Growing up as a kid, I loved the Inspector Gadget animated series. It was a staple on Saturday mornings for me, and each week, I thought that I might finally get to see what Dr. Claw looked like. Also, that 80s animated series had one heck of a catchy theme song, up there as one of the most memorable of the 80s in my opinion.
How to Download Inspector Gadget (1999)
Inspector Gadget was released on July 23, 1999. You can download or stream the film from Disney+. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice. If you like xxxx, check out also his other films- film one and film two.
The Movie Review
It took over a decade, but Disney was the one to bring Inspector Gadget to the big screen in 1999. I did a bit of a deep dive after watching the movie and this was seen as a big deal before it was made. Many huge actors of the time were considered for major roles in the movie and at one point, Steven Spielberg was even attached as some kind of producer!
I think that this movie could have done with someone like Steven Spielberg on board. If you grew up watching the 1980s Inspector Gadget animated series, this will be a very disappointing movie for you. To be fair, Matther Broderick is more than ok as Inspector Gadget and he does a great job with what he has to work with. However, this movie takes itself way too seriously.
The Tone and Humor of Inspector Gadget (1999)
Do not get me wrong, it has some comedic moments and seeing Inspector Gadget screw up and not use his go, go gadget abilities right is fun. Yet, 90 percent of the movie feels like a missed opportunity. The gist of the story is that Dr. Claw, who starts out as a random rich tycoon called Sanford Scolex, wants the gadget technology created by Artemus Bradford and his daughter, Brenda. Rupert Everet is not horrible as Scolex/Dr. Claw, but we see his face for the majority of the movie and he never really feels like the classic villain from the animated show.
Changes in Key Characters
A huge part of the show was Gadget’s niece, Penny, and their dog Brain being the ones who would do most of the police work and save the day. While Michelle Trachtenberg is charming as Penny, the character, much like Dr. Claw, does not feel like the same one we saw on Saturday mornings during the 80s and early 90s.
Deviations from the Classic Formula
Look, they have to change things. I get that, but I feel that with Inspector Gadget, they steered far too far away from what people loved about the animated series. I have certainly seen way worse kids/family movies than this one, but at the time and even now, watching it many, many years later, this feels like a missed opportunity and, honestly, a disappointment.
McDonald’s Happy Meal Tie-In
Before I bring this to a close, I want to talk about the McDonald’s Happy Meal tie in for Inspector Gadget. On one hand, this was a lot of fun, You would get random pieces of Gadget’s body; his leg would be a pen, for example, and the idea was that you would combine each piece to make an Inspector Gadget action figure. While the idea was fun, it was kind of strange getting a random arm or a leg in your Happy Meal, especially if you had no intention of building the action figure, which I am sure most kids did not.
Final Thoughts on the Movie
As I said, Inspector Gadget is not horrible, but you would be better off watching a couple of episodes of the animated series with your kids than this. One strange thing is that in the mid-00s, Disney was all about straight to DVD sequels, and the Inspector Gadget 2 straight to DVD movie, which you would assume would be absolute garbage, is better than this! Hey, it is not great, but it has much more of the goofy charm that made the animated series fun.
