The KarateGuard
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| The KarateGuard Tom and Jerry series |
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 The title card of "Karate Guard" |
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| Directed by | Joseph Barbera Spike Brandt |
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| Produced by | Executive Producers: Joseph Barbera Sam Register Sander Schwartz Supervising Producers: Spike Brandt Tony Cervone |
| Story by | Joseph Barbera (screenwriting and storyboard) Iwao Takamoto (storyboard only) |
| Voices by | Keone Young as Ancient Wise One Spike Brandt as Tom Tony Cervone as Butch |
| Music by | Michael Giacchino |
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Animation |
| Release date(s) | 2005 |
| Color process | Technicolor |
| Running time | 8 minutes |
| Language | English |
| Preceded by | Purr-Chance to Dream (final Tom and Jerry cartoon produced by Chuck Jones) |
The KarateGuard is a 2005 Tom and Jerry cartoon short directed by Joseph Barbera and Spike Brandt. It was the last Tom and Jerry theatrical cartoon produced and directed by Joseph Barbera before his death.
[edit] Plot
Jerry learns karate to guard himself from Tom, but it fails drastically, so his "spiritual" mentor summons a "KarateGuard" (an armored Spike) to aid him whenever he needs help. Jerry is provided with a gong to ring to call Spike, and to test it, provokes Tom into a fight in which he rings the gong and Spike subdues Tom violently.
The short deals with Tom's attempts to catch Jerry while avoiding Spike, such as placing pillows on his ears. Each attempt fails, until Tom chases Jerry into a toy shop and starts a dogfight on toy planes. Jerry summons Spike, who stops Tom and places him in a bin.
Tom calls an exterminator, Butch, along with 3 more cats to remove Spike from the household. They do nothing more than fire paintballs at Spike, who is thrown by the force into the swimming pool. Spike, however, squashes Tom into a bowling ball and uses him to throw the cats out of the garden.
In the final scene, Jerry and Spike are watching TV and eating popcorn. Jerry rings his gong, and Tom rushes into the room with more popcorn, immediately bending down to kiss Spike's foot. Spike smiles at Tom, and he and Jerry continue eating.
[edit] Notes
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (March 2009) |
- Currently the most recent Tom and Jerry theatrical cartoon short.
- When this short was shown on Cartoon Network it was shown with an episode of I Am Weasel (My Friend, the Smart Banana) and Cow and Chicken (Black Sheep of the Family). The short was nominated for the Annie Award (Spike Brandt: Best Character Animation). It was eventually released as a bonus feature on Volume 3 of Tom and Jerry: The Spotlight Collection DVD contemplation.
- This became the last animated short written and directed by Joseph Barbera, and was also the only Tom and Jerry short he directed without Hanna, because of Hanna's death.
- Butch returns in his trusty "Exterminator" role. This role can also be seen in Trap Happy.
- Tom beating Jerry up with a flyswatter is a gag from the Chuck Jones' shorts Catty-Cornered & Pent-House Mouse
- This is one of two episodes where Jerry is wearing something the entire short. The other is Posse Cat, where Jerry was wearing a cowboy hat.
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