Tom & Jerry: Cowboy Up!
review by Bobby Blakey
Like most from my generation I love all things Tom & Jerry. I can honestly say that I have loved or been entertained by pretty much every iteration that they have taken to this day. They have continued to dominate with not only the TV, but varying animated original films and a new feature film in 2021. Now they are back again for an all-new animated feature Tom & Jerry: Cowboy Up! featuring the voice talents of George Ackles, Sean Burgos, Trevor Devall, Chris Edgerly, Georgie Kidder, Justin Michael, Kaitlyn Robrock, Isaac Robinson Smith, Kath Soucie, Stephen, Fred Tatasciore and Kari Wahlgren. Could this latest film keep the magic of the dysfunctional duo in check or will they get lost on the range?
Tom & Jerry: Cowboy Up! follows Tom and Jerry on the ranch! This time, the rivals team up to help a cowgirl and her brother save their homestead from a greedy land-grabber, and they’re going to need some help! Jerry’s three precocious nephews are all ready for action, and Tom is rounding up a posse of prairie dogs. But can a ragtag band of varmints defeat a deceitful desperado determined to deceive a damsel in distress? No matter what happens with Tom and Jerry in the saddle, it’ll be a rootin’ tootin’ good time!
This latest feature takes the boys back to straight animation as they should be with a modern look to it, but still feels more like the world of Tom & Jerry. I am not a big fan of taking them out of the setting in the house for their conflicts, but I know when doing a film you got to try to step it up. This one doesn’t feel big so much, but really like an extended episode which is both and good. Doing this kind of story makes it about more than just Tom & Jerry which means their screen time is diminished to tell this story.
This isn’t a bad thing necessarily, but I have always felt they just work better as short form cartoons. Letting that mentality go this was still a fun animated feature that offered up some laughs and the usual zany antics. The two main villains had me cracking up just for seeming like they were based on Harvey Korman’s Hedley Lamar and Slim Pickens’ Taggert from Blazing Saddles. I don’t know if this was on purpose, but I choose to think it is and it was awesome.
Outside of Tom & Jerry who get to get in on their usual chaotic behavior it also brought along some of the other known cats and Jerry’s nephews to give it a bigger supporting cast with the humans. The new cast of prairie dogs are pretty fun with some musical numbers and helps to break up the human element that tends to take over. While fun it wasn’t great as I always hope for these two, but hardcore fans will no doubt enjoy it and even the younger audience will have a good time.
Decide for yourself and check out Tom & Jerry: Cowboy Up! when it hits DVD on January 25th from Warner Bros Home Entertainment.