The Cat's Me-Ouch

Okay, so this is still a long way from the brilliance of the early Hanna-Barbera cartoons, but it's a damn sight better than most of the Chuck Jones cartoons thus far, and waaaay more entertaining than any of Gene Deitch's abominations.

The Cat's Me-ouch sees Jerry ordering a vicious dog from a magazine (who knows where he got the cash from), that, on delivery, turns out to be no bigger than the mouse himself. Tom is pleasantly surprised, at least until the mutt proves his worth, his gnashers teaching the cat not to judge a dog by its size.

Yes, the gags are predictable, but the little dog is such a lovable little fellow, loyally protecting his owner from the nasty cat in a whirlwind of teeth, that the cartoon proves a whole lot of fun regardless. The animation is passable and the final gag a more than reasonable way to wrap things up (unlike some of the more abrupt endings of previous Chuck Jones T&J cartoons).

Directed by Chuck Jones this Tom and Jerry short sees Jerry ordering a vicious dog from a catalog and when it arrives it's a puny little dog but boy it sure gives Tom a HUGE beating! That little dog is definitely the real replacement of Spike from the Hanna-Barbera shorts! The gags here are classic Jones and it's definitely worth watching.

3(***)out of 4(****)stars

I am a huge Tom and Jerry fan, and I like Chuck Jones. While I prefer his Looney Tunes cartoons rather than his Tom and Jerry cartoons, apart from some disappointments I don't mind them. Are they as good as the Hanna Barbera cartoons? No, those cartoons are classics. But are they better than the Gene Dietch ones? To hell they are. The Cat's Me-Ouch is actually for me one of the better Chuck Jones-directed Tom and Jerry cartoons. The animation is not always brilliant, one or two parts are predictable and the story on the routine side. However, it moves briskly, has a good soundtrack and some interesting sight gags. Tom and Jerry are good value, but it is the dog who steals the show, a dog whose bite is bigger than his size. Overall, entertaining and above decent cartoon. 7/10 Bethany Cox