For more than a decade and a half, Matthew Broderick has been playing likeable characters in the movies. Whether it's a likeable kid, as in War Games and Ferris Buehler's Day Off or a likeable adult as in The Cable Guy and (more ambivalently) Election, Broderick's charisma has been strong while his acting skills have also grown. More than once, Broderick has been the greatest strength of his films. His expressive eyes, hesitant tone, and 'everyman' appearance have stood him in good stead.
Inspector Gadget puts Broderick's appeal to the test. Here's a movie where the gadgets, the slapstick and the action are most prominent, and where there's limited flexibility within the constraints of a known cartoon character. Broderick plays Gadget, who starts out as security guard John Brown, before being transformed into a bionic cop, complete with a helicopter in his hat, scissors popping out of his fingers and extendable arms and legs.
Gadget is on the trail of the evil Sanford Scolex (Rupert Everett), whose underhanded plotting leads to our hero's creation (Scolex blows Brown to smithereens, requiring the installation of all the gadgets just to keep him functioning). Most of the film is devoted to Gadget fighting a robot version of himself created by Scolex, and then going after the head bad guy. Inspector Gadget is a nearly endless series of stunts, special effects and silly puns. At times it's fun to watch, although it grows tiresome after a while. A wise-guy talking car makes all this even harder to take. Kids will enjoy much of the silliness, but they too will get bored with the seemingly endless conflict, and some of the funniest moments are jokes that are well over the heads of kids.
Broderick gets a few opportunities to put his charisma to positive effect, but is generally weighted down by his costume and gadgets. Everett seems to be having fun as the villain, but again is unable to rise above his material. The other characters are generally one dimensional, although it is nice to see female characters in strong roles: Joely Fisher as a scientist who's Gadget's love interest, Cheri Oteri as the mayor, and Michelle Trachtenberg as Gadget's niece.
The special effects are well done and there are some funny moments, but even with Matthew Broderick's charisma, