Sufferin' Cats!

As Tom and Jerry's creators get fully into their stride, so the duo become more and more like the cat and mouse we all know and love. Sufferin' Cats sees the cartoon's style developed even further, with the content becoming more 'violent' and the characters more defined—unfortunately, the story is the one weak element to this episode, with the whole thing being nothing more than a huge frantic chase scene (which is fun, for a while at least).

There are some quite funny visual gags, and a fine example of the old 'devil on the shoulder' routine, as Tom deliberates whether he should cut Jerry in two—in order to share the mouse with an alley cat with whom he has been competing—or plant the axe's blade in his rival's head (my 4 year old son actually found this bit disturbing). But on the whole, this short is a distinctly average offering.