Inspector Gadget (film) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Inspector Gadget
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	David Kellogg
Produced by	Roger Birnbaum Andy Heyward Jordan Kerner
Screenplay by	Kerry Ehrin Zak Penn
Story by	Kerry Ehrin Dana Olsen
Starring	Matthew Broderick Rupert Everett
Music by	John Debney
Cinematography	Adam Greenberg
Editing by	Alan Cody Thom Noble
Distributed by	Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release date(s)	July 23, 1999 (1999-07-23)
Running time	78 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$75–90 million
Money made	$134.4 million

Inspector Gadget is a 1999 American superhero comedy film directed by David Kellogg and written by Kerry Ehrin and Zak Penn from a story by Ehrin and Dana Olsen. Loosely based on the 1980s animated television series of the same name, the film stars Matthew Broderick as the title character, Rupert Everett as Dr. Claw, Michelle Trachtenberg as Penny, and Dabney Coleman as Chief Quimby. Five new characters were introduced: Dr. Brenda Bradford (played by Joely Fisher), Sykes (played by Michael G. Hagerty), Kramer (played by Andy Dick), Mayor Wilson (played by Cheri Oteri) and the Gadgetmobile (voiced by D. L. Hughley). The film tells the origin story of Inspector Gadget as he attempts to foil an evil plot concocted by the series villain, Dr. Claw. It was filmed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Los Angeles, California, with the castle-like main tower of Pittsburgh's PPG Place playing a central role.

Produced by Caravan Pictures and DIC Entertainment (which was owned by The Walt Disney Company at the time of production), the film was released theatrically by Walt Disney Pictures on July 23, 1999. It was the last film produced by Caravan Pictures, before the company merged into Spyglass Entertainment. It was also dedicated to the memory of production designer Michael White, who died on January 19, 1999, in Los Angeles during production of the film at the age of 36.

The film had a worldwide gross of $134 million against a $90 million budget, while also receiving negative reviews from critics, who gave some praise towards the acting, but criticized the screenplay, visual effects, editing, humor, and lack of faithfulness to the source material (particularly when Dr. Claw shows his face). It lost the studio approximately $30 million. It was followed by the 2003 direct-to-video sequel Inspector Gadget 2, though only D. L. Hughley reprised his role as the voice of the Gadgetmobile.

Plot

John Brown lives in Riverton, Ohio, with his niece Penny and her pet beagle Brain. Dreaming of becoming a police officer, John works as a security guard for the Bradford robotics laboratory. Artemus Bradford and his daughter Brenda are designing a lifelike robotic foot as part of the Gadget Program, designed to add android officers to the Riverton Police Department. Sanford Scolex, a tycoon, uses a robotic tank to break into the Bradford laboratory and steals the foot to build an army of androids from its technology, assassinating Artemus in the process. John chases after Scolex's limousine in his hatchback, but John's car gets flipped over due to an oil slick from Scolex's limo, and both vehicles crash into a billboard. John is left for dead by getting blown up in his upside down car by Scolex's Dynamite stick disguised as a cigar, but a bowling ball launched by the fiery explosive blast from the destroyed car lands in the limo and smashingly crushes Scolex's left hand. Scolex receives a mechanical claw from his associate Kramer, taking on the alias "Claw."

Brenda decides to make John, who nearly died from the fiery car explosion, the first test subject for the Gadget Program. She builds an array of gadgets into his body and gives him the alias "Inspector Gadget", inserting a control chip as his power supply. She gives him an orientation on using his new gadgets, which goes awry. John also receives a lesson from a guru, which ends in failure when he accidentally emasculates the guru. He is helped by the Gadgetmobile, a robotic car with a chatty AI. Despite still struggling with his gadgets, Gadget stops two criminals trying to rob a car.

At a charity ball, Scolex approaches Brenda, having known her at Harvard, inviting her to work for him in her own laboratory. Brenda accepts, unaware that Scolex plans to steal her technological ideas and designs. Unimpressed with Gadget, police chief Quimby assigns him to menial assignments rather than investigate Artemus’ murder. Upset at not being taken seriously, Gadget investigates on his own, finding a piece of scrap metal, which he later connects to Scolex, with help from Penny.

Claw uses Brenda's research to build his own android, "Robo-Gadget," sending him out on a rampage across Riverton to frame the real Gadget. Gadget himself infiltrates Claw's lab to recover the foot but is caught and deactivated when Claw breaks his chip. Claw's minion Sykes dumps Gadget in a junkyard, then is tasked to dispose of the foot. Brenda encounters her own robotic doppelganger, Robo-Brenda, who confirms Claw stole the foot and murdered her father. Brenda, Penny, Brain, and the Gadgetmobile track Gadget to a junkyard. A kiss from Brenda awakens Gadget, proving his human willpower can control his new body without the chip.

After dropping Penny and Brain off at home, Gadget and Brenda chase Claw and Robo-Gadget's limo. Gadget and Robo-Gadget fall off the roof and duel on a bridge until Gadget removes the latter's head, tossing it into the river, though Robo-Gadget's body runs off. Brenda crashes the Gadgetmobile into Claw's limo but is taken prisoner. Claw tries to escape in a helicopter, but Gadget appears using his helicopter hat to intercept. Claw destroys it, and Gadget is stuck hanging from the landing skis. Gadget deconstructs a pen in his finger and launches the metal ink chamber, sending it bouncing around until it his a button on Claw's claw, causing it to clamp shut and break the joystick of the helicopter Brenda leaps out of the spinning helicopter onto Gadget's back, but they fall down the side of Scolex's skyscraper, using a parasol to land safely. Claw parachutes down but lands in the Gadgetmobile and is captured by it. The police arrive to arrest Gadget, but Penny appears with a repentant and reformed Sykes, who confesses his boss' crimes to the police. Saluted and acknowledged by Quimby as an actual member of the police force, Gadget departs with Brenda and Penny, the former whom he begins a relationship with, and Claw vows revenge as he is taken away by the cops.

During the credits Robo Brenda starts her own cheerleading group, Sykes instead of going to jail for helping Scolex joins a Riverton Reform Group and informs a group of pardon criminals that it's been 30 days since he last committed a crime, Penny

Cast

Music

The soundtrack of the film, composed by John Debney, contains the singles "All Star" by Smash Mouth and "I'll Be Your Everything" by the boy band Youngstown.

Home media

Inspector Gadget was released on VHS and DVD on December 7, 1999, and re-released on DVD on May 27, 2003, by Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

Expanded franchise

Sequel

Inspector Gadget 2 is a 2003 made-for-video sequel to Inspector Gadget, with French Stewart taking over the title role. It follows Gadget getting a replacement named G2 (Elaine Hendrix) who is a woman-like version of Gadget. Meanwhile, Dr. Claw gets out of prison and plans to steal gold from the United States Treasury, so it is up to Gadget, Penny, Brain and G2 to stop Claw's plans.

The sequel drew more from its source material than the original film and also experienced a slightly improved critical reception, earning a 40% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 5 reviews. The film was released on March 11, 2003.

Reboot

In May 2015, a new film with an animated version of the character was in development, with Dan Lin as producer. In October 2019, Mikey Day and Streeter Seidell were hired to write the film.

See also

In Spanish: Inspector Gadget (película) para niños