A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this movie.
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Educational Value
very little
Intended for entertainment purposes, but it may spark an interest in New York City.
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Positive Messages
some
Emphasizes importance of being honest (as well as facing the consequences of your lies), teamwork, and healthy communication in relationships. But conflict is frequently dealt with via violence.
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Positive Role Models
some
Despite constantly feuding, Tom and Jerry have a short truce and come together when it's going to benefit the other characters. They're persistent and dedicated -- to battling each other. Kayla is determined, hardworking, but also lies repeatedly at first about her qualifications and to a prospective job applicant. But she apologizes, proves herself reliable and trustworthy.
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Violence & Scariness
some
Lots of cat-and-mouse chases, injuries, slapstick action. Mostly Tom, but also Jerry and Spike get hurt in various ways, including getting hit by cars; smashing into doors, walls, windows, and trash cans; falling repeatedly to the ground (sometimes from very high up); getting electrocuted/hit by lightning; nearly being stomped on by elephants and chased by a tiger; etc. Use of weapons including axe, mallet, chainsaw, etc. A military-level drone goes rogue, starts terrorizing hotel guests (off-screen). Tom and Jerry wreak serious damage on hotel property. An agitated pair of elephants and a tiger scare guests. Alley cats threaten Tom on the street and in the pound, which is somewhat frightening (Tom and Jerry are thrown in a cage). Alley cats tell Tom he has to eat Jerry or they will.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
very little
A couple hugs and holds hands. On their wedding day, the married couple kisses. Two employees flirt with each other. Tom is in love with a female cat. Nonsexual "nudity": Jerry sits on a copier and makes photocopies of himself, including one of his butt.
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Language
a little
Insults like "He's a fraud!" and "They certainly wouldn't hire you," and "What a sucker." A fish thinks of a poop emoji in a thought bubble. A man makes a joke playing off the word "Wi-Fi" by saying "Why the 'Fi' not?" A couple of uses of "Oh my God" or "My God." Potty humor includes jokes about Spike's farts, as well as a scene of him doing his business (it's off-camera, but he's grunting, and the human walking him is disgusted and mentions all the burritos Spike ate, and having to "scoop the poop.").
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Products & Purchases
very little
Not much on-screen besides Martinelli's Apple Cider, but there are off-screen merchandising tie-ins to Tom and Jerry generally and to this version specifically.
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
a little
A few scenes at a hotel bar and of adults drinking champagne, wine, and co*cktails for dinner or receptions. Tom takes a sip and spits it out, Jerry sips too. In one scene, Tom and Jerry look like they're drinking a bottle of sparkling wine, but the label of sparkling apple cider is visible if you look closely. Jerry eats olives out of a martini glass.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Tom & Jerry is based on the classic Tom and Jerry franchise that constantly (and violently) pits a cartoon mouse and cat against each other. This Manhattan-set adventure -- a mix of computer-generated animation and live-action comedy -- has Jerry Mouse crossing paths with his rival Tom Cat while looking for a place to live. But the main storyline focuses on Kayla (Chloe Grace Moretz), a young woman who talks her way into a job at a posh hotel just before the wedding of the year. When Tom and Jerry take their antics to the hotel, chaos ensues. As in all Tom and Jerry outings, you can expect a lot of slapstick cartoon violence, with an added kick here because it's depicted against a live-action backdrop. There are tons of physical comedy sight gags, like characters (mostly Tom) getting electrocuted, hit by lightning, and then electrocuted again, or falling from telephone wires or high-rise windows, or smashing into any conceivable door, roof, window, etc. Tom is even hit by a car. Potty humor is also in the mix, courtesy of Spike the dog (he literally does his business, loudly, in a scene that shows everything but the actual poop). Language includes some insults and a couple of utterances of "my God," characters (both human and animal) are shown sampling drinks, and there's mild romance: Tom falls for a female cat, characters flirt, and a couple shares a wedding-day hug and kiss. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
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Tom & Jerry
Community Reviews
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- Parents say (8)
- Kids say (43)
age 7+
Based on 8 parent reviews
Jonathan F. Parent of 5-year-old
July 25, 2021
age 5+
Fun for the whole family.
