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Touché, Pussy Cat!
A young mouse arrives at the Parisian headquarters of the King's Mouseketeers with a letter from his father, François Mouse, asking Jerry to teach the lad to be a Mouseketeer. Lessons begin for the French-speaking boy, but although he's charming, he's hopeless and when he gets into a scrape with Tom, Jerry sends the garçon packing. As the boy is leaving Paris, he hears the noise of fighting, and he returns to find Jerry in a fight for his life with Tom. Champagne corks, a paint brush, and a barrel of wine are props in the lad's attack. But has he lost all his clumsiness?
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Reviews
Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.
The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
I've reached that stage in Tom and Jerry's filmography where every other cartoon seems to have a cute supporting character, whether it be that irritating duckling Quacker, Spike's son Tyke, or, as in the case of Touché, Pussy Cat!, the saccharine Nibbles (or is it Tuffy?). Since I really don't like these characters, I'm finding it tough going Here, the little, grey, diaper-wearing mouse hopes to become a mouseketeer and so visits Jerry for training. After several mishaps, Jerry is ready to send his new student packing, but when Nibbles steps in and saves Jerry from swordsman Tom, Jerry has a change of heart and makes the little mouse a fully fledged mouseketeer.While the brief sword-fighting action between Tom and Jerry is a lot of fun, the over-sweet grey mouse (speaking French) makes it all incredibly cloying.
Although this cartoon came after "The Two Mousketeers", it takes place before that one. This makes it a prequel, not a sequel. In my opinion, "Touché, Pussy Cat!" is equally very good and solid, but I find the previous one even better. This one has also very stylish artwork, but the first one has more attention to detail.The concept is similar and the cartoon itself is inspired by the triumphant original one, but the stories are different. Here, Jerry and Tuffy (not Nibbles anymore, I wonder why) don't go to a castle. Tuffy is about to learn to be a mouseketeer, but first he has to go to the King's Mouseketeers Headquarters in Paris, where Jerry (the captain of the mouseketeers) will teach him. However, Tuffy is so young and overexcited that Jerry becomes the victim of some accidents with Tuffy's sword. That is so funny and Jerry makes those funny facial expressions of displeasure. Of course, Jerry does not laugh, but for Tuffy this is every bit as hilarious as it is for me. Jerry is a proud, firm, impatient and serious captain.Tuffy, a silent mouse in older cartoons, is actually very talkative in these "Mouseketeer" cartoons. His voice is very cute and his french accent is very charming. I love all his lines in french, including him singing the adorable and famous childish song "Frère Jacques". Tuffy is like a parrot here. He talks very quickly and very much, which is too much for Jerry (who hasn't much patience). To keep Tuffy quiet is a real challenge for Jerry. LOL.Once Tom appears there are some hilarious situations with him and Tuffy (especially the scene when Tuffy paints a simplistic caricature of Tom as if he was mocking of Tom's face, singing "Frère Jacques" and laughing to Tom - who does not laugh); and, of course, the usual fights, chases and some violent gags (Jerry included).At the end, after Jerry suffering another accident with Tuffy's sword caused by Tuffy's hand, the little mouse says "C'est la guerre!" while Jerry spanks him on the rear over and over.
Jerry the Mouse, Tom the cat, and Nibbles the orphan mouse are back in the times of the three musketeers. Nibbles torture Tom unmercifully and also sings. Pretty funny stuff if you ask me. ( of course you didn't ask, but I told you anyway) This short was nominated for an Oscar for best cartoon short subject in 1955, but sadly didn't win. I don't know why, since this short is simply delightful. One of the first Tom and Jerry shorts to be shown in Cinemascope, This hilarious animated short can be found on disc 2 of Warner Brother's 2-DVD Spotlight Collection set.My Grade: A
This short was one at least three or four done with a theme of Jerry and Nibbles as "Mouseketeers" and Tom as their principal opponent. They were all good, but this one is the best of them, in my opinion anyway. It plays best with the basic themes of the swashbuckling type of films being parodied with affection here. Nominated for an Oscar, it's an absolute delight. Highly recommended.
