It is the first theatrical feature-length animated film featuring the titular characters, as well as the first piece of theatrically released of Tom and Jerry media in 25 years. Although largely mute in the original cartoons, Tom and Jerry are given extensive spoken dialogue for the only time to date. Joseph Barbera, co-founder of Hanna-Barbera Productions and co-creator of the original Tom and Jerry short films, served as the film’s creative consultant. The film tells the story about an eight-year-old girl named Robyn Starling, who enlists Tom and Jerry’s help to escape from her abusive aunt and reunite with her lost and presumed-dead father.

Following its premiere in Germany on October 1, 1992, Tom and Jerry: The Movie was released theatrically in the United States on July 30, 1993, by Miramax Films. The film underperformed at the box office, earning $3.6 million on a 3.5 million budget, and was panned by critics, audiences, and fans of the franchise, for its screenplay, direction, musical numbers, and unfaithfulness to the source material, while some praised the animation style, voice acting, and Henry Mancini’s musical score.