Matt's Thoughts on Tom and Jerry

MattTheSpongeFanatic

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So originally I was going to post my opinions on this thread but I actually have a lot of things to share so this is my own thread for my Tom and Jerry ratings! :D

Starting in order, I will rate the Hanna-Barbera era. (I will update this thread whenever I have time.)

Hanna-Barbera era- My favorite era, it had the best jokes in the entire series. The first 79 are the best but after "Life with Tom" the quality did decline. Still the best era though.

Top 5:

5. Mouse in Manhattan (19)
(Jerry is by himself in this short but it is hilarious)
4. Mice Follies (85) (One of the later cartoons but also one of the funniest, it's also pretty creative)
3. The Flying Cat (63) (Very funny and one of the first Tom and Jerry cartoons I watched so it's kinda special for me.)
2. The Bowling Alley Cat (7) (Funny as well)
1. Tee For Two (20) (The funniest. Tom goes golfing and Jerry decides to ruin his day and some of the jokes are really funny in this one.)

Bottom 5 (not including the remakes):

5. Puppy Tale (80)
(Not too bad but not funny)
4. Happy Go Ducky (110) (Quacker is annoying and not as funny as his previous appearances)
3. Busy Buddies (100) (Not funny)
2. Neapolitan Mouse (86) (I found this one to be really boring.)
1. Tot Watchers (114) (The last Hanna-Barbera T&J cartoon and also the worst. It is pretty much the same as Busy Buddies (which was short 100) and not funny at all. Tom and Jerry even get arrested at the end for no reason! Not a good way to end the era.)

Overall this was my favorite era of Tom and Jerry. I hope to get to reviewing the next eras sometime soon.
 

SpongeyMind

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So originally I was going to post my opinions on this thread but I actually have a lot of things to share so this is my own thread for my Tom and Jerry ratings! :D

Starting in order, I will rate the Hanna-Barbera era. (I will update this thread whenever I have time.)

Hanna-Barbera era- My favorite era, it had the best jokes in the entire series. The first 79 are the best but after "Life with Tom" the quality did decline. Still the best era though.

Top 5:

5. Mouse in Manhattan (19)
(Jerry is by himself in this short but it is hilarious)
4. Mice Follies (85) (One of the later cartoons but also one of the funniest, it's also pretty creative)
3. The Flying Cat (63) (Very funny and one of the first Tom and Jerry cartoons I watched so it's kinda special for me.)
2. The Bowling Alley Cat (7) (Funny as well)
1. Tee For Two (20) (The funniest. Tom goes golfing and Jerry decides to ruin his day and some of the jokes are really funny in this one.)

Bottom 5 (not including the remakes):

5. Puppy Tale (80)
(Not too bad but not funny)
4. Happy Go Ducky (110) (Quacker is annoying and not as funny as his previous appearances)
3. Busy Buddies (100) (Not funny)
2. Neapolitan Mouse (86) (I found this one to be really boring.)
1. Tot Watchers (114) (The last Hanna-Barbera T&J cartoon and also the worst. It is pretty much the same as Busy Buddies (which was short 100) and not funny at all. Tom and Jerry even get arrested at the end for no reason! Not a good way to end the era.)

Overall this was my favorite era of Tom and Jerry. I hope to get to reviewing the next eras sometime soon.
Pretty solid list
 

MattTheSpongeFanatic

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Gene Deitch era- Some people loathe this era, some people love it, but personally I'm in between. The first few shorts were terrible, but towards the end, the era did get better and better. There was also something about each short that made it unique from the other eras, plus it's pretty impressive how well-made some of the shorts are (especially the later shorts) with a budget much smaller than the Hanna-Barbera era budget.

