Inspector Gadget 2
Director: Alex Zamm (Chairman Of The Board)
Writer: Ron Anderson, William Robertson, Alex Zamm
MPAA Rating: G (Mild Violence/Peril)
Genre: Action | Comedy | Family

Our Take on the Film
30-Second Plot Review
How Does It Look?
How Does It Sound?
Bonus Features and Material
Easter Eggs
Parent's Guide
DVD-ROM

OUR TAKE ON THE FILM: 8 out of 10
I've noted it before - there's something to be said for lowered expectations. I'm an everyman when it comes to reviewing movies, which means those little things that make the different to the person viewing also make the difference to me. If I watch a movie that's been raved about up and down, I'll expect more, and frequently it fails to deliver. Then there's the case where I hear nothing, or very little, about a movie that surprises me. 'Inspector Gadget 2' SHOULD suck as a straight-to-video sequel starring nobody from the original. The problem being, it doesn't suck. In fact, it's pretty good. Don't get me wrong, the plot isn't great, the acting isn't great, and you won't be seeing this winning awards in the near future. But for a straight-to-video kid flick, they don't come much better. Your child WILL be entertained by this, and I wouldn't be surprised if Mom and Dad don't have a good time as well. The production values are tremendous for a film with this budget with every technical detail seemingly taken care of by the filmmakers. The movie looks and sounds terrific, and the DVD is packed full of bonuses often not even found on a popular theatrical release. All in all, a pretty good rental.

30-SECOND PLOT REVIEW
Just when things are quieting down in Riverton, everything goes wrong. Inspector Gadget (French Stewart) is put on probation. Claw (Tony Martin) stages a daring escape from prison and plots a new "Crime of the Century". And the Mayor (Sigrid Thornton) unveils a new and improved G2 (Elaine Hendrix) - an all-robot, all-tech, all-female gadget! Mishaps, miscues, stakeouts and showdowns ensue as Inspector Gadget and G2 set off to go-go save the world with a little help from their friends - niece Penny (Catilin Wachs), her dog Brain, and the wildly tricked-out Gadgetmobile!

HOW DOES IT LOOK?
The film is presented in THX-certified 1.66:1 widescreen, a little smaller than your average widescreen presentation, but seeing as this is a Disney straight-to-video kid flick, I'm not complaining. Very surprisingly, this is a very attractive film, and the quality is beyond many of today's theatrical releases. Straight-to-video usually refers to low/no budget handicam production, and that's far from the case here. This THX-transfer is near flawless with no errors to be seen, at least on a regular sized television or computer monitor (I tested on both). In keeping with its children's movie theme, it's a feast for the eyes complete with constant bright colours and vibrant treatment. When the film started off well I was still intent on judging this movie as poor, but there's no escaping the amazing job they've done on such a nominal budget. Congratulations are in order.

HOW DOES IT SOUND?
The film is offered in THX-certified Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound in English and French with optional English and French subtitles. Anytime you see the THX symbol you know it should be good visually, and you're assured it's going to be great audibly. No exception here as this is a stunningly boistrous mix for a film geared towards the younger set. The sound is phenomenal as gadgets fly out and about, cars screech their tires during chases, and cartoony noises echo off all 6 speakers. It's a cartoon come to life, but it's done exceptionally well. I can't reiterate enough that this movie deserves to be treated as a full theatrical release, because what they're giving us far surpasses many of those films that DO get theatrically released. Judged on its own merits, this is a fine example of how to put a film together.

