"Bend It Like Thomas" is an episode of Tom and Jerry Tales directed by TJ House, written by Tom Minton and storyboard by Neal Sternecky.
Synopsis[]
Tom's emphatic soccer-playing annoys Spike and Jerry and the Eagle from "Flirty Birdy" and a homage to the classic leash gag from "Fit To Be Tied".
Plot[]
Tom is at the park playing soccer, where he taunts a leashed Spike by kicking a soccer ball repeatedly at him. As Tom does some tricks, he kicks his soccer ball towards a trash can where Jerry is scouting for food in. Retrieving his soccer ball, Tom finds the mouse plastered onto the ball. The cat then forces Jerry to be the goalie for Tom while he scores various goals, all resulting in Jerry getting socked in the head. After scoring enough goals, the net overflows and launches Jerry and a bunch of soccer balls close to Spike. The enraged bulldog chases after Tom but is stopped when his leash tugs him as Tom stands on a safety stump. Jerry attempts to hide in Tom's water bottle, but Tom spits him out onto the soccer net while Tom cheers for himself. Wanting to get back at the callous soccer player, Jerry attempts to get back at Tom.
Tom goes for another set of goals. He kicks a soccer ball, and Jerry retaliates by flinging the soccer ball away with a tree branch, which hits a sleeping eagle and lands onto Tom's hand. The eagle attacks Tom, skids him through a pond, and dumps him into a patch of poison oak.
While Tom is applying anti-itching lotion, Jerry paints a bowling ball into a soccer ball and prompts Tom to kick it. Tom kicks the bowling ball overly hard, shattering himself to many pieces.
Trying to search for Jerry, Tom ends up placing his hand down on a nearby grill where Jerry is cooking hamburgers. Confusing his hand as a patty, Tom suggests adding some condiments and holding the onions before realizing his mistake. He tries to cool his hand in Spike's water bowl; the angry bulldog charges after Tom but is once again stopped by his leash.
Finally, Jerry puts two scorpions inside Tom's cleats. As Tom puts on his cleats, the scorpions repeatedly pinches his feet, causing the cat to uncontrollably walk near Spike, then repeatedly kick him until Spike is broken off his leash. Tom pulls out his cleats in pain before realizing Spike. Tom tries to stand on the safety stump, but with Spike now out of his leash, the dog can finally maul Tom, slamming him down into a American football shape while Jerry prepares Tom to be kicked into the distance by Spike. Spike calls the kick "real football", while he alters the iris out circle into a football shape.
Characters[]
Starring[]
- Tom Cat (main antagonist)
- Jerry Mouse
Featuring[]
In Other Languages[]
Hungarian: Sportmacskákség (Sports-Cats-Ship), Danish: Kattefodbold (Cat Football/Soccer), Irish: An t-imreoir éagórach (The unfair player)
| Names, etymology and in other regions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Language | Name | Definition, etymology and notes |
| Japanese | サッカーに恋して | In Love With Soccer |
| German | Sport und Aktivitäten | Sports and Activities |
| Dutch | Buig het zoals Thomas | Bend it like Thomas |
| French | Le chat joue le jeu | The cat plays the game |
| Italian | Il giocatore orgoglioso | The Proud Player |
| Spanish (Latin America) |
Feliz cumpleañdeporte! | Happy Birth-Sport! |
| Portuguese (Brazil) |
Thomas, o Craque do Futebol | Thomas, the Soccer Star |
Trivia[]
- Tom's name is referred to as 'Thomas' in the title.
- Storyboard artist Neal Sternecky returns with the (almost) Season 1 design.
- The title is a parody of the 2002 PG-13 rated comedy-drama sports movie, Bend It Like Beckham distributed by Searchlight Pictures (formerly known as Fox Searchlight) about an 18-year-old Indian girl in London, England, United Kingdom playing soccer against her strict Sikh parents' wishes and her idol is real-life English professional footballer, David Beckham.
- The Eagle from Flirty Birdy appeared in this episode as one of Tom's victims in his soccer antics, but he got Tom back.
- The classic leash gag from "Fit To Be Tied".
- Spike breaks the fourth wall by forming the iris into a prolate spheroid shape of an American football.
- It revealed Spike likes American football and hates soccer. Considered football to be the "real deal".
Gallery[]
Main gallery: Bend It Like Thomas/Gallery