Violence is sometimes extreme and senseless.
February 1, 2024
age 5+
Not the best, not the worst movie out there.
The Tom and Jerry Movie from 2021 just released on Netflix. It starts out with two storylines. One with girl who lost her job steals some highly qualified woman's resume and then gets the job she was going for at the hotel. Another is where Tom is repeatedly trying to break into the hotel, and Jerry lives in the hotel and steals a bunch of stuff. There are a few of the hotel workers who catch on that the main character, Kayla, isn't who she says she is. Kayla tries to catch the mouse to try to "make a good impression." She steps up to the plate to take this mouse-catching role by saying:"I'll catch it, sir. Him. Or her. It could be a female...I'm not gender biased. No, no. and I don't want to go by...No, no, it's fine. It's gender-fluid now." The overall plot line has the banter between Tom, Jerry, toots (the cat), and Spike (the dog). All the while, there is a high-profile wedding taking place between local celebrity Preeta Mehta, a pampered woman, and her fiancé Ben, who is worried about impressing Preeta's family. It has a mix of classic Tom and Jerry slapstick humor for the kids and a the wedding storyline for the parents.
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See all 8 parent reviews
What's the Story?
In TOM & JERRY -- which is live action except for all of the animals, who are animated (think Roger Rabbit) -- Jerry Mouse bumps into Tom Cat, who dreams of making it big as a pianist, while looking for housing in Manhattan. Jerry causes Tom's piano to break, and from then on it's war ... until Jerry sneaks into the fancy Royal Palace Hotel and takes up residence. Meanwhile, Kayla (Chloe Grace Moretz), who lost a job due to a run-in with Tom and Jerry, talks her way into a new gig at the Royal Palace on the events planning team, which is led by the stuffy Terence (Michael Peña). The hotel is hosting the wedding of socialite couple Preeta (Pallavi Sharda) and Ben (Colin Jost), so when Jerry is spotted, Kayla enlists Tom's help to capture the clever little mouse.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
Parents say (8):
Kids say (43):
The latest reboot of this decades-old franchise is neither clever enough to win over new fans nor nostalgic enough to engage the generations raised on the cat-and-mouse shenanigans. While only some of the straight-to-DVD Tom and Jerry cartoons have been better than decent, at least they center on the title characters, even when they're thrown into existing storylines like Robin Hood, The Wizard of Oz, or a big Sherlock Holmes or fairytale crossover. Here, however, Tom and Jerry are secondary characters -- and, what's worse, the main plot isn't especially entertaining, particularly for kids who aren't going to care about a millennial who's trying to keep her day job or a society couple's over-the-top wedding.
There's no doubt that younger kids may still enjoy the physical (if violent) shenanigans at the heart of the action, although it's possible some may feel slightly unsettled by seeing animals repeatedly hurting each other in a realistic, live-action environment. It's just not quite as funny as it is in a purely cartoon world. Despite the presence of well-known actors like Moretz, Peńa, and Jost, as well as Rob Delaney and Ken Jeong, Tom & Jerry's screenplay is flat and in no way shows off the cast's comedic talent. Just because kids will laugh at the chase scenes and poop jokes doesn't make the movie worthy of a family-night selection. Not that anyone was clamoring for it, but fans of this iconic duo deserve a reboot that's worth their time.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Tom & Jerry. Does the fact that everything is live-action except the animals affect the impact or portrayal of the violence?
Who, if anyone, do you think exemplifies positive character strengths? Which character strengths are highlighted in the movie?
Why do you think Tom and Jerry cartoons and movies continue to be made after so many years? How do you think the characters and their stories have aged with the times?
What other Hanna-Barbera cartoon characters would you like to see make a comeback?
Movie Details
- In theaters: February 26, 2021
- On DVD or streaming: February 26, 2021
- Cast: Chloe Grace Moretz, Michael Pena, Rob Delaney
- Director: Tim Story
- Inclusion Information: Black directors, Female actors, Latino actors
- Studio: Warner Bros.
- Genre: Family and Kids
- Topics: Cats, Dogs, and Mice
- Run time: 101 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG
- MPAA explanation: cartoon violence, rude humor and brief language
- Last updated: April 24, 2024
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