwelcome Jerry muscles in on his act, dancing up a storm while Tom tickles the ivories.
Suddenly, he’s the one getting all the coin ... resulting in a massive chase, during which Tom upends a bike-riding Kayla (Chloë Grace Moretz).
Kayla is in some trouble herself.
She can’t seem to hold down a job and regularly pops into the upmarket Royal Gate Hotel for a free feed.
It is there that she sits alongside a haughty Brit, Linda Perrybottom (Camilla Artwedson) with a mighty impressive CV.
Perrybottom just happens to be up for a short-term role at the establishment, which involves helping to prepare for the ritziest wedding of the century.
Kayla tricks her and “adopts” her resume, thereby nailing the job for herself ... against the better judgment of the man who will become her boss, the Event Manager, Terence (Michael Peña).
Terence is overruled by his boss, Mr Dubros (Rob Delaney), and is reluctantly forced to work with Kayla.
Kayla immediately bonds with the bride to be, Preeta (Pallavi Sharda), who is struggling with her fiancé’s “extreme” wedding preparations.
When Tom and Jerry appear on the premises - literally continuing their cat and mouse game – Kayla volunteers to get rid of the mouse problem.
Only, in truth, she has no idea how difficult that will prove to be ... and what mayhem Tom, Jerry and other assorted animals arriving on the scene will cause.
Hijinks abound.
The writer is Kevin Costello, who brought us the rather bizarre tale of Brigsby Bear in 2017. Tom & Jerry is based upon the animated franchise created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in 1940.
The movie is directed by Tim Story (Shaft).
Sure, Tom & Jerry is aimed at littlies, but that doesn’t mean those who grew up with the cartoon series ... and even parents who didn’t can’t enjoy it too.
There is a lot of slapstick humour involved, which is appropriate for the offering.
I thought Chloë Grace Moretz brought the perfect amount of attitude to her role.
When I speak of that, I refer to her overall performance, not just in delivering her lines, but with her expressions too.
She is really the glue that binds this piece together in between animated scraps and scrapes.
I wasn’t as “sold” on the engaged couple, but Michael Peña performed “exasperated” well.
Ken Jeong is cast to type as the supercilious chef Jackie.
The writers could have further developed the role of Joy the Bellgirl (Patsy Ferran).
Overall though there are smiles aplenty and laughter to be had in this big screen adventure for a couple of traditional small screen stars. I speak, of course, about Tom and Jerry.
Rated G, Tom & Jerry scores a 7 out of 10.