Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass has opened to a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes. The duo remain timeless icons of animation, their slapstick rivalry transcending generations and cultural boundaries since their 1940 debut. From theatrical shorts to television series and feature films, the cat-and-mouse duo has entertained audiences for over eight decades with their wordless chaos and inventive gags. 

Yet their latest cinematic venture, Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass, has struggled to capture that familiar magic.

Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass opened in U.S. theaters on September 4, 2026 and has become one of the worst-reviewed animated releases in recent memory, earning a shocking 0% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer. Critics have been nearly unanimous in their condemnation of Forbidden Compass, with many noting that Tom and Jerry themselves are relegated to supporting roles in their own movie.

The Tomatometer, which aggregates professional critic reviews, currently sits at 0%, indicating that not a single verified critic has given the film a positive rating. In contrast, the Popcornmeter, which reflects audience scores, stands at 30%, suggesting that even general viewers have been largely disappointed.

This stark divide between the duo's historic appeal and the film's reception highlights a significant misstep in execution. Critics have pointed out that the title characters appear minimally, with human protagonists and CGI-heavy action sequences dominating the runtime. The film holds a 3.7 user rating on IMDb, further underscoring its failure to resonate with audiences.

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While one franchise entry struggled to connect with audiences, an unlikely Chinese animation was creating a completely different kind of phenomenon.

Niu Lai has become one of 2026's strangest animation stories. Created by self-taught filmmakers Xin Yumeng and Sun Lifang over five years, the 86-minute Chinese film initially attracted attention for its crude animation and minimal production resources.

Its first ten days brought in only around 7,700 yuan, but online mockery unexpectedly turned it into one of the most profitable movies. By late August, reports placed the film above 14.9 million yuan, while later tracking indicated that it crossed the 60 million yuan mark in China by September 1.

The film follows a calf and a skylark, with its handmade appearance becoming central to the online conversation. Viewers began sharing clips and discussing its unusual aesthetic, turning criticism into free publicity. Some audiences even embraced the rough visual style as an appealing contrast to increasingly polished digital and AI-generated imagery.

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What do you think about Tom and Jerry: Forbidden Compass receiving such a harsh critical response? Let us know in the comments.