Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass has landed in theaters with a critical reception that no one saw coming. The film, which brings the famous cat-and-mouse duo into a computer-animated adventure rooted in Chinese mythology, currently holds a 0% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes from 10 reviews. The score marks the lowest Rotten Tomatoes rating ever recorded for a Tom and Jerry theatrical release, falling well below the franchise’s previous entries. The audience score, known as the Popcornmeter, sits at 38% based on more than 50 verified ticket buyer reviews, offering a slightly warmer but still negative response from general viewers.
A New Low for a Beloved Franchise
The Tom and Jerry franchise has entertained audiences for more than eight decades, but its latest big-screen outing has broken an unwelcome record. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film’s 0% Tomatometer score from 10 critics’ reviews makes it the worst-rated theatrical installment in the series’ history. The previous theatrical entries, Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992) and Tom and Jerry (2021), earned scores of 14% and 29% respectively, meaning Forbidden Compass has dropped significantly below both.
The 0% score places the film alongside some of the lowest-rated animated features in recent memory. Critics have been unusually consistent in their complaints, with many pointing to the same core issue: Tom and Jerry are barely in their own movie. The film pushes the iconic pair into supporting roles while a host of new characters, drawn from Chinese mythology, take over the screen.
What Critics Are Saying
Reviews for Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass have been harsh across the board. Variety‘s critic described the film as “bafflingly out of touch and off-key, with the flavor of supermarket own-brand cornflakes,” noting that the title characters are “reduced to the status of glorified onlookers” in a plot that has “nothing whatsoever to do with them.”
Empire Magazine gave the film a 1 out of 5 rating, calling it “a relentless mess of a film” and adding that “even children would have to be pretty undemanding to enjoy this Tom and Jerry.”
The Irish Times offered a slightly less severe take with a 40 score on Metacritic, writing that while it is “an improvement on the 2022 movie,” Tom and Jerry “have become supporting players in their own film, pushed aside for an assortment of flimsily sketched newcomers who absorb most of the screen time.”
The Guardian also gave a 40, noting that the film’s climax is “all airborne dragons and fireworks” and that “the fact it makes little sense doesn’t matter because it’s all about sensationalism, stimulating the amygdala with bright colours and noise to the point of overload.”
On Metacritic, the film currently holds a 24 out of 100 based on four reviews, with 0% positive, 50% mixed, and 50% negative ratings from critics.
How Audiences Are Responding
While the critical reception has been overwhelmingly negative, audience reactions have been somewhat more forgiving, though still far from positive. The Popcornmeter score of 38% from over 50 verified reviews suggests that some viewers found elements to enjoy, even if the overall experience fell short.
On IMDb, the film holds a 3.7 out of 10 user rating, reflecting a similar level of disappointment from general audiences. Social media reactions have been mixed, with some users expressing frustration over the film’s confusing plot and what they perceived as a cash-grab approach. One Tumblr user joked that the movie felt like “we accidentally submitted the writers’ fever dream while watching Tom and Jerry and they actually made it into the movie.”
Other viewers have noted that the animation itself is visually impressive, even if the storytelling falls flat. A review on Letterboxd described it as “an unremarkable film that does look pretty and has a very interesting conception, but this is the worst kind of escapism there is.”
The Story Behind the Film
Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass is a Chinese and American co-production made with the participation of Warner Bros. Pictures. The film is directed and written by Zhang Gang, marking his feature debut in both roles. It is the first fully computer-animated feature in the franchise and the third theatrical release overall, following the 2021 live-action and animation hybrid starring Chloë Grace Moretz.
The plot follows Tom and Jerry as they are transported from a New York museum to a magical world inspired by Chinese mythology after accidentally activating a mysterious compass. In this new setting, they encounter characters such as the Phoenix Master, his sidekick Feeny, and a villain known as Mega-Rat.
The English version of the film features voice performances from Eric Bauza, Ben Diskin, Janice Kawaye, Matthew Yang King, Roger Craig Smith, Travis Willingham, Vincent Tong, and A.J. Beckles.
Release Dates and Global Availability
Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass premiered at the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival on June 21, 2025, and was released in China on August 2, 2025. The film arrived in United States theaters on September 4, 2026, distributed by Viva Pictures under the Viva Kids label.
For global audiences, release dates have varied by region. In the United Kingdom, the film was released on July 31, 2026, through Cineworld Cinemas. In Australia, it arrived on August 13, 2026, via Event Cinemas. The film also saw releases in Bulgaria on November 7, 2025, and other international markets throughout 2025 and 2026.
The movie runs for 1 hour and 44 minutes in its US release, with a PG rating. A Chinese version runs slightly longer at 104 minutes. The film was produced on a modest budget of $3.9 million and has earned approximately $2.4 million at the global box office so far.
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What the Record Means for the Franchise
The 0% Rotten Tomatoes score is a notable moment for the Tom and Jerry franchise, which has remained a cultural staple since its creation by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera in 1940. The characters have appeared in numerous television series, direct-to-video films, and theatrical features over the decades. While the direct-to-video installments have generally not received official Rotten Tomatoes scores, the theatrical releases have now seen a steady decline in critical reception, from 14% in 1992 to 29% in 2021, and now 0% in 2026.
The film’s poor reception also comes despite its Shanghai International Film Festival nomination, where it received one nomination. The disconnect between festival recognition and critical response highlights the challenges of adapting classic characters into new cultural and narrative frameworks.
Also Read: Tom and Jerry Movie Gets Romantic Comedy Makeover Inspired by La La Land
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