The Tom and Jerry Cartoon Kit

This is chronologically the ninth Tom and Jerry episode of the Deitch era but according to Deitch himself this is the last episode that he and his team made. First of all, this is my absolute favorite short of this incarnation. This short can completely mix in with the originals. It's very postmodernist. It's sort of a backhanded slap at the series and even at the opportunity to do it. It's a little sarcastic and even breaks the fourth wall in a few instances. Yet, it can still play as a regular cartoon. It is at its most complex and most basic at the same time. You can examine the core idea or revel in the simplicity of watermelon seed gags and judo fracas. This short has very good character designs for our titular duo, surprising considering the track record of this second iteration. The episode is also graced with a nice, upbeat musical score, courtesy of Stephan Konicek. He is no Victor Little (aka Vaclav Lidl) but strives for the gold here. With the backgrounds consisting of static colors, it creates the idea that this could happen anywhere. Right off the bat, the cartoon draws the viewer in by introducing us to this kit and saying anyone can use it to make a Tom and Jerry cartoon. It shows that possibilities are limitless and you can achieve anything you set your mind to. The TJ Cartoon Kit is very underrated and fits snugly within the realms of the Tom and Jerry pantheon. Highly recommended. 10/10

Though that is not saying much, this cartoon is mediocre. However, along with Tall in the Trap and Calypso Cat it is one of the more tolerable Tom and Jerry cartoons that Gene Dietch made, I can't stand the rest. The animation is not great but it is better than the animation in the likes of Switchin' Kitten and Sorry Safari, as the colours are not as flat and the backgrounds not quite as static. The story is also an improvement, it is standard, but it is not non-existent or disturbing. And Tom and Jerry themselves are at least okay. However, the music is still rather creepy, the pace is uneven often feeling rushed and the sound effects are bizarre. While I raised a smile a few times, there was nothing I would deem as hilarious. Overall, this is not saying much but for me when it comes to Gene Dietch this is one of the better ones. 5/10 Bethany Cox

A toy set contains implements for a Tom & Jerry cartoon, including Tom and

Jerry themselves (hence the title). The cat and mouse come to life and use

various items in the kit to outdo one another.

That's basically it, and as usual Gene Deitch fluffs it up in spectacular fashion with his barely-fluid animation; diabolical, tinny sound effects and uninteresting story (and when it's not dull it's just plain stupid in a way that even being a cartoon cannot rectify). And I just wanted to shoot that narrator...

URGH! I can't even imagine kids liking this.

Okay so it's pretty far out there, but it isn't as bad as the safari one or the one where the same guy is barbecuing. Those are really, really wretched. Almost as bad as the series where Tom and Jerry are actually friends. I don't know maybe I just appreciate weird, but I thought there were a few cool moments in this one.

The Tom and Jerry Cartoons produced in Czechoslovakia in the early 60s were a downturn from the Original Era, the Plots were simplified and became repetitive and somewhat strange, the Animation became aberrational with Monotone colors and ugly Character Designs that achieved reaching the edge of the Disturbing, It was certainly not a good time for the cat and mouse duo, the low budget with which these short films were made was noticeable, but this one stands out among the others because it manages to fulfill its purpose, that is, to make laugh, the plot is not strange and monotonous as in other shorts and becomes quite acceptable although a little out of the ordinary, but really this short along with Buddies Thicker Than Water stand out and manage to be better than the rest of the cartoons of the time.

The short stands out because it is usually based on happy moments instead of petty moments full of abuse as in other shorts, the plot is Standard and although the Animation and Sound Effects are still Uneven, the Cartoon rewards with a Couple of Ideas Creative with some memorable and funny scenes.

Not much can be said about the Animation, it is still quite limited as well as strange but in itself, it is Slightly better than in other shorts, obviously, visually the cartoon is lousy, the Colors are too Dark and the Backgrounds are Non-existent, the little that There is not much detail and there are some weird colors, the Character Designs also look weird especially Tom, who looks a little bigger and has a little more detailed expressions but due to the limited animation he tends to deform quite a bit when about to look creepy.

The Music is a Great Improvement over the Previous Cartoons, I can finally call the music "Decent" since it is true, the Music in this short is much more Animated than in other shorts of the era and although it retains a Surreal setting, it's pretty decent and nice to listen to.

The Sound Effects still retain a Surreal Quality and sound too rudimentary, they are clearly not overused and not that annoying, the Voice Acting is Miraculously Acceptable, Allen Swift provides Decent Narration and his voice to Tom is not that Scary.

Tom and Jerry luckily here have a very similar behavior to their Original Hanna Barbera Counterparts, Jerry is not so Cruel to Tom and the Duo continues to hurt each other but in a more animated and caricatured way.

"The Tom and Jerry Cartoon Kit" is an interesting cartoon that explores a rather strange but at the same time original theme, we see Tom and Jerry in different backgrounds fight with a limited amount of weapons but with that reduced amount we see that the duo can still to be funny, the Short and its Plot are very well carried out, the Plot although a little out of the ordinary is Interesting plus the Surreal Setting make this short film Unique and one of the Few of Gene Deitch that I can call "Good".

I like this short, its Surreal Sense of Humor plus the Incredible use of Music result in several memorable gags and even a Funny ending and not at all Petty!, Unfortunately, the other Gene Deitch cartoons were not like that, but as I said , the Cartoon carries a unique and fun sense of humor that differentiates it from the others, here the Cat and the Mouse are given prominence, but the one that stands out the most is Tom, who is obviously Jerry's punching bag but in a way funny, When I was a child, the Short always caught my attention because of how different it was besides Deitch's strange Style, so I never understood it until I grew up and knew the Story of the Cat and Mouse Duo, The Shorts Produced in Czechoslovakia They were mediocre?, not really, they used to be different but as long as Tom's owner wasn't there they were entertaining.

In itself, This is Possibly the Best Cartoon of Gene Deitch besides being the one that stands out the most, It has mediocre animation but good use of Music and has original and interesting ideas, it has always made me laugh and it feels like a true cartoon of Hanna Barbera but the problem is obvious, Deitch's style doesn't really fit with Tom and Jerry, but that doesn't matter here! The Short is entertaining and I recommend you take a look at it if you want to know the Czechoslovak era of the cat and mouse duo.