Surf-Bored Cat

Surf-bored cat right from the beginning looks really good. The only bad thing i can say about the animation is that Tom still looks quite odd (as with most Jones' cartoons). There are some nice sight gags (the one with the gravestone was really nice and creative). Tom is a cocky bastard in this one, but you still have to like him. It's probably the only time, when i liked the shark character, he was quite funny. By far the best thing about this cartoon is the amazing music by Dean Eliott. It's the best music i've ever heard from T&J cartoon. I like it so much that when I was a kid, I remember listening to it for hours ( i barely even watched the cartoon). It isn't a masterpiece, because it's way too short (barely passes 6 minutes) and as i've said Tom looks odd. Anyway, one of Jones' best!

The surfing craze was big in the '60s so naturally Tom and Jerry, desperate to retain a fan-base, wanted a piece of the action. In Surf-Bored Cat, T&J take a cruise to a tropical paradise where the waves are big but so are the sharks.

Yup, it's that bloody shark again, this time trying to chow down on Tom as he catches some swell. I didn't like the badly drawn fish the last couple of times he cropped up and I don't like him here either. In addition to the toothy terror of the deep, Tom also has trouble with a starfish that latches onto the cat's head. Laugh, I almost did.

As with most of director Abe Levitow's Tom and Jerry cartoons, the backgrounds are sketchy, the animation less than great, and the gags predictable.

3.5 out of 10, rounded up to 4 for the twangy surf music.

These later Tom & Jerry shorts directed by Abe Levitow all have a snappy, bright feel to them. They're excessively sound tracked in a way that today sounds a bit dated, but if you give it a chance, it's fun and brisk, and I always feel giddy when Tom goes *spat!* against something hard and the music plays a loud, jazzy "foo-whou-wow!" There's no real plot here -- Tom wants to surf but is repeatedly thwarted by some silly obstacle. The funniest one here is the starfish stuck to Tom's head that has its own expressions as well as complimenting Tom's. Yeah, it's not as good as the T&Js from the 40's, but it's cute and clever and very colorful, and a fun way to pass 6 minutes of your life.

I wouldn't dare call this the best Tom and Jerry cartoon, because it isn't. It isn't even one of the better Tom and Jerry cartoons, but there are much worse, especially Switchin' Kitten and Carmen Get It! The animation I had mixed feelings on, there are some nice colourful backgrounds, but the characters especially Tom are drawn in a somewhat odd way. The story isn't always as engaging as it could have been, and the pacing isn't as secure. However, the music is wonderful and due to the clever gags it is very funny.

So overall, it is not a complete waste of time, but on the other hand it is not exceptional either. 7/10 Bethany Cox