Top 5:

5. Calypso Cat (121)
(Good backgrounds, music, plot, and atmosphere to it. When I first watched it when I was little I actually thought it was a Hanna-Barbera short because of its quality.)
4. Buddies Thicker than Water (126) (In this short, Tom and Jerry actually become friends, although only for a short amount of time. The music is sweet and honestly this is one of the better made Gene Deitch shorts. I want to put this higher up on the list but it's on the more boring side though and had less jokes.)
3. The Tom and Jerry Cartoon Kit (123) (Falling short of being #2 on the list, this is one of my favorites. Even though Deitch created this to show how "stupid" the Tom and Jerry cartoons are, it's one of the best because of how it references the show itself. Even though the animation is not the best (the backgrounds are plain colors for most of the short), it still has a lot of solid jokes to back it up.)
2. Tall in the Trap (124) (A fun, Western short with some great jokes as well as a solid beginning. Fun fact: Tedd Pierce, which was originally a Looney Tunes writer for Robert McKimson, was a writer for this short, which likely contributed to its higher quality than the previous shorts.)
1. Carmen Get It! (127) (The last Gene Deitch cartoon, which is also the best. Deitch got the hang of making the cartoons (couldn't find a better phrase) by the last few shorts so this one ended up being the best. I'm a fan of the musical shorts so this one is my favorite from this era.)

Bottom 5:

5. It's Greek to Meow! (117)
(Okay short but not as good as most other shorts.)
4. Down and Outing (116) (While not as bad as the other abusive owner shorts, Tom definitely deserved a win at the end but Jerry decided to ruin it all... again.)
3. Sorry Safari (125) (Tom's abusive owner and Jerry's forced win at the end makes this a terrible short.)
2. High Steaks (118) (Unwatchable because of Tom's abusive owner.)
1. Switchin' Kitten (115) (This time, the first short in the era happens to be the worst, and there's a reason for that. It did take some time to get used to producing Tom and Jerry shorts so this one was more "experimental" with the series. Unfortunately, it is NOT GOOD at all. There is little music, creepy sound effects, weird jokes, and that scientist makes the strangest noises. The era did get better from here though and it was an okay starting point.)

Anyways tomorrow I will rank the Chuck Jones shorts next. Thanks for reading.
 

Squidward1999

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Also another fun fact, Gene Deitch stated that he could have done more Tom and Jerry cartoons had it not been for William Snyder getting fired? from MGM and replaced (also remember that these cartoons were produced in the iron curtain Czechoslovakia and how that country at the time was connected to communism)...
 

Bigsmoker

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Great! I am glad to see Tom and Jerry discussion here!
Hanna-Barbera era is surely the best one.
I love your choices because we have pretty similar opinion.
Top 5 episodes:
5. Blue Cat Blues(103)
4. Cat Fishin'(27
3. The Night Before Christmas(03)
2. The Hollywood Bowl(52)
1. Tee for Two(20)

Worst 5 episodes:
5. Pecos Pest(96)
4. Fraidy Cat(04)
3. Busy Buddies(100)
2. Mucho Mouse(108)
1. Johann Mouse(75)
I think that only the 1 is bad and boring. The rest are at least fine.
Overall - 10/10 for me.

Gene Deitch Era - my second favorite era of Tom and Jerry. It is really special and unique and very nostlgic for me.
Top 5 episodes:
5. Buddies Thicker Than Water(126).
4. Tall in the Trap(124).
3. Cartoon Kit(123).
2. High Steaks(118).
1. Down and Outing(116).

Top 5 worst:
5. Landing Stripling(120)
4. Carmen Get It(127)
3. Sorry Safari(125)
2. Mouse Into Space(119)
1. Calypso Cat(121).

I think they all are good but my least favorite.
Overall - 9/10 for this era.
 

SpongeyMind

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Great! I am glad to see Tom and Jerry discussion here!
Hanna-Barbera era is surely the best one.
I love your choices because we have pretty similar opinion.
Top 5 episodes:
5. Blue Cat Blues(103)
4. Cat Fishin'(27
3. The Night Before Christmas(03)
2. The Hollywood Bowl(52)
1. Tee for Two(20)

Worst 5 episodes:
5. Pecos Pest(96)
4. Fraidy Cat(04)
3. Busy Buddies(100)
2. Mucho Mouse(108)
1. Johann Mouse(75)
I think that only the 1 is bad and boring. The rest are at least fine.
Overall - 10/10 for me.

