Inspector Gadget 2

Inspector Gadget 2 is a 2003 direct-to-DVD live-action comedy film. It was based on the cartoon series created by DIC Entertainment and is a sequel to the 1999 film Inspector Gadget, also released by Disney.
The second film departs slightly from the first one, as it follows more like the original cartoon. Inspector Gadget and Dr. Claw are never referenced as John Brown and Sandford Scolex – their respective civilian names from the first movie, though Claw's communicator clearly is labeled "Scolex Industries", indicating that his name is still Sanford Scolex. In addition to this, none of the 1999 film's actors return to reprise their roles (with the exception of D.L. Hughley, who voices the Gadgetmobile). Also, Gadget's love interest from the first movie does not appear and is replaced by G2. Gadget is more foolishly inept and unable to control his now glitch-ridden gadgets. Penny is portrayed as a blonde instead of a brunette and always refers to Gadget as "Uncle Gadget" rather than "Uncle John". As an homage to the original cartoon, Claw's face is never seen and speaks with a deep, gruff voice. In the previous film, Claw's face was visible and was an upper-class business man. He appears to be older in age than he was in the original, although the story only takes place a year later.
The film was released on March 11, 2003 and was also filmed in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
==Plot==
Gadget (French Stewart) has not seen much crime in Riverton since Claw's arrest. He arrests an old lady for "drag racing"; during this time he has several glitch attacks. When returning to the police station he tells his niece Penny (Caitlin Wachs) (who wants to solve real crimes instead of school crimes) to stop cutting classes. He goes inside to see if Baxter can help with his glitches but Baxter says that the glitches are normal. Chief Quimby (Mark Mitchell) bursts into the lab saying that Gadget arrested his mother for drag racing, but as it turns out, Gadget has been making several ridiculous arrests. The Chief tells Gadget to solve real crimes, but Gadget points out that all the criminals in town are in jail. That night, the evil genius, Dr. Claw (Tony Martin), escapes from Riverton Prison, and Chief Quimby and Mayor Wilson (Sigrid Thornton) unveil an upgraded female Gadget-type robot Gadget Model #2 (G2 for short) (Elaine Hendrix), to replace the now malfunctioning Gadget, believing that he won't succeed with his glitches. Gadget soon falls for G2, but G2 turns down his offer to join forces, saying she works alone, having Quimby to tell Gadget to step down from his job. Meanwhile, Claw has set up a new hideout at an old bowling factory along with his goons Brick and McKibble. When asked why they are at this old factory and not his headquarters, Claw stated in anger that after Gadget arrested him the police confiscated all of his belongings but he tells them he plans to steal 5 trillion dollars worth of gold from the Federal Reserve in Riverton. In order to do so, they need to create a weapon with ion fuel cells, a protoid laser and a ruby (plus a few other things) and it has to be ready in ten days by 9:23 AM as that is when a satellite orbiting Earth will be directly over the city.
Penny points out a job ad in the papers for minions of Claw. Gadget goes undercover to the bar specified in the ad in an attempt to find Claw, but instead ends up accidentally causing a bar brawl, which G2 later breaks up. Penny, wanting to prove to Gadget her ability as a detective, also goes to the bar with Brain, and finds out that Claw is planning a heist at the Concentrated Industries warehouse, now with three new recruits, and tells Gadget and G2. Despite being warned by Quimby not to go to G2's stakeout at the warehouse or he will be fired, Gadget goes, and in an attempt to help G2, sabotages G2's stakeout allowing Claw's minions to escape with the fuel cells. Quimby promises that he will not fire Gadget, but makes him spend the next three days as a bathroom janitor.
Gadget attends a science convention where a new protoid laser will be unveiled, after receiving a tipoff that he can catch Claw there, despite Penny's warnings that this could be a trap. While there, some of Claw's henchmen plant a circuit override chip on Gadget's hat, allowing Claw to control Gadget. Claw has him use his gadgets to cause chaos, and his henchmen use the resulting distraction to steal the protoid laser. This is witnessed by Penny and Brain, who although unable to stop the theft, obtain a bowling shoe from one of the henchmen. Quimby angrily fires Gadget for failing to stop Claw, attacking the mayor and causing $100,000 in damages, despite the fact that Gadget had enough evidence from scientists, including Baxter to prove that it wasn't his fault. So Gadget packs up his office and tries to find a new job such as a carpenter, a hair stylist, and a pizza chef, however his glitches keep wrecking everything and cannot keep any of the jobs. Meanwhile, Claw and his henchmen are now free to steal anything they want without Gadget stopping them.
