DVD Review: Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes

As a fan of the classic Tom and Jerry cartoons from MGM in the 1940s and '50s, I've often been disappointed in recent attempts to revitalize the series. Somehow shows like Tom and Jerry Kids in the early 1990s and Tom and Jerry Tales just a few years ago fail to capture the innocence and fun of the initial shorts from William Hanna & Joseph Barbera.

However, I am surprised and pleased to say that the recent release of the new Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes feature on DVD manages to capture more of the classic feel of the early antics of this cat and mouse pair while putting them in an entirely new storyline that also brings in many of their familiar friends along the way.

If you've been living in a cave for the last 70 years, Tom and Jerry first appeared in the short "The Midnight Snack" by Hanna and Barbera in 1941 after another of their shorts - "Puss Gets the Boot," released in 1940 - became a big hit with theater owners. From 1941 until until the end of their careers in 1958, Hanna and Barbera created more than 100 more Tom and Jerry cartoons for MGM. Since then, Tom and Jerry have been a mainstay on television enjoyed by several generations of viewers.

The basic premise behind most of the Tom and Jerry cartoons is that Tom, a lazy housecat with a taste for mice and a knack for getting into trouble, is constantly trying to catch Jerry, a little brown mouse with a mischievous streak and a taste for people food. Scattered throughout the many shorts, Hanna and Barbera created other unforgettable characters as well... Spike, a big not-so-bright bulldog, and his son Tyke... Butch, a rival tomcat who also wants to eat Jerry... Toodles, the beautiful and unattainable girl cat Tom falls in love with again and again... Tuffy, the always hungry little mouse that sometimes appears as Jerry's nephew who charges in where little mice should fear to tread... Droopy, the small but wily Basset Hound who speaks slowly and can, when angry, defeat the largest foes with ease... The list goes on and on.

Article Author: Fitz

Brian Fitzpatrick (aka "Fitz") is a software engineer and writer living in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with his wife, two daughters, two dogs, a cat, and two rats (new for Xmas 2010!) -- trying desperately to survive the chaos!

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