Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass

Tom and Jerry were meant to hit each other over their heads with frying pans. They aren’t superheroes, even though they often display super healing powers. Yet, somehow, they agree to work together to defeat a demonic entity and restore the celestial balance. That is a lot for two rivals who can barely stop fighting each other, but their latest adventure was intended to appeal to the Chinese market. The enduringly popular cat and mouse just happen to find the powerful artifact sought by Chinese demigods in Zhang Gang’s Chinese co-production Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass, which finally opens today in theaters, one year after its Chinese release.

Jerry is excited to visit a new exhibit of Chinese art, but Tom, the museum guard, is determined to enforce its no-vermin policy. In the resulting scuffle, they unknowingly activate the Astral Compass, which whisks them away to Golden City, the fantastical, pseudo-Ming Era mortal settlement under the protection of the Phoenix Master.

The fallen god was once a resident of Heaven. However, when he lost the Astral Compass, Phoenix and his squawking sidekick, Lil’ Feeney were banished to the human realm. They were given 300 years to find the Compass and attain enlightenment or their banishment becomes permanent. Their time is almost up when Tom and Jerry burst through the clouds, with the Compass clutched in Tom’s hot little paw.

Through various ploys, Phoenix and Feeney try to trick Tom into relinquishing the Compass. Feeling abused and neglected, Jerry throws in with Mega Rat, a steampunk-ish demon, who holds a grudge against Phoenix.

Forbidden Compass probably sounds like Tom and Jerry were just randomly plopped into a Chinese fantasy like Monkey King or Ne Zha, because that is exactly what they did. It is an odd marriage that lacks any sense of cohesion. The slapstick action is rather tame by the Hanna Barbera duo’s standard, while the original Chinese characters are a dull, selfish, and annoying lot.

Without question, the most appealing of the Golden City cast is Jade, a feline “gargoyle” serving under Phoenix as a protector of the city. Naturally, Tom falls for her hard, but she has far less screentime than the venal, preening Phoenix and the cringy Feeney. Weirdly, the most distinctive voice-over performance is that of A.J. Beckles, who sounds vaguely like Alfred Moliina voicing Mega Rat.

When watching Forbidden Compass, it is clear it was produced to facilitate some sort of international deal for brand access, rather than to fulfill a creative vision. It certainly wasn’t conceived with franchise fans in mind. Warner Animation has churned out numerous DVD-original Tom and Jerry films. While they never built the following of the DC or Scooby-Do animated movies, fans must like them, or they wouldn’t have made so many. Wisely though, Warner sold off the distro rights to Forbidden Compass. Essentially, it has all the personality of the Chinese slot machines that now litter casino floors. Not recommended, Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass is now playing in New York at the AMC Empire.