Catty-Cornered

Jerry pits Tom against a neighbouring cat who is also trying to catch the cunning mouse.

Although not quite as miserable as Gene Deitch's T&J cartoons, the Chuck Jones-produced episodes directed by Abe Levitow are fairly difficult to endure, with stale gags and shoddy animation (the backgrounds being particularly slapdash).

As Tom and the other cat raise the stakes to catch Jerry, they resort to using dynamite, cannons and hand grenades—very Chuck Jones, but not very Tom and Jerry.

3/10.

Being released immediately after "Cat & Dupli-Cat," this film immediately strikes one as a very lame rewrite: the second cat character's supposed to provide extra character interest (& hopefully, even upstage the two "stars" here, whom Jones never really got the hang of). But whereas in the first film the orange cat handily took the honors, this film's yellow cat has no such redeeming trait. He's rather insipid looking, and it's perhaps just as well little time was spent with him; this is largely due to the directorship (Jones handed direction to longtime Warner unit animator Abe Levitow for this one). There's very little to offset the fact this is yet another "potboiler" Jones apparently felt obliged to churn out for the new studio he was assigned to (and "potboiler" is a fatal attitude to take in the case of a once-classic cartoon series). And yet, Levitow shows a better grasp of the two star characters than Jones did in his film....so the former MUST be doing something right.

This is one of the later, '60's T&J shorts that features a heavy, jazzy soundtrack, bright animation colors, and sudden, over-dramatic physical movements. The plot is very simple. Jerry is frustrated because on one side of his wall lives Tom, fiercely protecting a huge round of cheese. On the other side of the wall lives yet another vicious, mouse-hating cat. Jerry has an epiphany: get the two cats to unknowingly attack each other through the wall.

The jokes from then on are all pretty predictable, but done in a very energetic, cheerful way that is thoroughly enjoyable. But that's all there is. No big surprises and no variation in plot. Just two cats shooting at each other through a wall until Jerry, of course, drives them both out of the house. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the cartoon's final joke; while cute, it oddly suggests that Jerry is either clueless or just cruel, and I don't like to think that he's either!

This is far from the worst Tom and Jerry cartoon but it is not the best either. Good things first, the soundtrack is very jazzy and upbeat, there are some good and clever gags and Tom, Jerry and the other cat are fun and likable characters and have good chemistry. Also it moves fairly quickly. However, while definitely not the worst-looking of their cartoons(Switchin' Kitten and Carmen Get It! I am looking at you!) the animation is not that great and the editing is rushed. Plus there isn't that much of a story, and when there is something happening it is Even Stevens, it works or it is too predictable. The cartoon is also too short, with a better thought out ending a minute longer would have sufficed. Overall, it is watchable but not brilliant. 6/10 Bethany Cox