Parents' Guide to

Inspector Gadget

By Michael Scheinfeld, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Not nearly as good as the TV show.

Movie PG 1999 78 minutes
Inspector Gadget Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 5+

Based on 7 parent reviews

Cradloff
Cradloff Parent of 7-year-old
August 12, 2022
age 6+

You will never get this time back…

This is just one of the worst movies ever. Horrible acting. Horrible production quality. Nothing inappropriate, but nothing redeeming about it either.
1 person found this helpful.
Starcatcher60
Starcatcher60 Adult
February 5, 2023
age 7+

Boring film

Really bad movie. Dumb protagonist, shallow women. Lots of characters shown smoking. i wouldn't bother watching this, it's not really that funny and unentertaining. Don't even think about the sequel. It's not worth it.
See all 7 parent reviews

What's the Story?

INSPECTOR GADGET, Disney's frenetic version of the popular 1980s cartoon, stars Matthew Broderick as the bumbling cyborg cop. This live action adventure begins with explosion that injures a security guard. Pretty scientist Brenda (Joely Fisher) rebuilds the injured guard using high-tech gadgets. With his new abilities and new name, Inspector Gadget takes on his first case -- trying to find out who was responsible for the explosion that nearly killed him.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (7):
Kids say (16):

Despite some amusing special effects, the movie is shrill and charmless, featuring (attempted) comical violence and innuendoes inappropriate for young children. Only the renowned Disney marketing and merchandising machine could have turned a movie as routine and uninspired as Inspector Gadget into a $100 million blockbuster. At a slight 78 minutes (including 10 minutes of closing credits), it's both not enough and way too much, featuring a tissue-thin plot and a cacophonous barrage of hyper-kinetic special effects. Gadget is a virtual human Swiss Army Knife and some of the effects derived from that concept are amusing the first time, but after about the 30th time they become tiresome and desperate. Gadget fully earns its PG rating, featuring non-stop cartoon violence, and some smarmy sexual innuendo, and jokey pop-culture references that will go over the heads of most kids. The movie also boasts blatant commercial plugs for Disney as well as Coca-Cola, Skittles, and M&Ms candy. Skip this one, especially if you have a hyperactive child to begin with, and catch an episode of the old cartoon series instead.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how this movie compares to the 1980s TV series on which it is based. Why do you think Penny, Gadget's young neice, is a great role model for little girls?

Movie Details

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