Release Date: 9/11/07

The Show

As one of my personal favorites as a kid, Tom and Jerry was really something to watch when I was younger. In fact, it still is, occasionally popping up The Cartoon Network. Now Tom and Jerry: The Spotlight Collection unleashes the genius again in Volume 3 that is the cat and mouse duo.

Originally conceived as a cartoon for adults, Tom and Jerry aired in movie theatres. As the times changed, and in my opinion, parenting skills downgraded, there was uproar over the violent content throughout the cartoons. Granted, the violence is out over the top, but it’s a cat and mouse chasing each other… cartoon cat and mouse to boot. If anything, some of the very racist stereotypes involved in the original cartoons should have been protested. I was pretty surprised to see the Mammy character and blackface gags seen throughout. However, as these episodes were aired in reruns, much of it was censored. While the DVD set is not censored, there is a disclaimer on the case stating the set is “Intended for the adult collector and may not be suitable for children.” Very interesting indeed for any collector of this great cat and mouse team.

The 2-set disc includes 35 short with a Play All option found on each disc.
Disc 1
1. A Mouse in the House
2. Hatch Up Your Troubles
3. Love That Pup
4. Jerry’s Diary
5. Tennis Chumps
6. The Framed Cat
7. His Mouse Friday
8. The Duck Doctor
9. Little Runaway
10. Fit to Be Tied
11. The Dog House
12. That’s My Pup!
13. Life with Tom
14. Puppy Tale
15. Posse Cat
16. Hic-cup Pup
17. Downhearted Duckling
18. Neapolitan Mouse
19. Mouse for Sale
20. Smarty Cat
Disc 2
1. Pet Peeve
2. Southbound Duckling
3. Pup on a Picnic
4. That’s My Mommy
5. The Egg and Jerry
6. Busy Buddies
7. Barbecue Brawl
8. Tops with Pops
9. Timid Tabby
10. Feedin’ the Kiddie
11. Tom’s Photo Finish
12. Happy Go Ducky
13. Royal Cat Nap
14. The Vanishing Duck
15. Robin Hoodwinked

THE DVD

The menu contains static backgrounds with silence. Submenus include silent stills as well.

The video transfer is offered in 1.33:1 Fullscreen and 1.85:1 Widescreen Format. All the episodes are presented in their original aspects. Obviously, the material is aged and dirt and track lines are present throughout. However, it really doesn’t detract from the experience, as nothing is as damaged as footage this old should be. Some episodes are cleaned up, but for most part, it’s decent.

The audio is offered in English Dolby Digital Mono and Spanish Dolby Digital Mono. For the most part, it sounds great considering the age. Being that the music and sound effects are key to the cartoon, it definitely sounds good and there is no distortion. Subtitles are available in English.

THE EXTRAS

The 2-disc set comes packaged very nicely in a slim digipak case encased in an embossed cardboard slipcover.

Cat and Mouse: The Tale of Tom and Jerry runs approximately 32-minutes and goes over the history of the history of the cartoon duo from the early days to censorship controversies to the award-winning days.

Tom and Jerry Tales: The Karate Guard is an 8-minute short from 2005 marking Joseph Barbara’s first return as a writer/director/storyboard artist on the series in more than 40 years.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Tom and Jerry: The Spotlight Collection – Volume 3 is another awesome installment of the collection and is great for any fan. This is a must have for fans and even the younger fans who may not have been as unfortunate to catch these in broadcast.

- Morris Tang