Review: A New Friend For Tummy Tom is another gentle winner for the franchise

To start this review, I was going to take the speech about being a woman from Greta Gerwig's Barbie and change it to being about a dog, but about halfway through editing it I got bored and felt like it wasn't worth the joke, but just understand that I thought about it and started to do it, and maybe pretend I did it if you think it would be funny. Otherwise, just ignore this paragraph and continue on with the rest of the review. Tummy Tom is waiting.

Last year, I had the distinct pleasure of watching Tummy Tom and the Lost Teddy Bear, about a curious and clumsy orange cat who was looking for his lost teddy bear. He runs into various animal friends, dances through some musical numbers, and completes his quest in a neat little hour, all accompanied by lovely animation and the most soothing narration you can imagine. However, I watched that movie shortly before I started this blog, so I never covered it here, which means this is Tummy Tom's very first appearance on Great Lines, Beautiful Lines.

It will not be the last.

At one point, my husband asked me,
so earnestly, if the two squirrels were related

I live for Tummy Tom. These movies, based on the books by Jet Boeke, are so soothing and adorable and fun. This is only the second one, but I have to imagine there will be more. And indeed, I demand there be more. I need at least one of these to come out every year so I can sing along to that hypnotic theme song: "Pu-uss, puss puss puss puss pu-uss...Tummy Tom, Tummy Tummy Tom..." If you watch this, that song will enter the rotation of songs that get stuck in your head. And you'll be thankful for it because it will transport you back to that serene hour you spent watching Tummy Tom be the cutest little cat you ever did see.

Tummy Tom 2: A New Friend For Tummy Tom plops the puss into a snowy day along with his best friend, Catmouse (no idea why he's named that....he's a grey/white cat). Watching Tummy Tom navigate the snowy world is as adorable as can be. It isn't clear if this is his first time seeing snow, but it sure seems like it. After some slipping and sliding, he wanders into a neighbor's house and meets a dog who is big and loud and kind of scary. This is Woof, though for most of the movie, he's simply known as "Next Door Dog." He's the new friend of the title, but getting to that status isn't easy.

You see, Tummy Tom and Catmouse have ideas about dogs, as we learn in a song. Basically, they're scary and loud and probably dangerous. Definitely not an animal to be friends with. Even though the cats have lots of non-cat friends: the ducks, the hares, the sheep, and the squirrels, all of whom pop up in along their way to sled on the snowy dunes at the beach. (Sorry, sledge on the snowy dunes...I guess that a British word for sled?) As they go along their way, Woof follows behind, occasionally attempting to join in the various activities, and repeatedly being rebuffed.

There's a lovely musical number about Woof's desire to have a friend that features the most striking animation of the film, where a simple blue line twists and contorts itself into various shapes to illustrate the lyrics. It's a heartfelt and creative little bit that really warms you up to Woof, even more than you automatically will just from his general cuteness and sweetness.

And his cuteness is only the tip of the cute iceberg here. I'm telling you, the Tummy Tom movies are just about the cutest movies you will ever see. I think I'm wont to describe hand-drawn movies as looking like picture books come to life, maybe because it feels like as high a compliment as I can give a movie. But here, it's really, really true. From the beautiful artwork to the leisurely pace, from Tim Gunther's wonderful narration to the Greek chorus of children chiming in on the goings-on, watching this feels like attending a well-appointed story time. Everything moves a little slowly, all the action is so gentle, all the emotions are well-tuned and not very intense. This is a warm bath of a movie (maybe ironic considering its snowy setting.)

And of course, there is the nice message that's always welcome in a kids' movie: don't judge someone by how they look. Woof is intimidating at first glance, so big and rowdy and strong. But he proves to be a loyal ally and a good friend. Just one who needs help being a little calmer at times.

As long as Tummy Tom goes on his curious little adventures, I will be there watching him do so. And when Tim Gunther invites me to clap and sing along, you better believe I will be doing just that.