Really Surprised!

Brilliant and touching

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Well, not STRICTLY speaking a film... but at 8 minutes 19 seconds it's slightly longer than the usual short, the showcases the love/hate pair at their very best.The wonderful artwork full of festive colours, long before computer animation came into being, is a joy to behold. The carols playing in the background enhance the atmosphere as well. The inventive slapstick that made the original cartoons classics of their era, is here... And, with the addition of toys as props for the inspired mayhem, better than ever.But what with this being a festive special, there HAS to be a 'warm your cockles' moment... and it arrives with the ending, where the duo put aside their differences to have at least ONE day of peace.Tom retrieving his frenemy from the blistering cold after a huge guilt trip and Jerry revealing the location of a carefully disguised trap in Tom's milk bowl are truly moving moments... And though we love the violent high-jinx the pair get up to, it's good to put it all aside for one day... Right? Magical. 8/10

This The Night Before Christmas is an early Tom and Jerry short from the newly created Hanna-Barbera unit at MGM. Jerry wakes up and looks at the presents under the Christmas tree. He lands on Tom and gets chased by him constantly as Jerry rides on the toy train before bumping into the toy tunnel. This keeps going on until the mouse escapes through the door slot which the cat blocks. Then Tom sees Jerry freezing to death outside so he comes back there and brings him inside to thaw him out. For a gift, the cat gives the mouse a candy cane. Skeptical at first, Jerry sees Tom drink some milk from a saucer and puts his cane in it. Snap, it hits a mousetrap! Tom, thankful, smiles at his newfound pal. Jerry then goes to his hole and finds another mouse trap with cheese on it. Once again, he uses his cane to snap it up. When it does, it goes slowly with Jerry now smiling at his new friend. The end. Unlike later series entries, this Tom and Jerry aren't so aggressive in their chases (perhaps because Tex Avery hadn't arrived at MGM yet). So this one is a little cute with some nicely timed gags. While Hanna-Barbera would have more lasting success on television, nothing equaled their output at MGM. So I recommend this to anyone who is interested in all things Hanna-Barbera. And to the just departed Joe, rest in peace.

The Night Before Christmas is one cutest holiday cartoon past and present. I recently saw this on Cartoon Network late at night. I remember 15 or more years the TV would not play cartoons at a certain time. It is refreshing to see this cartoon late at night on Christmas Eve.

This short is reasonably good, has good background art and detail work and is a staple on The Cartoon Network around the holidays. It has to be the cutest Tom and Jerry that I've seen. It almost becomes a little too cute in spots, but just hits the right grace notes at the end. Tom and Jerry were still new as characters and were just beginning to develop as characters. Traces of what they would become are shown here and there. Not a great Tom and Jerry cartoon, but entertaining and a good Christmas cartoon. Recommended.