Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget
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Watch-outs
What this film brings
Content barometer
Violence
2/5
Moderate
Fear
2/5
A few scenes
Sexuality
1/5
Allusions
Language
1/5
Mild
Narrative complexity
1/5
Accessible
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
This live action version of Inspector Gadget is a family adventure comedy with a fast pace and lots of slapstick humor built around the hero's absurd robotic upgrades. The main sensitive material comes from a crime plot, including the on screen killing of an important character, repeated chases, explosions, car crashes, threats, and a villain with a mechanical appearance that may unsettle younger children. The overall treatment is highly stylized and not realistic, with no gore and very little focus on pain, but the danger is present quite regularly and may feel intense for a 5 year old, especially during the lab attack and the scenes where the hero is seemingly left for dead. A more fitting recommendation is around age 7, or age 6 with an attentive adult who can reassure children that the tone stays exaggerated and comic. Parents may also want to mention beforehand that the story includes a death and some robot body transformation imagery, which can be more upsetting than the comedy suggests.
Synopsis
John Brown is a bumbling but well-intentioned security guard who is badly injured in an explosion planned by an evil mastermind. He is taken to a laboratory, where Brenda, a leading robotics surgeon, replaces his damaged limbs with state-of-the-art gadgets and tools. Named "Inspector Gadget" by the press, John -- along with his niece, Penny, and her trusty dog, Brain -- uses his new powers to discover who was behind the explosion.
Difficult scenes
The laboratory break in is the strongest sequence for young children. A villain attacks the building with a weaponized vehicle, an important character is killed, and the whole scene combines threat, destruction, and a harsher sense of danger than the rest of the movie. John chases the criminal by car, then suffers a major crash followed by an explosion. The sequence is partly played for laughs, but the idea that he may die and the fact that he is left badly injured could be upsetting for sensitive children. After his operation, the hero discovers that his body has been altered with many mechanical gadgets. It is not graphic, but some children may feel uneasy about the body transformation imagery, the artificial limbs, and the moments when he cannot control his new functions. The movie includes several confrontations involving a robotic double of the hero and the villain after he becomes partly mechanical. These scenes stay fantastical, but they feature chases, falls, destruction, and recurring tension that may be tiring or worrying for younger viewers.
Where to watch
No verified platform for the US market yet. We keep this section updated as availability changes.
About this title
- Format
- Feature film
- Year
- 1999
- Runtime
- 1h 18m
- Countries
- United States of America
- Original language
- EN
- Directed by
- David Kellogg
- Main cast
- Matthew Broderick, Rupert Everett, Joely Fisher, Michelle Trachtenberg, Andy Dick, Cheri Oteri, Mike Hagerty, Dabney Coleman, D.L. Hughley, René Auberjonois
- Studios
- DiC Entertainment, Walt Disney Pictures, Caravan Pictures, Avnet/Kerner Productions, Roger Birnbaum Productions
Content barometer
Violence
2/5
Moderate
Fear
2/5
A few scenes
Sexuality
1/5
Allusions
Language
1/5
Mild
Narrative complexity
1/5
Accessible
Adult themes
0/5
None
Expert review
This live action version of Inspector Gadget is a family adventure comedy with a fast pace and lots of slapstick humor built around the hero's absurd robotic upgrades. The main sensitive material comes from a crime plot, including the on screen killing of an important character, repeated chases, explosions, car crashes, threats, and a villain with a mechanical appearance that may unsettle younger children. The overall treatment is highly stylized and not realistic, with no gore and very little focus on pain, but the danger is present quite regularly and may feel intense for a 5 year old, especially during the lab attack and the scenes where the hero is seemingly left for dead. A more fitting recommendation is around age 7, or age 6 with an attentive adult who can reassure children that the tone stays exaggerated and comic. Parents may also want to mention beforehand that the story includes a death and some robot body transformation imagery, which can be more upsetting than the comedy suggests.
Synopsis
John Brown is a bumbling but well-intentioned security guard who is badly injured in an explosion planned by an evil mastermind. He is taken to a laboratory, where Brenda, a leading robotics surgeon, replaces his damaged limbs with state-of-the-art gadgets and tools. Named "Inspector Gadget" by the press, John -- along with his niece, Penny, and her trusty dog, Brain -- uses his new powers to discover who was behind the explosion.
Difficult scenes
The laboratory break in is the strongest sequence for young children. A villain attacks the building with a weaponized vehicle, an important character is killed, and the whole scene combines threat, destruction, and a harsher sense of danger than the rest of the movie. John chases the criminal by car, then suffers a major crash followed by an explosion. The sequence is partly played for laughs, but the idea that he may die and the fact that he is left badly injured could be upsetting for sensitive children. After his operation, the hero discovers that his body has been altered with many mechanical gadgets. It is not graphic, but some children may feel uneasy about the body transformation imagery, the artificial limbs, and the moments when he cannot control his new functions. The movie includes several confrontations involving a robotic double of the hero and the villain after he becomes partly mechanical. These scenes stay fantastical, but they feature chases, falls, destruction, and recurring tension that may be tiring or worrying for younger viewers.