Inspector Gadget 2 (also called IG2) is a live-action comedy film, released directly to VHS and DVD in March 2003. It was based upon the cartoon series created by DiC Entertainment and is a direct-to-video sequel to the 1999 Disney film Inspector Gadget. However, the two films have a tenuous link at best since the canon of the first film was poorly referenced (Inspector Gadget and Dr. Claw are never referenced as John Brown and Sanford Scolex – their respective civilian names from the first movie – and Claw's former status as a wealthy man is only mentioned when one of his henchmen, wondering why are they hiding in an abandoned bowling alley, asks what happened to Claw's money and Claw explains that his accounts are blocked) and none of the 1999 film's actors return to reprise their roles, with the exception of D. L. Hughley, who voices the Gadgetmobile.
Plot
The film opens with Inspector Gadget (French Stewart) and Gadgetmobile (D.L. Hughley) having problems because of a lack of crime in their city of Riverton, and a series of glitches that Gadget is experiencing. Since arresting Claw, Gadget has become rather overzealous, and arrests Chief Quimby (Mark Mitchell)'s mother, Mrs. Quimby (Aletha McGrath), for drag-racing (despite no one being on the road, besides Gadget, and the fact that she was only going three tenths faster than the speed limit) and having "Prune Juice" in her purse along with Dentures, and arrests girl scouts for selling "cookies", that were 3 days past expiration date.
Meanwhile, Dr. Claw (Tony Martin) escapes from prison (a hat blocks his eyes from sight for the whole movie, although we do see, a close up, one of his eyes when he is asking for sugar in his tea). Mayor Wilson (Sigrid Thornton) creates a female Gadget-type robot, who can function normally, called Gadget Model Two (G2 for short) (Elaine Hendrix), to replace the malfunctioning Gadget. Gadget begins to fall in love with the new robot G2. However, he is pulled off the Claw case in favor of her.
Claw begins a new plan to steal, 5 trillion dollars worth of, gold from the Federal Reserve. But first, he recruits 3 new gang members (not counting Brick (James Wardlaw) and McKible (John Batchelor) Squint (Andy Dick), Jungle Bob (Mick Roughan), and The Ninja (Siros Niaros), at a bar called "The Blue Monkey." Gadget and his niece, Penny (Caitlin Wachs), find out about this via an advertisement in the paper. Gadget goes to the bar undercover and causes a bar-room brawl, which is soon cleaned up by G2. Penny finds out that Claw is planning a heist at the Concentrated Industries warehouse, and tells Gadget and G2.
Before anything can be done, Chief Quimby removes Gadget from the case, and orders him not to go within of G2's stakeout at the warehouse. Gadget stays away from the stakeout but the Gadgetmobile convinces him to show G2 what he has got. In a brief fight G2 manages to defeat Claw's henchmen easily, but Gadget's appearance allows them to get away, taking with them ion fuel cells. Chief is furious and demotes Gadget to the police station's bathroom attendant.
Gadget is given a letter, written by an unnamed source, telling him that if he wants to catch Dr. Claw, he should be at the science convention tomorrow. At the convention, Brick and McKibble (disguised as nerds, who are Gadget's biggest fans) plant a circuit override chip on Gadget's hat, allowing Claw to control him like a puppet. In the resulting chaos, Brick and McKibble steal a protoid laser from the science convention, but Brain starts biting (and ripping) Brick's favorite shoe. Chief attempts to fire Gadget, but he quits instead. Gadget gets a job as a Construction worker, a Barber who cuts hair, and a Pizza Man respectively, and is fired from each occupation due to malfunctioning gadgets.
Penny decides to examine the evidence on her own and eventually finds Claw's hideout at an abandoned bowling factory. Meanwhile, Gadget gets a job as a parking valet for a gala. Inside the gala, Claw activates laughing gas to keep the people incapacitated, while he steals a 20 pound giant ruby on loan from the Rajah of India. G2 is immune to laughing gas and in order to stop G2, Claw uses a magnet to trap G2. Afterwards, Claw and his henchmen escape with the Ruby after Gadget fails to recognize him. Penny then infiltrates the hideout, Claw and his henchmen return and capture her. Brain then escapes Claw and he runs to get Gadget. After G2's failure to stop Claw, Mayor Wilson orders Chief to deactivate her. She is deactivated but Gadget later goes to the police department to reactivate G2. Using an, experimental, dog translator, Brain informs Gadget and G2 that Claw has captured Penny.
Outside, Claw activates his machine (which was hidden in his ice cream truck). The machine is a time displacement laser, which he fires at a satilite orbiting Earth, that is aimed directly over Riverton. The beam bounces back into the city, freezing it in time and allowing Claw to rob the Federal Reserve with ease. Gadget and G2 (who evaded the laser) then confront Dr. Claw. Dr. Claw orders his hencmen to hold them off so that he can escape. Gadget and G2 decide to switch chips in order to make Gadget work perfectly, leaving G2 to deal with the glitches. G2 still manages to defeat the henchmen while Gadget goes after Claw. Claw drops Penny in a little car off his ice cream truck, with explosives attached to her to force Gadget to save her. Gadget manages to rescue her in time. He then stops Brick and McKibble from escaping by putting large amounts of bubble gum on the road and trapping them. Dr. Claw gets away in a rocket-like escape pod, vowing that he'll be back next time.
Gadget, G2, and Penny reverse the effects of the laser before returning to working in the police force. They also fall in love and the film ends with fireworks coming out of their hats as they kiss, with one of the fireworks exploded in front of the chief and the mayor.
Trivia
- Riverton is in Ohio, as seen by license plates throughout the film.
- Gadget's license plate is "GADGET."
- Claw's license plate (on the Clawmobile, not the ice cream truck) is "CRYM PAYS."
- The only songs played was "Oh We took this giant Ruby" played by Mcibble and Brick and the other workers for Dr. Claw.
Cast
References to the cartoon
- As in the cartoons, Dr. Claw's face is never seen, except his mouth and (once) one of his eyes. The rest of the time, his whole body was visible, unlike the cartoon, but his eyes remain hidden by his hat, and in the convention, his whole face was hidden by his gas-mask.
- Just like the original character in the cartoon, Inspector Gadget's personallity revolves around acting odd, goofy, and unprofessional, mostly expressed during his job. He is also more dim-witted than he appeared in the first film, and can never get his gadgets to work right.
- Rather than being arrested, Dr. Claw escapes after being foiled by Inspector Gadget and is expected to return.
- Unlike the first movie, Penny refers to Inspector Gadget as "Uncle Gadget" instead of "Uncle John".
- As in the cartoons Dr. Claw's voice is raspy.
- As in the cartoons, Penny plays the helpless damsel-in-distress role, but in this movie she's rescued by Gadget, instead of being rescued by Brain or escaping by herself.
- Dr. Claw always goes on taking care of Mad Cat, like the cartoon and unlike the first film, where, Mad Cat had very little role.
- Brick, McKibble and Squint were the 3 MAD agents that always either captured Penny or failed to get Gadget in the cartoon appear along with Jungle Bob who was the MAD agent from the first one episode "Photo Safari" and The Ninja the MAD agent from the season 2 episode "The Capeman Cometh".
Production
Settings for this film include the Queensland University of Technology Gardens Point Campus, Queensland Parliament House, University of Queensland St Lucia Campus; South Bank Parklands Beach; Toowong Village and the William Jolly Bridge, all in Brisbane, Australia.
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