Tomato Omelette Review: A Total Mess in the Best Way

The Verdict: Watch it if you like messy slapstick

If you have twenty minutes to spare and don't mind a bunch of kids acting like absolute maniacs, Tomato Omelette is actually worth a look. It is the kind of movie that makes you wonder how many laundry bills the parents had to pay after filming wrapped.

It’s perfect for people who miss the old Our Gang shorts. If you hate seeing food go to waste or can’t stand child actors from the 30s being loud, you should probably skip this one. 🍅

The whole thing starts with Smitty, who is "a trifle deaf," which basically means he mishears everything in the most convenient way for the plot. He listens to this old guy, Corporal Winterbottom, and decides he’s going to be a big-shot army leader.

It’s kind of sweet how his friends just go along with it. But then Vera shows up, and she’s totally into Dick because he has a fancy military academy uniform.

Jealousy is a hell of a drug, even for kids. The other boys decide they need uniforms too, but they don't have a budget, so they just wing it with whatever is lying around.

I swear one kid looks like he’s wearing a rug and a bucket. The outfits are so wildly different that it looks like a costume party gone wrong rather than an army.

There is this one shot of Billy Barty—who was just a tiny kid here—that is honestly the highlight. He has this intense energy that feels way too big for his body. 🏃‍♂️

The movie really picks up when the truckload of tomatoes appears. You know exactly what is going to happen the second that truck rolls into the frame.

It’s not a small amount of tomatoes. It is a disturbing amount of tomatoes.

The battle starts and it isn't even choreographed well, which makes it feel more real. Kids are just chucking fruit at each other’s faces with zero mercy.

One kid gets hit right in the ear and you can see him actually flinch like it hurt. It’s hilarious but also a little bit concerning if you think about it too much.

The film calls it "epic carnage," comparing it to Gettysburg or Verdun. That’s the kind of hyperbole I can get behind when we're talking about vegetable juice.

The pacing is a bit weird in the middle where they are just walking around in their weird clothes. It drags for maybe three minutes too long while they set up the "war."

But the payoff is the red slush everywhere. It’s a silent-era vibe even though there’s sound, and that crunchy audio quality adds to the charm.

I noticed one kid in the background who seems to be aimlessly throwing tomatoes at a wall instead of the other team. He’s my favorite character.

The way Vera just stands there watching the chaos is pretty funny too. She’s the catalyst for the whole war and she just looks bored after the first five seconds.

If you've seen When the Cat's Away, you know the vibe of these old kid-centric shorts. They have this lawless energy that you just don't see in modern movies anymore.

It’s not a masterpiece, and it doesn't try to be. It’s just a movie about kids being jerks to each other with produce.

Sometimes the simplest plots are the best because they don't have to explain why a truck full of tomatoes is just sitting there unguarded. It’s just there for the plot. 🤷‍♂️

The ending is abrupt, like they just ran out of film or tomatoes. It doesn't really wrap up Smitty's story, but honestly, who cares at that point?

I liked the specific texture of the uniforms. You can tell they were just raiding the prop closet for anything that looked remotely like a hat.

One kid has these goggles that make him look like a steampunk extra. It’s very weird for a movie from this era.

Anyway, it’s a fun distraction. Just don't watch it if you're hungry for an actual omelette because you will be disappointed by the lack of eggs. 🍳

The sound of the tomatoes hitting the pavement is weirdly satisfying. It has a very specific thwack sound that I’m pretty sure was added in post-production and it’s way too loud.

I'd give it a solid thumbs up for the mess alone. It’s better than Lost Money, which is way too serious for its own good.

Check it out if you want to see what passed for a blockbuster battle back in the day. It’s mostly just red stains and screaming.

Final thought: Smitty's deafness is a weird plot device that they kind of forget about halfway through. Typical. 🎬