Itsy Bitsy Spider (film)

1992 American film

July 31, 1992 (1992-07-31)

(with Bébé's Kids)

Running time

7 minutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish

The Itsy Bitsy Spider is a 1992 American animated short film directed by Matthew O'Callaghan, written by Michael O'Donoghue and Jerry Rapp, and stars Frank Welker as the titular spider alongside Thora Birch, Jim Carrey and Andrea Martin. Based on the eponymous rhyme, the short film was released along with the film Bébé's Kids. It was rated PG by the MPAA for sci-fi cartoon violence.^[1]

It is a family-friendly version of The Terminator and RoboCop,^[2] and was the basis for the television series of the same name, which was aired on the USA Network.

Plot

A young country spider; the Itsy Bitsy Spider, befriends a perky young city girl taking piano lessons from a music teacher (incidentally learning to play the song) and her cat, Langston. When Itsy frightens the teacher, she calls the Exterminator, who tries to kill Itsy with a toxic machine blower, but it causes pain and destruction to the instructor's house. The Exterminator turns out to be a heavily armed android, who then uses more extreme weapons, escalating from poison and vacuums to guns and explosives, before destroying the instructor's house. Itsy finally reunites with the little girl (who senses to leave the house when the Exterminator uses the weapons) and heads home to the big city on her bicycle.

Cast

Frank Welker as The Itsy Bitsy Spider, Langston the Cat and Mouse
Thora Birch as The Little Girl (named Leslie McGroarty in the television series)
Jim Carrey as The Exterminator (credited as James Carrey)
Andrea Martin as The Music Teacher (named Adrienne Van Leydon in the television series)