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Review: "Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure" Goes to Disneyland

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 73 (of 2013) by Leroy Douresseaux

Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure (2013) – straight-to-video
Running time:  57 minutes
PRODUCERS/DIRECTORS:  Spike Brandt and Tony Cervone
WRITER:  Paul Dini
EDITOR:  Kyle Stafford
COMPOSER: Michael Tavera
ANIMATION STUDIO:  Yearim Productions Co. Ltd.

ANIMATION/FANTASY/COMEDY and ADVENTURE/FAMILY/MUSICAL

Starring:  (voices) Jacob Bertrand, Grey DeLisle, Garrison Keillor, Paul Reubens, Tom Wilson, Kath Soucie, Joe Alaskey, John DiMaggio, Phil LaMarr, and Richard McGonagle

Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure is a 2013 animated direct-to-video film starring the famous cartoon cat and mouse duo, Tom and Jerry.  Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, this film offers a Tom and Jerry spin on the fairy tale, Jack and the Beanstalk.  In Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure, the cat and mouse duo help a boy try to save his family’s theme park.

Once upon a time, Joe Bradley opened Storybook Town, a fairy tale-inspired theme park.  “Where dreams come true if you believe” became Bradley’s motto for the park.  He shared his dream with his wife, Violet (Grey DeLisle), and eventually with their son, Jack (Jacob Bertrand).  After Joe died, however, Storybook Town fell on hard times.

Now, Tom and Jerry are the last animals living in Storybook Town, but they are faithful servants of Jack.  The boy and his mother are desperate to save the park from the machinations of Mr. Bigley (Tom Wilson), a greedy billionaire and owner of Bigley’s Super Strip Malls.  Bigley wants to demolish Storybook Town and turn the property into a strip mall (what else?).

Jack believes some mysterious magical beans will help him save the park, but all they do is take him and Tom and Jerry to Fairyland.  There, the trio discovers that its denizens are also under the boot of a greedy bully, a giant named Mr. Ginormous (Tom Wilson).  Can Tom and Jerry stop their feuding long enough to join Jack in his bid to help the people of Fairyland and to maybe save Storybook Town?

Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure starts off a bit melancholy, with its themes of death, decay, and poverty.  Plus, the story’s allusions to Walt Disney and Disneyland are a little off-putting – to me, at least.  Is this an homage or sly dig?  However, once the story gains a clear sense of purpose and the heroes have a goal (or goals), the movie becomes a bright adventure that radiates with hope.

As for as the production values, the animation is on par with recent Tom and Jerry films, but the art direction is not special.  The character animation on Mr. Ginormous is the standout in this movie.

A number of Tom and Jerry’s fellow MGM animated characters make their usual appearances:  Droopy Dog (Joe Alaskey), Barney Bear (Richard McGonagle), Screwy Squirrel (Paul Reubens), Spyke and Tyke (Phil LaMarr), etc.  I must say that these are not the best versions of the characters, and they have been put to better use in other Tom and Jerry flicks.  The classic MGM sexpot character, “Red,” appears in this movie as Red Fairy (Grey DeLisle), but she is a tepid version of her red-hot self, but still manages to be a little risqué.  Radio legend and spoken word artist, Garrison Keillor, gives voice to the character, Farmer O’Dell.  I can’t say that his performance does anything particularly special for this film, but Keillor’s presence does strike an odd note.

Strangely, the thing that really appeals to me is this film’s sense of hope and perseverance.  In Tom and Jerry’s Giant Adventure, there is the sparkle of magic to go with the movie’s spark of hope.  I found myself really believing in miracles, and for me, that makes what could have been an average movie a little special.

6 of 10
B

Tuesday, October 29, 2013


The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm" is Better Than Some Live-Action Batman Movies (Happy B'day, Kevin Conroy)

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 239 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux


Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993) – animated
Running time: 76 minutes (1 hour, 16 minutes)
MPAA - PG for animated violence
DIRECTORS: Eric Radomski and Bruce Timm
WRITERS: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, Martin Pasko, and Michael Reeves; from a story by Alan Burnett (based upon characters appearing in DC Comics and Batman created by Bob Kane)
PRODUCERS: Benjamin Melniker and Michael E. Uslan
EDITOR: Al Breitenbach

ANIMATION/SUPERHERO/ACTION/MYSTERY with elements of drama

Starring: (voices) Kevin Conroy, Dana Delany, Mark Hamill, Hart Bochner, Stacy Keach, Jr., Abe Vigoda, Dick Miller, John P. Ryan, Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Bob Hastings, Robert Costanzo, and Marilu Henner

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is a 1993 animated superhero feature film. It is a spin-off from the Batman: The Animated Series, the Emmy Award-winning television series that ran from 1992 to 1995.

There is a new killer in Gotham City, a costumed murder dubbed The Phantasm (Stacy Keach, Jr.) who murders a group of crime bosses. Because of the killer’s dark appearance, he is mistaken for Batman (Kevin Conroy). An ambitious city councilman, Arthur Reeves (Hart Bochner), sends the Gotham police force after Batman. Implicated in the murders, the Dark Knight must solve the mystery of The Phantasm’s identity.

