Busy Buddies

'Busy Buddies (1956)' sees Tom and Jerry teaming up to look after a mischievous baby. Even if the pair's tumultuous team-ups are often less successful than their rivalries, this piece is an endearing and enjoyable experience. It has a simplified, fur-less design, even when compared to shorts starring the duo released in the same year, but it still maintains the energetic, sight-gag-stuffed animation you expect from such a cartoon. Its generally '50s' aesthetic is actually rather pleasing to look at and it does some interesting things with lighting, too. The film's narrative is incredibly simple; it has about as much depth as the series' iconic cat-and-mouse chases, except the cat and mouse are chasing a kid this time. It's just incredibly charming, though. Its occasional strokes of fantasy and its bouncy score add up to really fun time. It's also really funny. It does feel really short, though, despite being around the same length as most other 'Tom and Jerry' toons. 8/10