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Tom & Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale
R1 - America - Warner Home Video Review written by and copyright: Pat Pilon (23rd December 2007). |
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The Show
 Inspired by the famous Christmas ballet, 'Tom & Jerry: A Nutcracker Tale' is their own take on the tale. In this story, Tom is sent by the Cat King (replacing the Mouse King of the ballet) to get Jerry (replacing Clara), after some magic transforms a theatre stage, Jerry's favorite place, into a kingdom. Jerry and his friends are trying to get to the Toymaker, who can help them reclaim the kingdom, which was taken over by the Cat King. A lot of music, lyrical animation and, well, pain ensue. I actually feel sorry for Tom at times. He's not the leader, he doesn't make any decisions, it's not his fault Jerry lost his kingdom, but he gets the brunt of every hit, fall and punch. I suppose people who are more familiar with Tom & Jerry will appreciate this more than I can. One thing I did appreciate was the animation and the music. The combination of both isn't as sophisticated as, say, 'Fantasia', but the animators and director did put a lot into it. Add to that that fact that they had to keep everything light and comedic, and the whole is pretty well done. There are many moments that should delight kids and adults alike. The movie is nothing special. It's not even 49 minutes long but it's light and enjoyable, and the music is taken directly from the Tchaikovsky ballet, making this very aurally pleasant. Tom & Jerry are fun to watch, and they entertain here, in a nice interpretation of the famous ballet.
Video
1.33:1 full screen. Given it's a recent production, the transfer is very nice. The colours are bright and vivid, and the lines are distinct and sharp. The contrast is also very strong. There aren't any print defects like speckling and scratching. Digital flaws are also non-existent, with edge enhancement and pixelation not being a problem. It's a very nice presentation.
Audio
English and French tracks are available, Dolby Digital 5.1 for the former and Dolby Digital 2.0 stereo for the latter. The 5.1 track is a very nice inclusion and really helps the movie, especially with the use of music. The music is mostly in the front speakers, but sometimes swells up the back ones, and envelops you in music. The dialogue is always centered and it always clear and clean. The various little effects are also in the centre, but are also clear. The volume levels are very nice, with nothing impeding on anything else. English subtitles are here.
Extras
Journey to the Toymaker is an interactive game, low on the interactivity. You have to navigate a maze to get Jerry and his friends to the Toymaker. Once you got to one goal, you see a clip from the movie, and you're onto the next goal. You can apparently put this into your DVD-ROM drive and go on a wilder trip, but I don't trust my computer at this point to try this out. Some Trailers are the only things left. 'Chill Out Scooby-Doo' (0:56), 'Tom and Jerry Tales, Vol. 3' (0:49), 'Christmas with Tom and Jerry and The Flintstones' (1:25) and 'Dennis the Menace' (0:43) are here, as well a as a start-up trailer for 'Christmas Television Favorites Collection' (1:18).
Overall
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