Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever (2005 Video) User Reviews

The gadgetmobile strikes again. Don't waste your time.

[rudzik-2 · 1/10 · 2 May 2008]

Okay, once again I ponder: did whomever wrote the script for this rotten film ever SEE the ORIGINAL INSPECTOR GADGET CARTOONS? I rather doubt it. Once again, we have inserted into the film the Gadgetmobile, voiced by bernie mac, who does nothing more than whine and complain about inspector gadget's absent-minded ineptitude.

This was more like an animated carry-on from the movies with a little bit of the original character animation thrown in for kicks and grins.

While I adore mainframe for their positively wonderful attention to detail, I would NEVER recommend a literate or sane person ever watch this film if they have seen or liked the original Inspector Gadget cartoons.

This film is INSULTING to the childhood amusement we call inspector gadget.

Wowsers, this is bad!

[Kryptoncat · 3/10 · 28 August 2012]

I wasn't expecting comedy gold while watching this movie, I was more hoping for half-way decent; at least a few good laughs from our lovable Inspector and some great action from his clever niece and dog. I am sorry to report that this movie failed to deliver. It's bad enough the CGI makes the characters look like they've been slathered with Botox and had their souls ejected through their eyes, but the story is bad, too! In a nutshell, Dr. Claw broke out of prison and then set his sights on stealing a prehistoric dinosaur egg that has miraculously started hatching. Its up to Gadget and co. to save the day! Seems harmless enough, right? Let's look at what went wrong:

First off, Inspector Gadget himself. For a character like him, there needs to be a good balance. He needs to be incompetent, yet still likable. This movie had him be too self-serving and obnoxiously oblivious, making him an unfunny walking disaster for most of his screen time. If they had made Gadget even a little more self-aware of the danger he was in, for example, during the times he was chased by a monster that ate metal, it would have made the story more engaging and the audience more invested in Gadget's survival. (If he doesn't care, why should we?) It felt like he was progressively getting stupider as the movie shambled on; which made the boring story and slow pacing all the more aggravating. He doesn't try to even arrest Dr. Claw when the guy is right in front of him, for Pete's sake! Really movie; this is the confrontation you go with?

Other characters fared no better. Penny, I hate to say, was pretty bland here. When she was not donning the Captain Obvious hat, her major role in this movie involved just being there, existing. No computer book or watch for you, instead, you get a boring filler love interest character who contributes more to the plot than you do! Brain was at least given his normal role of keeping watch over Uncle Gadget, but he still wasn't as good as he was in the cartoon. Chief Quimby was alright, but he was given the mayor as an unfunny foil. Dr. Claw and his M.A.D. Agents were neither menacing nor entertaining to watch; which they should have been since they are in this movie a lot. (Gadgetmobile can talk, but he's barely in the movie, so no comment.)

Another huge problem with this movie is its sad attempts at a type of humor called the running gag. Gadget doesn't know which hand his phone is in! The mayor believes in aliens! The geeky scientist always gets interrupted before he can ask Penny out on a date! Look, Gadget's trying to arrest everybody again! M.A.D. Cat is shedding! Oh the hilarity! Please, repeat these jokes four or five times each, movie; I just can't get enough! Ha ha...

The story was boring and padded. The climax of the movie was torturous to watch. The pacing was so slow I think William Shatner could have read the entire dictionary aloud before something worthwhile happened. I wish I could say this movie was so bad, it's good; but no, there is only pain. I still can't believe they had Gadget recognize who Claw was and be five feet away from him, and there is no confrontation. No fight. Nothing. Not even a tiny attempt at an arrest. Bad movie, bad.

I like the Inspector Gadget franchise. I'm sure the reason why the original cartoon was funny and endearing was because the people who made it actually cared. Hopefully future adaptations or remakes will care about our bumbling bionic detective and family as much as the fans do, so no movies with messages this self-destructive get released again.

Go go gadget sledgehammer!