Gene Deitch Era - my second favorite era of Tom and Jerry. It is really special and unique and very nostlgic for me.
Top 5 episodes:
5. Buddies Thicker Than Water(126).
4. Tall in the Trap(124).
3. Cartoon Kit(123).
2. High Steaks(118).
1. Down and Outing(116).

Top 5 worst:
5. Landing Stripling(120)
4. Carmen Get It(127)
3. Sorry Safari(125)
2. Mouse Into Space(119)
1. Calypso Cat(121).

I think they all are good but my least favorite.
Overall - 9/10 for this era.
any thoughts on chuck?
 

MattTheSpongeFanatic

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Great! I am glad to see Tom and Jerry discussion here!
Hanna-Barbera era is surely the best one.
I love your choices because we have pretty similar opinion.
Top 5 episodes:
5. Blue Cat Blues(103)
4. Cat Fishin'(27
3. The Night Before Christmas(03)
2. The Hollywood Bowl(52)
1. Tee for Two(20)

Worst 5 episodes:
5. Pecos Pest(96)
4. Fraidy Cat(04)
3. Busy Buddies(100)
2. Mucho Mouse(108)
1. Johann Mouse(75)
I think that only the 1 is bad and boring. The rest are at least fine.
Overall - 10/10 for me.

Gene Deitch Era - my second favorite era of Tom and Jerry. It is really special and unique and very nostlgic for me.
Top 5 episodes:
5. Buddies Thicker Than Water(126).
4. Tall in the Trap(124).
3. Cartoon Kit(123).
2. High Steaks(118).
1. Down and Outing(116).

Top 5 worst:
5. Landing Stripling(120)
4. Carmen Get It(127)
3. Sorry Safari(125)
2. Mouse Into Space(119)
1. Calypso Cat(121).

I think they all are good but my least favorite.
Overall - 9/10 for this era.
I actually wanted to put down Johann Mouse and Fraidy Cat in my worst 5 for the Hanna-Barbera era because I remember them being boring as well. Anyways, nice opinions and interesting how you put High Steaks and Down and Outing in your top 5 for the Gene Deitch era... that's uncommon but cool...
 

MattTheSpongeFanatic

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Time to rate the Chuck Jones era! :D

Chuck Jones era- The last era of classic Tom and Jerry, also the most interesting. I am fond of this era because it carries along Chuck Jones's cartoon style from his Looney Tunes cartoons. In fact, his entire crew (even Mel Blanc) worked on these Tom and Jerry shorts, which made them so interesting. Sure, it may not be as good as Jones's Looney Tunes shorts, but there is something about these shorts that I like so much. It could be Tom and Jerry's cute new designs, or just the charm these cartoons have. The quality did go down at the last few cartoons of this era, though... they began reusing plots and settings and the cartoons got shorter. Still, this is one of my favorite Tom and Jerry eras.

Top 5:

5. Cannery Rodent (156)
(One of the later Chuck Jones T&J shorts but still very funny, mostly because of its setting. Tom and Jerry are chasing each other around Cannery Row and Tom always manages to piss of a shark one way or another.)
4. Cat and Dupli-Cat (152) (Here, Tom is in a rivalry with another cat as they compete for Jerry in a port, similar to Catty Cornered (151), not to be confused with the Tweety short in Looney Tunes. Other than some creative jokes, Tom and Jerry also sing stuff in the beginning and the end. Overall a balanced and solid short.)
3. Duel Personality (143) (The best Chuck Jones T&J cartoon in terms of jokes. Tom and Jerry decide to formally duel against each other using all sorts of weapons like bows and arrows, swords, and slingshots. The slingshot sequence is one of the funniest scenes in ANY cartoon ever and if you have time just watch that part because it's that amazing.)
2. Pent-House Mouse (128) (The first Jones T&J cartoon and also one of the best. Unlike Deitch, Jones understood Tom and Jerry much better since he had more experience directing cartoons like these. It has great jokes and also reuses the Wile E. Coyote Canyon Fall Gag. Other than that this is a hilarious short.)
1. Tom-ic Energy (135) (This short is just amazing. It has hilarious jokes, great music, and fast pacing throughout. Some of the jokes in this short have been reused from Looney Tunes: There is a variation of the Wile E. Coyote canyon fall used, a gag where Tom and Jerry stop at a traffic light to watch other cats chasing mice passing by, and there is even a cat that has a personality similar to Pepe Le Pew. However, it still has the Tom and Jerry feeling to it and overall it's a great funny short. I might even do an analysis of this short sometime because there is so much in this one that I want to discuss.)

