Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass
Tom and Jerry time travel adventure that prioritizes teamwork over classic chase comedy
The brief
This Chinese-produced Tom and Jerry adventure ditches the classic domestic mayhem for a time-travel romp that feels more like a generic animated quest than the razor-sharp slapstick chaos we expect from the duo. The museum setting and magical MacGuffin setup screams "educational entertainment," and while the animation has moments of charm, the pacing drags through exposition-heavy sequences that would make Chuck Jones weep. The forced teamwork angle fundamentally misunderstands what makes Tom and Jerry work - their eternal, beautiful hatred is the whole point. Skip this unless you're desperately curious about how international studios handle classic American IP, or you have kids who'll watch anything with familiar cartoon faces.
The verdict
If you have young kids who enjoy any animated content with recognizable characters and don't mind educational themes mixed with basic adventure plots, this offers harmless family viewing. If you're a Tom and Jerry purist or anyone seeking the franchise's trademark slapstick brilliance, this misguided time-travel detour completely abandons what makes the cat and mouse duo legendary.
Watch with
- 🧒 Young kids who love Tom and Jerry
- ⚠️ Animation purists may be disappointed
Heads up
- Cartoon slapstick violence throughout (moderate)
- Time displacement may confuse very young viewers (brief)
Credits
- Director
- Zhang Gang
- Cast
- Jiang Wen, Shun Zi, Lan Long, Tu Xiongfei, Li Baixin, Li Hanlin, Zhang Wenjie
Official synopsis
During a chase inside a museum, Tom and Jerry find a magical object and end up being transported through time. Lost in a distant era, they will need to work together to find a way back home.
The Double
Make a night of it
Pair this with Akira (1988)
Both feature magical transportation adventures with stunning hand-drawn animation styles.
Total runtime: 1h 44m + 2h 4m = 3h 48m
