Writers: Various
Directors: Various
Cast: Jake D. Smith
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Bros.
Release Date: March 11, 2008
I don’t know what it is about Tom and Jerry, but I’ve never been quite as big a fan of them as I have of the other Warner Bros. cartoon characters. I don’t know if it is because they don’t talk or if because if you’ve seen someone get hit by a sledgehammer once, you’ve seen it a million times, but they just aren’t at the top of my favorites list. I guess this would make sense since I can only watch so many episodes of Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote for practically the same reason. Bring on the Tweety and Taz instead. At least they had some entertaining things to do, as did Bugs and Sylvester.
Nevertheless, Tom and Jerry are classics. I can respect them for what they are. Besides, my son really likes them. He’s the senseless violence in cartoon animals’ type. We don’t let him blow up animals in real life, nor does he seem to have any inclination to do so, but he does seem to enjoy the fake animals out violence-ing one another. Hey, to each their own. I know plenty of other kids who dig Tom and Jerry. As long as it’s not a show about blowing up a real cat I see no harm in it.
Then we entered the 21st Century. The whiny soccer moms got their say and boy did they bitch bitch bitch about the violence on television. Enter Tom and Jerry Tales on the WB. It’s a less violent version of the classic cartoon. My son still seems to enjoy it, but I can’t help but feel someone, somewhere made Warner Bros. suck the soul out of Tom and Jerry.
Release Information:
Tom and Jerry Tales is a show that airs on the CW’s Kids WB morning cartoon lineup. The first season of the show aired from late 2006 to early 2007. Now in its second season, Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 4 is a four episode DVD with 12 mini-sodes, in total. The episodes aired in September and October of 2007. Warner Bros. has decided to release Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 4 on March 11, 2008. I think it’s kind of shoddy that they don’t just release one season at a time, but that’s just me. Maybe they’ll end up offering a season pack, eventually, but until then, fans of the show must purchase these volume DVDs separately.
Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 4 will be available on its release date at online and offline retailers including Wal-Mart, Target, and Amazon. At Amazon, the DVD can be pre-ordered for $12.99. You can also purchase Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 1, Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 2 and Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 3 through the online retailer.
The Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 4 Plot
Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 4 is split up into four episodes with three mini-episodes in each 30-minute block. Frankly, it’s kind of a waste to only purchase a DVD with just 4 episodes, but that’s my opinion on the matter. If you’re a fan of the show then this may be your only way to own it.
The following mini-sodes are included on this disc:
“Zent out of Shape“
“I Dream of Meanie“
“Which Witch“
“More Powers to You“
“Catch Me Though You Can’t“
“Power Tom“
“Don’t Bring Your Pet to School Day“
“ Cat Show Catastrophe“
“The Cat Whisperer“
“Adventures in Penguin Sitting“
“Cat of Prey“
“Jungle Love“
If I had to pick a favorite, and this is hard because most of them were boring enough to not hold my interest, I’d have to say I enjoyed “I Dream of Meanie“ the most. In this episode, Tom, Jerry and Spike find a lamp with a genie in it. When Tom and Jerry end up in the bottle, things go awry. Other notable episodes include “Catch Me Though You Can’t“, where Jerry gets super-speed after being zapped by a zapper, much to Tom’s chagrin, “Power Tom”, where Tom is only able to be a superhero when he dresses up as a girl, aka Power Girl, and Jungle of Love was okay as well, where Tom gets in trouble in the jungle, especially when Jerry and a rhino show up, together.
While these still have Tom and Jerry antagonizing one another, there is that brother-sister love-hate vibe as opposed to a true cat and mouse vibe. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I can’t help feeling like the creators forgot the entire point of a cat and a mouse fighting one another. Cats like to eat mice, in painfully sadistic ways, and then carry them around as trophies. Mice, on the other hand, don’t want to be eaten. Jerry doesn’t want to be eaten so bad that he’s willing to do anything to get rid of Tom, even if that means blow him up, hit him with a pick axe, or drop a ton of bricks on his head. It’s not supposed to be realistic and happy go-lucky. It’s a WB cartoon after all!
The kids of today seem to love Tom and Jerry Tales. It’s still airing on the CW, after all. Still, many of these kids haven’t had the opportunity to fully enjoy the Tom and Jerry cartoons those of us enjoyed in the 80s. I’m sure that some parents are still complaining about the small amounts of violence in Tom and Jerry Tales, but not me. Honestly, I wish there was something more here. I gave this the rating I did simply because this is a kid’s site and kids seem to enjoy it. These kids are used to censorship in ways we never had to deal with when we were growing up, so most of them just don’t seem to notice the lameness of this series.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
As you would expect, Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 4 is presented in 1.33:1 full frames. This is the standard for cartoon DVDs (as I’ve said a million times before). There aren’t any visible errors. The colors are bright and vibrant. The animation is stellar. It looks as good as it does on television; maybe even better. Overall, the transfer is above average.
The soundtrack for Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 4 is available in an English Dolby Digital Stereo track and a French Dolby Digital Stereo track. I guess people in France really like Tom and Jerry Tales. There really isn’t a lot of dialogue since neither Tom nor Jerry speaks, but the music on both tracks is pretty cool. I checked them both out and liked them!
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Bonus Features:
There are absolutely ZERO bonuses included on Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 4. Thank Goodness for that. I wouldn’t want to have had to prolong my agony of such lameness.
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
If you have children, by all means, purchase Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 4. Most of the kids I know love the show. If you’re an adult and a fan of Tom and Jerry, you might want to skip the show and the Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 4 DVD offering. It simply isn’t as good as the original series. If you really want to enjoy Tom and Jerry, check out the various sets from the original cartoons that Warner Bros. has put out previously.
Overall Rating:
Technorati Tags: Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 4, Warner Bros, Cartoon, DVD Review, Animation
Written by Dominick Evans – Visit Website
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Dominick is in his late 20s. He lives in Michigan with his life partner, Ashtyn, their 14 year old son Robert, and their Shih-Tzu, Oliver. Dominick is a writer and the head editor for both LI Kids and Literary Illusions. He enjoys composing music and is an aspiring director/screenwriter. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, playing video games, watching movies, and singing.
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