It’s hard to believe that another year has come to an end. In some ways, it was like I blinked and 2021 was over. Starting out in another lockdown (which definitely impacted my maintaining this blog) was rough, but then halfway through, movie theatres opened up again. Nothing will ever beat walking into that large auditorium, settling into those chairs and buckling in for a life changing journey.
2021 brought many great films that certainly made making this list a difficult task. Some I forgot along the way. Some made themselves known to me more recently. And others I wish I could erase from my memory all together. There are also a few that I think I generously rated, but what can you do?
So without further ado, here are my top 5 best and worst of the year.
I grew up with Tom and Jerry so this movie sparked my interest from the beginning. While I wasn’t an avid watcher, I have seen my fair share of episodes and enjoyed watching the feud between the cat and mouse. I was curious to see how these characters would be brought into 2021. Additionally, the premise of having them in a live action setting was quite appealing and I was curious to see how that would be done.
When Jerry (himself) moves into New York City’s most prestigious hotel on the eve of the biggest wedding of the year, his rivalry with Tom (himself) is inevitably reignited. In order to get rid of Jerry, accidental event planner Kayla (Chloe Grace Moretz) hires Tom to get rid of Jerry. This task will not be easy and as the battle between the two escalates, not only is Kayla’s job on the line, but the future of the wedding and the hotel are in jeopardy.
The combination of bringing cartoon characters into a real life setting was really well done. I thought the way it was done seemed normal in the grand scheme of things and it kind of made me wish we actually lived in such a world. I liked how the people were still themselves, but the animals were all animated. I feel like it made sense that way since the story was mostly told from Tom and Jerry’s perspectives.
Another positive point for me was how Tom and Jerry was given a modern update. The choice to put upbeat, hip hop music was genius and really made the story more relevant. This in comparison with the new special effects really gave a fresh spin on things. It seemed like the way in which the cartoons were drawn in particular was much sharper than they used to be as well.
Unfortunately, that is where the enjoyment stopped. I didn’t feel the plot was extraordinary by any means and couldn’t help but feel like this was targeted to a younger audience. All in all, I do think that Tom and Jerry is a fun movie than can be appreciated by families around the world. The hilarious antics of the cat and mouse will be thrilling for children while parents can relive their younger years while watching.
Credits Rolling 