That said, the Tom and Jerry: The Chuck Jones Collection is very entertaining and worth seeing for anyone who enjoys the chaos and humor of the eternal Tom and Jerry chase. And it's wonderful to see them in glorious widescreen format, as there are details on the outskirts of every frame that were lost when the shorts were converted for regular television.
In addition, this two-DVD collection includes two features - "Tom and Jerry... and Chuck" and "Chuck Jones: Memories of a Childhood".
"Tom and Jerry... and Chuck" is an older documentary of the history of these three animation icons narrated by June Foray, a star from the world of animation voice overs (as Granny from Tweety and Sylvester, Rocky the Flying Squirrel and Natasha from Rocky and Bullwinkle, and many many others). The documentary covered the very beginnings of Tom and Jerry from creators Hanna and Barbera at MGM up through the Jones era. It was interesting to hear the great Jones talk about taking over the classic duo. His perspective is unique, coming from the same golden age of animation as Hanna and Barbera, but as a "risk taker" able to do more with the characters.
"Chuck Jones: Memories of a Childhood" is a more recent documentary from Turner Classic Movies and Warner Brothers, directed by Peggy Stern. Merging hand-drawn animation and interviews with Jones works beautifully. Jones had a very visual imagination, which translated into his art style. The documentary begins with Jones' birth in 1912 and works through his childhood watching classic movies starring Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, and others as he grew up on Sunset Boulevard. Once he learned to read and draw, all the pieces were in place. His amazing skills of observation, his imagination, and his love for comedy naturally bloomed into many of the cartoons I will love to the end of my days. I truly appreciated gaining a bit more insight into Jones' life.
Though these Tom and Jerry cartoons may lack a bit of the spirit of the first wave of the duo from Hanna-Barbera, Jones' work will leave a lasting impression on the world of animation. It's hard to imagine a world without Chuck Jones and is still a ton of fun to watch his take on Tom and Jerry in this collection of cartoons. Tom and Jerry: The Chuck Jones Collection would be a great addition to the library of any lover of classic animation. Be sure to pick it up at your favorite retailer.
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