Bottom 5:

5. Is There a Doctor in the Mouse? (130)
(I keep on forgetting this short exists plus it's not that funny as well.)
4. Haunted Mouse (138) (Bland. It had an interesting concept where Jerry's magical cousin visits, but it ends up being really boring and the plot is executed badly.)
3. Guided Mouse-ille (154) (This short is just weird. It's the second in the "Tom and Jerry in Space" series but it's not as good as you think. While the first was good, this one fails to replicate the original. It has a crappily made title, crappy jokes, and a crappy ending that makes no sense at all.)
2. Advance and Be Mechanized (160) (The third in the "Tom and Jerry in Space" series and also the worst. It reuses a lot of backgrounds and jokes from the first two in the T&J in Space series, and it's too short as well. The opening credits take like a minute to get through so really it's only about 5 minutes of actual cartoons, and in the end it's not even that good.)
1. Shutter Bugged Cat (159) / Matinee Mouse (149) (Both of these are together since they are compilation films. Unlike the compilations from Hanna-Barbera Tom and Jerry, these do not have any new animation and are made up of entirely reused footage (except for the beginning and ending). Plus, the footage seems scrambled together and it's also lazily done as well. However, at least it's good to know that Jones acknowledges the original Tom and Jerry directors so it's not too bad.)

Next up, The Tom and Jerry Show (1975). Yes, I actually watched that and it's not as bad as most people say it is. Stay tuned.
 

MattTheSpongeFanatic

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Some Screenshots from "Tom-ic Energy", my favorite Chuck Jones short

This short has a lot of interesting parts to it and here are some pictures of the jokes and characters used.

1643066552962.png
Does these people sound familiar? This is the credits to the short.
1643066607985.png
The Canyon Fall Gag used in this short. (Tom later gets sliced at the end from the railings.)
1643066657537.png
I swear I could've seen a joke like this used in a Looney Tunes short... I cannot recall the name though.
1643066704743.png
Here, a manhole cover lands on Tom's foot, causing him to scream in pain. The scream is absolutely HILARIOUS, as it sounds half like a scream and half like a horn.
1643066763555.png
Here, the brown cat thinks Tom is a woman and flirts with him. He speaks in French and in the end Tom scratches his body to shreds. Does this remind you of Pepe Le Pew? I bet Jones thought of him when he wrote this scene.

Anyway that's all I wanted to share for this cartoon. It's definitely interesting and I recommend you watch it at least once because it definitely captures what a Tom and Jerry Jones cartoon looks like.
 

SpongeyMind

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Some Screenshots from "Tom-ic Energy", my favorite Chuck Jones short

This short has a lot of interesting parts to it and here are some pictures of the jokes and characters used.

View attachment 14944
Does these people sound familiar? This is the credits to the short.
View attachment 14945
The Canyon Fall Gag used in this short. (Tom later gets sliced at the end from the railings.)
View attachment 14946
I swear I could've seen a joke like this used in a Looney Tunes short... I cannot recall the name though.
View attachment 14947
Here, a manhole cover lands on Tom's foot, causing him to scream in pain. The scream is absolutely HILARIOUS, as it sounds half like a scream and half like a horn.
View attachment 14948
Here, the brown cat thinks Tom is a woman and flirts with him. He speaks in French and in the end Tom scratches his body to shreds. Does this remind you of Pepe Le Pew? I bet Jones thought of him when he wrote this scene.

Anyway that's all I wanted to share for this cartoon. It's definitely interesting and I recommend you watch it at least once because it definitely captures what a Tom and Jerry Jones cartoon looks like.
I gotta agree with Tomic energy, but i like Haunted mouse
 
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