I love Tom and Jerry, and while The Cat Above and the Mouse Below is not one of their best, it is one of the better Chuck Jones-directed Tom and Jerry cartoons and much better than any of Gene Dietch's efforts, most of which in my opinion were abominations.
While too short and rushed in places, The Cat Above and the Mouse Below I feel has a quite neat set-up. I loved the cartoon's idea and I thought it was executed more than satisfactorily. Granted, it is not the most original concept in the world for a cartoon, but that didn't stop from being entertained. The animation is not bad either, it is not the best looking of the Tom and Jerry cartoons and lacks the "classical" feel of the T&J cartoons of the 50s and 60s but the backgrounds are much less static, the characters are better drawn and the colours are more vibrant.
The music is a complete delight. I am a big classical music/opera enthusiast, so hearing Tom singing Figaro was refreshing and very fun to watch. The cartoon is also very funny, to be honest I find the Chuck Jones T&J cartoons rather hit and miss, some are funny, some are borderline, some are lacklustre. When it comes to the humour, some of it is actually hilarious. Especially the gag(s) with the lemon, that is priceless and one of the funnier sight gags in any of the 60s Tom and Jerry cartoons.
All in all, not the best, but very entertaining and one of Chuck Jones' better T&J efforts. 8/10 Bethany Cox