However, a complication arrives in the life of Batman’s civilian identity, Bruce Wayne (Conroy), when a former fiancée, Andrea “Andi” Beaumont (Dana Delany), comes back to Gotham. How she is connected to The Phantasm’s killing spree and how Bruce Wayne’s past figures into the case are just a few questions Batman must answer… and the Joker’s (Mark Hamill) in town gumming up the state of affairs.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is the best Batman feature film to date, and it’s probably the least seen movie version of the venerable comic book character because the film is animated. Truthfully, animation is usually the best medium with which to adapt a comic book. Animation lends itself to the exaggeration and color fantasy settings in which comic book characters and worlds work best.

Based upon the popular animated television series, “Batman” – best known as Batman: The Animated Series” – which began in 1992, Mask of the Phantasm has all the creative talents who made the TV series so popular (and honored) behind it. In fact, the film was originally planned to be a direct-to-video release. Thus, it lacks the punch of a theatrical film, as the filmmaker’s didn’t have enough time to rework it and throw in the pyrotechnics movie audiences expect of theatrical films. However, Mask of the Phantasm is highly entertaining, and its dark and moody atmosphere is more genuine than any other Batman theatrical release. The drama is moving, and the mystery is palatable, absorbing, and suspenseful, certainly more so than that of the other Batman live action films. While appropriated for most children six and above, the film’s storytelling is mature enough (without being vulgar) to intrigue older viewers.

The quality of the animation wasn’t close to that of the best theatrical releases from Disney (or the many animated films directed by Don Bluth from the late 80’s to mid 90’s), but it was some of the best animation on TV for its time. The program’s color palette and art deco design made it a favorite among both animation and comic book professionals and fans. All of that carries over to the film, so Batman: Mask of the Phantasm is as good as the animated TV series. Since the film is longer, that makes it a special treat.

7 of 10
B+

DVD Review: Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 16 (of 2010) by Leroy Douresseaux

Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo (2010) - Video
DIRECTOR: Spike Brandt
WRITERS: Alan Burnett, Paul Dini, and Misty Lee; from a story by Alan Burnett (based upon the characters created by (Joseph Barbera and William Hanna)
EDITOR: Jhoanne Reyes

ANIMATION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY/MYSTERY

Starring: (voices) Frank Welker, Matthew Lillard, Grey DeLisle, Mindy Cohn, Dave Attell, Danica McKellar, Dee Bradley Baker, Olivia Hack, Diane Delano, John Di Maggio, Brian Posehn, James Patrick Stewart, Crystal Scales, and Jeffrey Tambor

Beginning in 1998 with Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island, Warner Bros. started releasing direct-to-video animated movies based on the Scooby-Doo Saturday morning cartoon series. There has been at least one per year (except for 2005, when there were two). The latest film, Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo, is the 14th in the series.

Fred Jones (Frank Welker), Daphne Blake (Grey DeLisle), Velma Dinkley (Mindy Cohn), Shaggy Rogers (Matthew Lillard) and, of course, Scooby-Doo (Frank Welker) are the Mystery Inc. gang. After wrapping up their latest mystery, Velma gets a call from her mother asking her to check on her younger sister Madelyn (Danica McKellar). The gang heads Whirlen Merlin Magic Academy, where Madelyn has been studying stage magic. The school is run by acclaimed magician, Whirlen Merlin (James Patrick Stewart), who was a child prodigy at magic, with the help of his older brother, Marlon Merlin (Brian Posehn), a special effects whiz.

Whirlen Merlin Magic Academy is being terrorized by a giant griffin, which has been scaring all the students away. Smelling trouble and suspecting a conspiracy, the gang decides to investigate. Is the griffin the ghostly servant of the man who built the castle that now houses the academy? Or is the entire situation a plot to force Whirlen Merlin to sell the school? Suspects include Whirlen’s assistant, Crystal (Crystal Scales), housekeeper Alma Rumblebums (Diane Delano), Amos the Groundskeeper (John Di Maggio), and ice cream mogul, Calvin Curdles (Jeffrey Tambor), who wants to turn the castle into an ice cream parlor. The gang must deal with a banshee, a lion, and a spooky castle, but Shaggy has to deal with Madelyn, who has fallen in love with him.

Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo has a back-to-the-basics approach and theme that will endear it to longtime Scooby-Doo fans. The main characters are back to wearing their original 1969 outfits. The animation here is quite good, featuring excellent character movement and action; it is almost as good as what viewers will find in direct-to-DVD Disney animated features. The art direction is superb and the backgrounds are rich in detail and decoration, creating the perfect sets, environment, and atmosphere for this movie.

The storytelling is equally good. Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo offers an engaging, fun mystery that also harks back to the early years of the series. Scooby and company are back in form, and the supporting/guest characters are just about as good as the main players. The voice acting is good, but not great. Right now, I’m not quite buying Matthew Lillard as the voice of the animated Shaggy Rogers, although Lillard played Shaggy (well) in both live-action Scooby-Doo movies.

One of best things about this new movie is the giant griffin, a killer villain, the kind of cartoon monster that has traditionally made Scooby-Doo cartoons memorable. No Scooby-Doo fan, young or old, should miss Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo, and it is an excellent choice for introducing people to the world of Mystery Inc.

8 of 10
A

The Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo has three extras. Two are just commercials for other Scooby-Doo DVDs. One is a short feature about creating homemade puppets.


Buy Scooby Doo: Abracadabra-Doo