Later, Penny shows Gadget the bowling shoe, and offers to help him catch Claw, but Gadget refuses to both continue pursuing Claw and let Penny continue working on the case. Penny sees this as him not believing in her, but soon resolves to solve the case herself. A few days later, Claw steals a 50,000 karat ruby on loan from the Rajah of India at the Mayor's Fundraiser by distracting the guests with laughing gas. Although, G2 is unaffected by the gas, yet she fails at trying to catch Claw when she is restrained by a giant magnet bought along by Claw, so the Mayor demands Chief Quimby to deactivate her because of the failure and end the Gadget Program for good. Gadget (now working as a valet at the fundraiser venue) tries to comfort her, but she tells him there is nothing he can do.
Meanwhile, Penny and Brain break into the abandoned factory Claw is using as his hideout, having traced the shoe's origins to it. Claw and his minions soon return to their hideout following the theft of the ruby. While hiding, Penny and Brain overhear Claw's plan and try to escape, but Penny is captured while Brain is able to escape. Brain finds Gadget, who has just reactivated G2, and they use an experimental dog translator collar created by Baxter to allow Brain to tell them of Penny's predicament and Claw's plan. Gadget realizes that his niece was right, but he refused to listen to her earlier. Gadget tells G2 that Penny is in trouble and G2 decides to help Gadget save Penny from Dr. Claw. The very next morning Claw activates his secret weapon: a laser made up of the three stolen components that freezes time in Riverton, allowing him and his minions to rob the Federal Reserve with ease. Gadget and G2 however avoid the weapon blast and hurry to the Federal Reserve.
Dr. Claw, Brick, and McKibble escape with Penny and Claw orders his other minions to hold them off. G2 defeats the minions while Gadget goes after Claw, while he does eventually catch up to the truck, Claw has a trick up his sleeves and drops Penny in a go-kart full of explosives. Gadget rescues his niece before the explosion and G2 arrives with the Gadgetmobile. At first they think they were too late until Penny and Gadget walk over alive. They go after the truck and block them off on the bridge. Thanks to Gadgets gum cannon, Claw's truck is caught in a sticky bubble gum puddle, leaving Brick and McKibble surrounded and Claw has a chance to escape in a rocket-shaped escape pod and flies away, proclaiming Gadget that he'll get him next time. Gadget, G2, and Penny reverse the effects of Claw's secret weapon by using the secret password, "Crime Always Pays" thanks to Penny's thinking. The mayor and Quimby award the team for their heroism, and Quimby decides to have Gadget and G2 on the case together for their heroism with Gadget getting his old job back and Quimby promises that he'll create an army of gadget models strong enough to catch Claw. Before the ceremony ends, Penny receives a medal for her Detective work, Gadget tells Penny how proud he is of her. Afterwards, G2 looks forward to working together in the future and shake on it. Then Gadget and G2's hats malfunction with beeping hearts causing them to kiss, and making fireworks shoot out of Gadget's hat. The film ends with the Mayor and Quimby getting blasted by one of the fireworks, which causes the Chief and the Mayor to shout out "GADGET!!!"
==Cast==
*French Stewart as John Brown (Inspector Gadget)
*Elaine Hendrix as G2
*Tony Martin as Dr. Claw
*Caitlin Wachs as Penny
*Mark Mitchell as Chief Quimby
*Sigrid Thornton as Mayor Wilson
*Bruce Spence as Baxter
*Alethea McGrath as Mrs. Quimby (cameo)
*James Wardlaw as Brick
*John Batchelor as McKibble
*Nick Lawson as Squint
*Mick Roughan as Jungle Bob
*Siros Niaros as The Ninja
*Brian McDermott as Mr. Morgan
*Ashton Spence as Peanut
*Adam Reed as YoYo
===Voice cast===
*Jeff Bennett as Brain
*D.L. Hughley as Gadgetmobile
* Michael Jordan as Ringmaster
==Production==
Settings for this film include the Queensland University of Technology Gardens Point Campus, Queensland Parliament House, St. Lucia Campus; ; Toowong Village and the , all in Brisbane, Australia.
According to many behind the scene features on the DVD, the writers wanted to return to the original cartoon format: Gadget is a goofball, Penny is much more of a detective, and Claw never shows his face.
