Tom and Jerry: Spy Quest is the 11th film in the Tom and Jerry Direct-to-Video Film Series. The infamous cat and mouse join forces with another franchise also created by Hanna and Barbera, Jonny Quest. The film was the first appearance of JQ characters in non-parodic media since The Real Adventures of Jonny Quest ended in 1997 (barring some cameos in Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated).
Tom and Jerry hit the beach and get caught in a chase by Tin, Pan and Alley who are after Jonny, Hadji and Bandit. Tom and Jerry tag along and find themselves alongside Team Quest to stop another world altering scheme by none other than Dr. Zin.
This film marks one of the few occasions that Tom and Jerry have been directly marketed with a Hanna-Barbera branded franchisenote , at least so far.
Tom and Jerry: Trope Quest:
- Accidental Hero: Tom never intends to do anything heroic and has to be literally dragged by Jerry into the adventure, but ends up saving the day numerous times by sheer accident.
- Amusing Injuries: As per usual with Tom and Jerry.
- Animal Assassin: While not going all the way, Tin, Pan, and Alley are like this.
- Badass Family: As usual for the Quest family.
- Being Watched: Dr Zin still spies on the Quests.
- The Bus Came Back:
- In a way; this was the first new real Jonny Quest material since the 1990s.
- Jezebel Jade's return is also one within the film itself.
- Casting Gag: The President of the United States is voiced by Tim Matheson, the original voice of Jonny Quest. He lampshades this by telling Jonny he reminds him of himself at his age.
- Chekhov's Skill: Tom turns into an accidental warrior when Bandit barks. This is used in the finale.
- Crossover: Between Tom and Jerry and Jonny Quest.
- Furry Confusion: Tom and Jerry (along with Droopy and Spike) are your typical Funny Animal while Bandit is still a more realistic dog by comparison. Although this is nothing new for Hanna-Barbera crossovers.
- Lighter and Softer: It's more akin to the The New Adventures of Jonny Quest in tone but as usual this doesn't lessen the action.
- Mistaken for Badass: Dr. Zin mistakes Tom for a shrewd and dangerous opponent not to mention a worthy one, misinterpreting all of his bad luck and clumsiness as deliberate intervention, continuing to see him as the biggest threat to his plans, and referring to him by monikers such as "that magnificent feline".
- Mythology Gag: A lot to both series.
- The opening credits have Tom and Jerry edited into the original Jonny Quest opening.
- Two design reuses appear. Early on the crab on the beach is from "Salt Water Tabby". The larger monstrous ones are from "Terror Island".
- Jezebel Jade sings a Tex Avery-esque number in the style of the MGM cartoons with Tex's own ''Droopy as the background singer.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: The entire movie only happens because Tom accidentally shut off Dr. Quest's security system while stealing food from the kitchen, allowing Tin, Pan, and Alley to get into the lab, steal Dr. Quest's energy-generating device, and kidnap both Dr. Quest and Race.
- Outside-Genre Foe: Tom and Jerry's cartoonishness clashes against the more realistic action sci-fi world of Johnny Quest, to the frustration of Dr. Zin.
- Remake Cameo: Tim Matheson, who voiced Jonny Quest in the original 1960s series, voices the president in this movie.
- Running Gag: Over the course of the movie, Tom repeatedly gets scared by Bandit barking at him, which results in him doing something awesome by complete accident.
- Story Reset: Jonny and Hadji are children again and Race is single, so everything from Jonny's Golden Quest onward never happened (or has yet to). No present-day technology is ever used, so the setting could very well be the super-science 60's of the original series.
- Team Pet: Bandit is here in his usual role but Tom and Jerry end up joining the crew.
- What the Hell, Hero?: Jerry non-verbally calls out Tom for stealing food from Dr. Quest's fridge, and again after it leads to Tin, Pan, and Alley getting into the lab and stealing the energy-generating device.
- Would Hurt a Child: Dr. Zin is not above using the kids as collateral, even threatening them in front of Dr. Quest.
- Yellow Peril:
- Dr. Zin is the main villain and, while Lighter and Softer is still showing some signs of being an evil Asian doctor.
- While Tin, Pan and Alley have been recurring foes for Tom and Jerry for years now, it is somewhat interesting that Zin's new henchmen are the breed of cat most stereotyped as Asian.