BONUS FEATURES AND MATERIAL
In keeping with the theatrical embracing of this straight-to-vid treatment, there's no shortage of excellent bonus feature to entertain for quite some time. We start off with Illustrated Gadget, further breaking down into Inspector Gadget and G2. Narrated by Gadget creator Baxter we get a chance to view four different gadgets from each of the creations, with additional home uses for the male counterpart. Fun for the kids, but a bit boring for the older set. Gadget Training Simulator, hosted by the Gadgetmobile, is an extensive set-top game mixing trivia with games to help kids obtain a special prize. I was actually impressed with this effort as it's far beyond the normal "trivia" contests we usually see, but more along the line of the great game provided in the Beauty and the Beast SE DVD last year. Disney really has the edge on these. We move on to a detailed and entertaining Behind the Scenes (31:52) featurette broken into 13 subsections that can be played individually or as a group. Titled Go Go Gadgetmobile, Claw's Claw, Extendo Arms, G2 Fight Scene, Flying Fox Rig, Restroom Madness, Shaky Dance, Penny And Brain, Claw's Laser, The Chase Sequence, Stop Sign, Go Go Gadget Bubble Gum, and Gadget And G2, these are fairly self explanatory. Each is just short enough to keep everyone interested, but they cram a lot of fun and informative stuff in the short running time. Far more than I expected, which makes it even more enjoyable. This brings us to the always fun Deleted Scenes (10:54), titled Penny At School, Candy Bar, Penny & Gadgetmobile, Gadgetmobile Towed, Mayor's Office, Claw & Minions Enter Fund-Raiser, Claw Grills Penny, Gadgetmobile Breakout, Penny Message, Nose-Picker, Federal Reserve, and Scooter Chase, and available with optional commentary by Director Alex Zamm. These scenes are all nicely completed in widescreen and well done, most having been cut for either pacing or due to the removal of a storyline to keep things in time. Still, because they're good scenes and completed, they're definitely worth a view. Some funny Outtakes (2:53) follow, a good mix of actual mess-ups and some funny backstage pranks. Quick, painless, and actually funny. The Audio Commentary option actually contains two full commentary tracks, starting with Audio Commentary by French Stewart, Elaine Hendrix, and Director Alex Zamm. This is quite a good track full of all the things you'd hope for, and it's quite fun to hear the three outside the restrictions of their characters, especially Hendrix. All seem to get along quite well, and you can tell they had fun making the film. Well worth a listen. Audio Commentary by Director Alex Zamm gives Zamm a second chance to fly alone, and he gets in far more detail on the making of the film, as opposed to the more conversationl behind-the-scenes feel of the first track. It's equally as good, but certainly more geared towards any Moms and Dads that might happen to be watching the movie without the rugrats around. An interesting option arrives with View Movie with Music Only Soundtrack, and it's exactly what it says. Watch the entire movie with no sound but the score offered by Laura Bishop - interesting, and of high quality, but I can't imagine this holding the interest of kids for very long. Things start to wind down with the "Up, Up, Up" Music Video by Rose Falcon (2:57), a quick, catchy track from a girl who's obviously going to count The Bangles as one of her inspirations. Storyboard-to-Film Comparison: Bridge Scene (1:51), and because it's so short it's a great little watch. Do note, however, that "Bridge Scene" is also known as the last scene of the movie, so make sure you've seen the film already. A chance to Register Your DVD closes off our Bonus Material menu. As with most, if not all, Disney titles there's an additional Sneak Peeks menu with trailers for Pirates Of The Caribbean (1:26), Treasure Planet (1:28), Atlantis: Milo's Return (0:35), George Of The Jungle 2 (0:50), Bionicle: Mask Of Light (0:40), The Lion King Special Edition (1:37), Finding Nemo (2:02), and Kim Possible (0:30). Of course, being Disney, you've probably seen most of these as they automatically prior to the movie.

EASTER EGGS
There are a couple silly little Easter Eggs to enjoy here. (1) Press Up on the Play option off the main menu to highlight the large IG2 logo on the top centre of the screen. Press Enter to visit an alternative menu with the same options. (2) Press Down on the Bonus Material option to highlight a circle around one of the sign posts. Press Enter to watch Gadget use one of his gadgets. (3) Press Down on the Set Up option to highlight a circle around one of the sign posts. Press Enter to watch Gadget use one of his gadgets.

PARENTS GUIDE
The MPAA rates this film G for mild violence/peril, and the Canadian Home Video Rating is PG. Ever seen a Disney movie? No difference here - it's just fine for the young'uns.

DVD-ROM FEATURES
Placing this DVD in your DVD-ROM launches the InterActual Player with standard Tinkerbell DVD skin. Unfortunately, the superb effort made on the DVD itself don't translate here - you're only going to get Register, Sweepstakes, Movies, and Official Site - all standard issue Disney fluff with nothing geared towards this particular movie at all.

This film reviewed Saturday, March 8, 2003 in Dolby Digital 5.1 Stereo Sound on the DVD format.