Has Walt Disney Pictures' studio heads finally lost their minds? They have created a big-screen version of a show which was popularized on Saturday mornings and Nickelodeon, then have the audacity to name it Disney's Inspector Gadget! Well, they may have the Disney's part right, as this doesn't resemble the CBS cartoon I grew up watching.

Matthew Broderick, still showing his unique taste for art film roles (i.e. Godzilla), plays John Brown(!); loving father by day, security guard by night. After the evil Dr. Claw...wait, I apologize, his name is just Claw, "like Madonna"(!?), steals an experimental foot from the laboratory Brown secures, saving the day is up to him. Unfortunately, a giant Yahoo! billboard, complete with the official Yahoo! advertising jingle, has landed on his Gremlin(!!), crippling him. After "Claw" throws an exploding cigar inside his classic car(?), Brown is paralyzed (but for some reason, not burned). Lucky for him, the doctor who created the experimental foot ( Ellen's Joely Fisher) saves his life and flexability by making him into a walking robotic freakshow, with no permission of his.

From here, the film veres in many different directions, all of them just as ludicrious as entertaining. Broderick, believe it or not, has the right demeaner for a role like this. He is likable, charming and sometimes downright childish...but it is Andy Dick who should be the most embarrased; as Claw's evil scientist, not one of his lines are amusing. Penny and Brain are only supporting characters here, and wait until you see the explination behind Claw's metal hand! Ten, fifteen years of wating...and what do we get? A bowling ball disaster (and not a very funny one at that). The gadgetmobile, complete with D.L. Houghley's voice and racist remarks "hey, honkey!", steals the show, as you will spend most of your time wishing you could stick a whole bunch of bananas in its tailpipe (complete with Tarantulas).

Despite all these downfalls, there are a few positive notes about Inspector Gadget; it has Don Adams' voice in a very funny cameo, the special effects are well done and every character from the show is in the movie, but some roles just aren't faithful (Chief Quimby hates gadget and there are no explding letters!). Children may enjoy the high-tech inventions in Gadget's arsenol of destructive weapons...but come on, who would ever put a thousand gallons of mint toothpaste in a robotic police detective's arm?

The low point: Characters constantly run into the camera lens, as if it is part of the action.

The high point: It is from director David Kellogg, whose only other film is the laugh-a-thon Cool as Ice.

At 82 minutes, this family film seems like 102. Fun if you like shlock or computer graphics. Kids will love it. Rated PG.





�1999 Sith Design