The eternal chase between Tom and Jerry couldn’t be contained to a single unit family dwelling. They needed more space when they built up speed. So it’s naturally that their cat and mouse game would encompass the globe. Tom and Jerry: Around the World contains 22 cartoons that show off their international mayhem travels.
The mix of the 22 cartoons on this compilation DVD leans heavily to segments from Tom and Jerry Tales that ran from 2006 to 2008 on Kids’ WB. This sort of makes sense since the original theatrical cartoons made by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera were mostly American based. That’s not to say they didn’t take the cat and mouse out of the house. There are six selections from the early entries. “The Million Dollar Cat” has Tom inherit a fortune with the stipulation that he not hurt anything even a mouse. Jerry presses the cat hard into keeping his promise. They don’t leave the country. Tom does move on up to a Penthouse apartment in the sky with his fortune. “Neapolitan Mouse” ships the cat and mouse action to Italy. What can they possibly damage there? They hang out with a local mouse who saves them from Italian dogs. “Royal Cat Nap” and “The Two Mouseketeers” are part of the series when Tom and Jerry went to France. The little Nibbles Mouse gets wrapped up in the swashbuckling action. “Johann Mouse” tells the story of the waltzing mouse in Vienna. “Tom & Jerry in the Hollywood Bowl” is another musical episode at the famous outdoor musical venue.
The other 16 shorts are clipped from Tom and Jerry Tales. They naturally more modern in tone as they play off recent events. The best of the batch is “Monster Con” with Tom playing the assistant to Van Helsing. The duo are spoilsports at a monster convention. Tom forgets about the undead when Jerry is in the hotel. “Freaky Tiki” almost lets Tom go on a tropical vacation until Jerry spoils the tranquil beauty. “Spaced Out Cat” takes the chase into orbit. Also included are “Way-Off Broadway,” “Abracadumb,” “Martian Mice,” “Medieval Menace,” “Din-O-Sores,” “Invasion of the Body Slammers,” “I Dream of Meanie,” “Kitty Hawked, “Flamenco Fiasco,” “You’re Lion,” “Kangadoofus,” “Monkey Chow,” and “Treasure Map Scrap.”
Tom and Jerry: Around the World isn’t aimed at the hardcore animation collector. This is a mix DVD that’s aimed for a parent looking for something simple to put on the mini-van’s DVD player to keep a kid’s attention occupied. The mix does appear to serve that purpose quite well along with allowing kids only used to the classic Tom and Jerry cartoons rerun on Cartoon Network to see the updated cat and mouse action. You don’t need a passport to follow the action.
The video is 1.33:1 full frame. The few cartoons that were made in cinemascope are letterboxed to fit in the frame. The transfer quality is fine. The audio is Dolby mono for the classic cartoons and Dolby Surround for the Tom and Jerry Tales. There’s French and Spanish dub tracks.
No bonus features.
Tom and Jerry: Around the World mixes six classic shorts with 16 selections from the recent TV incarnation of the mouse and cat. This is aimed for kids.
Warner Home Video presents Tom and Jerry: Around the World. Starring: Tom, Jerry and Nibbles. Boxset contents: 22 shorts on 1 DVD. Released: May 1, 2012. Available at Amazon.com.