==Reception==
Most reviews for Inspector Gadget 2 were very negative, even more than its predecessor. The film was heavily criticized for its over-the-top acting, writing and plot. However, the film was praised for being closer to the original cartoon than the first movie. At Rotten Tomatoes, Inspector Gadget 2 has a 40% score on the Tomatometer, based on 5 reviews.
==Videos==
Inspector Gadget 2 Teaser Trailer|Teaser Trailer
Inspector Gadget 2 Trailer 2003|Main Trailer
==Goofs==
*If Claw had loaded the ice cream truck with pure gold bricks, he wouldn't be able to drive away, the gold would have weighed down the truck, making it impossible for him and his goons to drive away.
*When Claw sets down the bowling pin with laughing gas, he is unaffected by it even though he had no mask on and was standing in front of the pin when the gas came out.
*When Penny is riding down the hill in the bomb wagon, you can see her smiling.
==Trivia==
*Walt Disney Pictures completely produced this sequel on its own, while the first movie was the last production of Caravan Pictures.
*Unlike most sequels, this film does not pick up where the first film left off, as Gadget and Brenda Bradford are no longer in a relationship; in fact, Brenda is not even mentioned or seen in the film.
**In addition both Kramer and Sykes (Claws previous henchmen) were replaced by Brick and McKibble.
*Aside from D.L. Hughley as the Gadgetmobile, the main characters were recast.
**French Stewart replaced Matthew Broderick as Gadget
**Caitlin Wachs replaced Michelle Trachtenberg as Penny
**Tony Martin took Rupert Everett's place as Dr. Claw
**Mark Mitchell took Dabney Coleman's role as Chief Quimby
**Sigrid Thornton took over Cheri Oteri's role as Mayor Wilson
*There were several deleted scenes that were already filmed and while they were not in the final film, some of them were actually a perfect fit for the film, leaving one to question where the scenes would fit.
**The first scene shows Penny has been trying to figure out who has been stealing the ice cream from the cafeteria and uses her knowledge of science to help crack the case and find the culprit, who happens to be her science teacher.
**Brick is trying to get a snack from the warehouse vending machine and McKibble tells him to hurry up.
**Penny snuck into the Gadgetmobile to follow her uncle to the stakeout saying that her uncle needs her.
**After Gadget is fired and leaves the police station, the Gadgetmobile is towed away.
**The Newscaster is reporting that while there were several Claw sightings around town, they just turned out to be a bunch of kids pranking the town. The Mayor warns the Chief and G2 that if things don't go well at her fundraiser at the museum, the Gadget program will be shut down. 
**That night Claw and his Goons arrive and while Gadget does recognize them, the goons just tell him they are a band called the Bad Guys. Gadget tells them he hopes they steal the show, to which Claw replies, "That's exactly what we intend to do."
**After Penny is captured, she tells Claw he won't get away with this and deduces his plan to rob the federal reserve. Claw then mocks Penny for the fact that she is smarter than her uncle, yet her uncle doesn't give her credit. He tries to tempt her into joining even saying he'll give her credit, but she tells him firmly she doesn't do this for the credit, she does it for her Uncle Gadget and warns Claw he will be put behind bars.
**Gadget and G2 break the Gadgetmobile out of the impound lot.
**The next day, Penny leaves a message for her uncle. When he does eventually show up, Claw takes Penny with them to the ray, saying she's there as their insurance policy.
**Gadget and G2 arrive at the factory and at first G2 tries to kick the lock off the door, but Gadget uses his lock pick (Nose picker). G2 tells him he might want to find a new name for it.
**An alternate scene of Gadget and G2 arriving at the bank, where Gadget tells Claw that Claw will have to do better than freezing time to stop him. G2 then responds, "Stop this felonious and unlawful act or WE shall have to use force!"
**An extended scene of Gadget chasing Claw on his scooter. (Note: This is the only deleted scene to include music, meaning it was deleted at the last minute).
*All three of Dr. Claw's most recent henchman actually appeared in episodes of the 1980's cartoon.
**Squint appeared in "Funny Money" as one of three counterfeiters. Claw broke them out of prison so they can make fake money to fund his organization.
**Jungle Bob appeared in "Photo Safari" trying to open up a crime base in an African jungle to collect oil.
**The Ninja appeared in "The Capeman Cometh" and tried to steal gold for Claw.
==External links==
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Category:Films
Category:2003 films
Category:Direct-to-video films
Category:Disney films
Category:Live-action films
Category:Inspector Gadget
Category:Films based on television shows
Category:G-rated films