"The Cat and the Mermouse" (over 65 years old by now) is another Hanna Barbera short film including the famous cat and mouse characters, although here, for more than half of the film Jerry is a sea creature with a fishtail. I would say he really does have relatives everywhere, but in the end we find out it was just a dream. Or was it? Maybe they could have included some smart reference about how it could have been real too. But they did not, so probably a dream.It runs for slightly over 7 minutes and this one here is mostly worth watching for Jerry as a mermouse, the underwater animals and a nice little eardrum depiction. Random side-note: Before the action starts, Tom takes a sunbath early on and Jerry goes fishing. Wait what? A mouse that goes fishing. Yep. Anyway, I have to say I have seen more entertaining Tom & Jerry cartoons. Not recommended unless you're really a huge fan of the two.

It's very appropriate that this short was included on the disc for the Esther Williams film "Dangerous When Wet". This is because in this full-length film, Tom & Jerry appear in a fantasy sequence--swimming with Ms. Williams. So, seeing the pair frolicking about at the beach in "The Cat and the Mermouse" seems like a perfect extra for the disc.As I mentioned above, Tom & Jerry are at the beach. Not surprisingly, they begin beating the crap out of each other. Soon, Tom falls into the sea and sees Jerry...or what he thinks is Jerry. Instead, it's a 'mermouse'--a mermaid version of a mouse. For much of the rest of the film, it's like a standard Tom & Jerry cartoon but underwater. And, like in their appearance in "Dangerous When Wet", Tom doesn't seem to have any trouble breathing under water! Like any Tom & Jerry cartoon before they were ruined in the late 1950s (it's a long story but these later films were dreadful), the animation is top-notch--better than the Disney or Warner Brothers shorts. With wonderful backgrounds, great animations and lovely colors, it certainly looks great. As for the story, it's the usual but set in a very unusual locale--making it more enjoyable than an average film in the series. Not among their best, but quite good.

While not a direct favourite of the Tom and Jerry canon, it is definitely worthwhile with some of the more funnier gags in the cartoons combined. The animation is really beautiful and creative and the music is as pretty much always a delight. The pacing is just right, and the story is original and works brilliantly. The sight gags are a great many but all of them work, the one with the swordfish was rather cruel for my liking but the ones with the octopus, the seahorses and any with the mer mouse worked superbly. I was surprised at how much was fitted in such a short running time, but overall, I just have to say bravissimo, for such an enjoyable and worthwhile Tom and Jerry cartoon. 9/10 Bethany Cox

The cartoon begins with Tom preparing himself with loads of ointments and lotions for a day of sunbathing at the beach. It's immediately ruined by Jerry coming along and bothering him. For a minute they do their usual chasing before Tom runs of the end of a pier and 'drowns'.But at the bottom of the ocean (all three feet of it beneath the pier) he comes across a mermouse who also annoys him. Cue more chases, only with an underwater twist this time involving sunken ships (three feet under a pier, a swordfish and an octopus. It's a welcome break from the generic house T&J shorts are usually set in. Some nice underwater animation earns this one a 7/10.