[Taps06 · 2/10 · 29 June 2023]

Oh boy... where do I even begin with this one?

First off, instead of Gadget being the bumbling but enjoyable detective, here is even more dim-witted and it completely drags me out of the experience. The animation is just as good as a Barbie movie (which is funny since it was animated by the same company). This movie is annoying, sluggish, and extremely stupid.

The reason I have this 2 stars instead of 1 is because the movie is delightfully awful. I can laugh at all the flaws, as I think to myself, "How the hell was this even made?"

If you want to check this out, be cautious of what you are getting into. It's not what you think.

P. S. The main theme is an absolute bop ;)

Gadget and a giant egg - what more could you want for Easter?

[Chip_douglas · 7/10 · 10 April 2009]

CGI is steadily taking over children's television, and poof old Inspector Gadget has fallen afoul of it as of this movie. Although the Pink Panther inspired opening credits make it seem like the viewing public is in for some of the worst computer generated animation ever seen, the 66 minute feature itself proves bearable. Still it does feel like you're watching a Gadget computer game instead of his latest incarnation.

Ignoring Gadget's previous series 'Gadget and the Gadgetini's', our hero is back to being an inspector in Metro City and works for Chief Quimby again instead of being an Lieutenant for WOMP. Penny and Brain are back as sidekicks, and while the later likes to put on a Indiana Jones fedora in his CG incarnation, Penny has had another growth spurt, making her look like Skipper from one of those Barbi direct to DVD fairy tales. In fact, this version of Penny appears rather out of place between the other, more cartoon like characters. New characters include Metro City Mayor Morty Markum who looks like Quimby's older brother and is obsessed with aliens and a nerdy love interest for Penny called Looney Purkle who looks unsettlingly like Andy Dick's character from the Matthew Broderick Inspector Gadget movie.

All the action in this caper takes place in and around Metro City, though Gadget talks about taking a holiday in Holland (and least he does in the Dutch dubbed version I saw, not sure about any other languages). Gadget also refers to himself as 'bionic' for the first time, perhaps to prepare the audience for the sight of him repeatedly losing his head over the course of the story. Dr. Claw escapes from MC Pen thanks to some explosive help from his henchman Bombaboy, leaving a big hole in the ground where Gadget and Indiana Brain find a giant dinosaur egg. Penny and Looney deduce it belongs to an 'Iguana Giganto' The Mayor sees the egg as an instant tourist attraction and Claw (who's legs are visible beneath his chair for the first time) naturally wants to get his gauntlets on it as well.

Of course, Gadget has always been known to draw the wrong conclusion in every possible scenario, but during this caper his deductions are just a bit too far fetched (either that or I'm getting to old for this stuff). First of all he is convinced Dr. Claw is using the giant egg as a disguise/hiding place. When it eventually hatches, the Inspector nicknames the flying Iguana 'Iggy' and thinks it has an obsession for juggling, just like himself. When he finally bumps into Dr. Claw face to face (!) he doesn't even try to arrest him, but somehow assumes Claw is a talent agent representing the prehistoric monster.

By the way, the monster itself is of the kind that can only appear in cartoons, because it lives on metal and grows each time it has a snack. Meanwhile, Andy Dick has been working on a growth pill to solve world hunger but so-far has only come up with a shrinking pill (hint hint nudge nudge). Writer Phil Harnage then proceeded to add an over reliance on pop culture references (Superman, Die Harder and Benny Hill amongst them) in an effort to cover up some of the plot holes (the Dino is never really defeated, he just sort of joins forces with the goodies after a bit of shrinkage). I suppose it was too much to ask for old-school Gadget. For some reason they couldn't even use the original theme, relying on the similar sounding one from Inspector Gadget's Last case instead. But still, any Gadget is better than nothing, even a CG version. Despire my criticism, I was still amused and interested throughout. After all, it was the first time I saw Gadget using his copter to mow the lawn. It will be interested to see where the career of the greatest inspector in the world will lead to next.

7 out of 10