Jerry's Cousin

Tom the cat is giving Jerry the mouse more trouble then usual, so he sends a telegram to his cousin Muscles to come help him as soon as possible. What a great violent (even for a Tom and Jerry cartoon) short. Definitely one of the classics in my mind. It was nominated for an Oscar as best animated short in 1951, but just like "Sunset Blvd." (the best picture nominee of the year), it was cheated out of winning by a less superior product. Stupid Academy Awards. This hilarious classic cartoon can be found on disc two of the Spotlight collection DVD of "Tom & Jerry"

My Grade: A+

A mouse named "Muscles?" Yup, he's here and just hearing that name makes you figure this is going to be a funny Tom and Jerry episode...and it is.

"Muscles" is a relative of Jerry's and gets the call when Tom is being unusually nasty to the mouse we all know. Muscles, a tough guy with a bowler hat, lives elsewhere and is so tough he beats up all the alley cats and is feared by them all.

Once he arrives at Tom and Jerry's place he wastes no time with our famous cat. He tells him plain as can be to stop messing with Jerry....or else. Tom realizes he's in for a battle and immediately begins to train with weights to build up his muscles.

The battle is on. Need I remotely suggest who wins?

Regardless of winners and losers, this was a very entertaining cartoon and actually not as violent as I've seen in many other T&J cartoons. The storyline is just that, but I thought the comedy routines, just as Tom literally turning into ten bowling pins and then back into a cat, were emphasized more than anything.

Apparently, Jerry the mouse has a tough cousin named Muscles who is so strong that he can take on several alley-cats in a fight without breaking a sweat. Quite why Jerry has never called on his cousin's services in the past I don't really know, but in this cartoon he finally writes to the hard-nut rodent for help.

Jerry's Cousin is the antithesis of T&J cartoons like The Milky Waif or Little Quacker, in which Jerry protected cute little sidekicks Nibbles the mouse and Quacker the duck: here it is Jerry who is in need of a bodyguard, but this little twist on a familiar formula doesn't prevent this from being yet another rather mediocre offering from the popular cat and mouse duo.

5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

'Jerry's Cousin (1951)' is among the best 'Tom & Jerry' shorts. It's highly entertaining and often very funny. The concept, as you'd imagine, revolves around Jerry's cousin, Muscles, coming over to make sure Tom stays in his place. This relationship is similar, in some regards, to the dynamic that Spike brings into play. Indeed, Muscles is perhaps the series' most iconic side-character aside from the aforementioned bull dog. The short is, essentially, a series of gags about how tough Muscles is. This isn't an issue, though, as each of them are well-animated and inventive. The piece provides chuckles throughout and is very entertaining. It's great. 8/10

This short, nominated for an Oscar, features Tom almost at his worst. In an act of self-preservation, Jerry cals upon his cousin (the very well-named Muscles) for his help. At times, I almost feel sorry for Tom (almost). Tom more or less gets what he deserves here and, were he not a cartoon, would very likely not survive his encounter here with "Jerry's Cousin". Cartoon Network shows this one fairly frequently. Highly recommended.