Everyone’s favorite cat and mouse duo are back for an all-new wintertime adventure. The small town of Goodbury is known for its friendly fare, neighborly good will and Mount Felicity, also known as “Old Smiley” because its twin peaks look like they’re smiling down on everything. It’s also said that the snow from this mountain contains magic. Doctor Doublevay (Stephen Stanton) owns the best toy store in town, offering the most high-tech toys and gadgets. Mrs. LePage (Laraine Newman) owns a small shop next door, but believes in more classic toys. However, her sales are down and she’s in danger of defaulting on her loan, and Doctor Doublevay is eagerly waiting to snatch up her property when she does. Mrs. LePage plans to throw a big party to promote the release of her new toy, Snow Buds.
Living in the walls of Mrs. LePage’s shop is mouse Jerry and his enthusiastic nephew Tuffy (Kath Soucie). As The Great Tuffini prepares to throw a magic show for the local kids at the toy launch party, he builds a snow mouse that looks just like the Snow Buds. When the snow mouse magically comes to life, Tuffy names him Larry (Kevin Michael Richardson). Larry is a bit dim, but just as fun-loving as Tuffy. When Doublevay sees Larry, he thinks that Mrs. LePage has built her own high-tech toy, and sends his cat, Tom, to retrieve it so he can study the technology. Meanwhile, Tuffy has noticed that as the temperature gets warmer, Larry is starting to melt, so Tuffy, Jerry and Larry head off on a trek towards Snowman’s Land, a fabled magical village atop the mountain, where things will be cooler.
Tom and Jerry: Snowman’s Land feels like three 22+ minute stories linked together. The first section is about trying to save Mrs. LePage’s store, the second section is a road trip/chase story, and the final part is about the land on top of the mountain. While labeled a Tom and Jerry story, the film is far more about Tuffy and Larry—probably because these characters actually speak, and it would be tough to do 70+ minutes of Tom and Jerry gesturing and chasing after one another. Along the journey to the top of the mountain to save Larry, we get several musical numbers (usually with some sort of positive message for viewers), and the gang encounters a host of other odd characters, including a Snow Cop (Kimberly Brooks), Snow Mayor (Regi Davis), a wild dog named Butch (Joey D’Auria) and his territorial pals, a blue-nosed mule/reindeer Floyd (Carlos Alazraqui), and many more.
I think this film will appeal more to younger viewers. Personally, I enjoyed the three shorts included in the bonus material more than the film itself—probably because they are more like the classic show I grew up with, following Tom and Jerry and their usual hilarious hijinks as they constantly try to one-up one another. The film itself has a couple of Tom and Jerry chase scenes, but this quickly takes a back seat to the rest of what’s going on with Tuffy and Larry. While Jerry does join the other two on their road trip—and there’s some fun moments involving Jerry’s precious sportscar—Tom feels like he’s hardly in the movie at all.
Warner Bros. has released this new film on DVD and Digital. Even though the only disc option is SD, the picture quality is quite good, with a very clean and colorful picture and a solid level of detail that I don’t feel would look any better in HD. The audio track provides a 5.1 option, but dialogue is generally relegated to the center channel, with the ever-present score filling up the surround sound. There is also the occasional use of the rear channel to help add some ambiance, such as the sounds of a blustering wind or snow storm.
The DVD disc is placed inside a standard-sized DVD case, without a slipcover or digital copy included. The disc also contains three holiday-themed Tom and Jerry shorts from the various TV iterations of the series. These three shorts felt more Christmas-related to me than the actual film.
What’s Included:
- 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 1.78:1
- Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1, French Dolby Digital 5.1, Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish* (*Special Features Only)
- Tom and Jerry Comedy Show: “Snowbrawl” (7:33)
Tom is trying to enjoy a nap by the fire but Jerry is playing a loud video game (Pong) on the TV. The usual hijinks ensue as they take turns locking each other outside in the cold. Presented in 4:3 full frame format, first aired February 7, 1981. - Tom and Jerry Tales: “Ho Ho Horrors” (7:34)
As the pair settle down to bed on the night before Christmas, Jerry enters Tom’s dream to team up with himself against Tom’s evil machinations. Presented in 4:3 full frame format, first aired December 4, 2006. The animation looks a bit glossier and more modern. - The Tom and Jerry Show: “The Plight Before Christmas” (11:05)
Tom and Jerry call a truce for the holiday season. Tom’s witch owners arrive home and send Tom out in a blistering storm to get a tree before Santa arrives, but Tom accidentally turns Santa into a Christmas cookie using magic from the witches’ wand and must figure out how to turn him back before the witches notice (or eat the cookie). In the meantime, Tom and Jerry must fill in for Santa. Presented in 16:9 widescreen format, first aired July 16, 2014. The animation style is a little more classic-looking than the previous short.
Film: (1:15:57)
Extras:
Includes three bonus Tom & Jerry shorts.
Final Thoughts:
Tom and Jerry: Snowman’s Land provides a fun new animated wintertime adventure, with some catchy musical numbers. However, it is far more focused on Tuffy and Larry the snowman rather than titular characters Tom and Jerry. Warner Bros.’ DVD release looks and sounds great, and also includes three entertaining Tom and Jerry Christmas-themed shorts. The film is worth a look, but will probably appeal more to younger viewers.
Tom and Jerry Snowman’s Land (DVD)
45% Off $19.98 $10.99 (as of November 15, 2024 18:53 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Tom & Jerry: Snowman’s Land
(as of November 15, 2024 18:53 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
