Inspector Gadget (film)

Inspector Gadget
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	David Kellogg
Screenplay by	Kerry Ehrin Zak Penn
Story by	Dana Olsen Kerry Ehrin
Produced by	Roger Birnbaum Andy Heyward Jordan Kerner
Starring	Matthew Broderick Rupert Everett Joely Fisher Michelle Trachtenberg Dabney Coleman D. L. Hughley
Cinematography	Adam Greenberg
Edited by	Alan Cody Thom Noble Gerald B. Greenberg (Uncredited)
Music by	John Debney
Production companies	Caravan Pictures DIC Entertainment Avnet-Kerner Productions
Distributed by	Walt Disney Pictures
Release date	July 23, 1999 (1999-07-23)
Running time	78 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$90 million
Box office	$134,403,112

Inspector Gadget is a 1999 live-action science fiction action-comedy loosely based on the 1983 animated cartoon series Inspector Gadget. It starred Matthew Broderick as the title character, along with Rupert Everett as Dr. Claw, Michelle Trachtenberg as Penny, and Dabney Coleman as Chief Quimby. Two new characters were introduced, Brenda Bradford (played by Joely Fisher) and the Gadgetmobile (voiced by D. L. Hughley). The film tells the story of how Inspector Gadget and Dr. Claw came to be in the cartoon.

The film was produced by Caravan Pictures and DIC Entertainment and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. It was filmed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Los Angeles, California, with the ice castle-like main tower of Pittsburgh's PPG Place playing a central role. This was the last film produced by Caravan Pictures before it absorbed into Spyglass Entertainment.

The film was followed by the 2003 direct-to-video sequel Inspector Gadget 2.

Plot

John Brown works as a security guard at the laboratory run by robotics scientist Brenda Bradford and her father Artemus in Riverton, Pennsylvania. Brown wishes to join the Riverton Police Department, with support from his niece Penny. Brenda and Artemus create a lifelike robotic foot which they can control through thought as a prototype for the Gadget Program. However, tycoon Sandford Scolex attacks the lab, kills Artemus and steals the foot in his plan to replicate the technology, create an army of machines and eventually conquer the world. Brown chases Scolex but both are severely wounded, Brown being blown up in his car while Scolex’s left hand is crushed by a bowling ball blasted out of the latter’s car. Brenda decides to turn Brown into a completely cybernetic man using a computer chip which powers Brown’s in-built gadgetry.

Brown, now with the name of “Inspector Gadget”, joins the police much to the irritation of Chief Quimby. He is also accompanied by his talking, intelligent car, the Gadgetmobile, and is forced to do community service assignments when wanting to investigate the Bradford case. Meanwhile, Scolex has been given a prosthetic claw and renames himself “Claw”, intending to build the first of his mechanical army using Brenda’s technology and hires her to join his business. Unsatisfied with his mediocre work, Gadget decides to take up the Bradford case in secret and with help from Penny and the Gadgetmobile, realises Claw is behind Artemus’ murder. As Gadget sneaks into Claw’s headquarters, Claw completes an evil replica of Gadget named RoboGadget after hacking into Brenda’s systems and stole her research. Gadget is captured by Claw and his minions Kramer and Sykes, who shutdown Gadget by removing and crushing his computer chip, before dumping him in the junkyard.

RoboGadget goes on a rampage across the city, whilst Brenda, Penny, her dog Brain and the Gadgetmobile come across Gadget in the junkyard. Brenda manages to revive Gadget by kissing him, and the group rush to Riverton to stop Claw and RoboGadget. Gadget confronts RoboGadget and they battle across a bridge until Gadget pulls a cord on his counterpart’s neck, causing his head to fall off which is chucked into the nearby river, whilst RoboGadget’s body runs off. Brenda is taken captive by Claw who attempts to make his escape in a helicopter. Gadget appears using his helicopter hat, but is shot down and suspended from the landing gear of Claw’s helicopter above the city. Gadget and Brenda escape, using an umbrella to sail safely to the ground with Claw following using a parachute and is promptly arrested by the police when Penny appears with Sykes who hands over the robotic foot to Chief Quimby. Gadget and Brenda become a couple, but Claw promises Gadget that they will meet again in the future.

Over the closing credits, we see RoboBrenda is teaching "robo-aerobics" and one of Claw's minions in a support-recovery group. After that, we see Penny now equipped with a wrist-monitor trying to make contact with Brain. We also see Robogadget's body running around like a decapitated chicken and bumping into the camera. And finally, the Gadgetmobile tells what happened after the end of the film.

Cast

• Matthew Broderick as John "Inspector Gadget" Brown/RoboGadget
• Rupert Everett as Dr. Claw/Sandford Scolex
• Joely Fisher as Dr. Brenda Bradford/RoboBrenda
• Michelle Trachtenberg as Penny
• Don Adams as the voice of "Brain"
• D. L. Hughley as the voice of the Gadgetmobile
• Dabney Coleman as Chief Quimby
• Cheri Oteri as Mayor Wilson
• Andy Dick as Kramer
• Michael G. Hagerty as Sykes
• René Auberjonois as Dr. Artemus Bradford
• Frances Bay as Thelma
• J.P. Manoux as the Mayor's assistant
• Brian George as the Sore Guru

During the "Minions Anonymous" scene in the credits, the henchmen include Mr. T and Richard Kiel (who is credited as the "Famous Bad Guy with Silver Teeth", in reference to his role of James Bond's enemy Jaws), as well as Richard Lee-Sung as the "Famous Villain with Deadly Hat", Bobby Bell as the "Famous Identifier of Sea Planes", Hank Barrera as the "Famous Native American Sidekick", and Keith Morrison as the "Famous Assistant to Dr. Frankensomething". Broderick and Coleman previously worked together in the film WarGames.

Production

After a test screening, the film was cut down to 78 minutes from the original 110 minute version.

The Gadgetmobile

The Gadgetmobile, designed by Brenda Bradford, is based on a 1964 Lincoln Continental convertible, and has an artificial intelligence with a male persona. Among other things, "he" can camouflage himself, has a radar system to track Gadget's location (and other people as well), can extend his tires upwards, has retractable jail bars in his back seat for transporting criminals, and has a powerful engine he keeps in his back trunk. His artificial intelligence also has a laid-back personality. The Gadgetmobile openly breaks the law constantly (he is a particular fan of backturns), but claims it's okay: "Speed limits are for cars, not the Gadgetmobile." Comedian D. L. Hughley provides his voice.

Soundtrack

The soundtrack of the film, composed by John Debney, contains the single "I'll Be Your Everything" by the boy band Youngstown.

Reception

The film was a moderate box office success with a worldwide gross of $134.4 million worldwide on a budget of $75 million. It made $75.9 million in its first four weeks. In the UK, it grossed just over £7 million.

Despite the moderate box office success, the film received generally negative reviews from critics and viewers alike, criticizing the differences from the show itself. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has a score of 21%, based on 62 reviews, with the consensus "Despite an abundance of eyecandy, the film doesn't amount to much." Lawrence Van Gelder of The New York Times stated that it "wastes a lot of good talent". In his review for the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert said that fans were angered when Dr. Claw reveals himself in the movie.

External links

• Inspector Gadget at IMDb
• Inspector Gadget at Rotten Tomatoes
• Inspector Gadget at AllMovie
• Inspector Gadget at Box Office Mojo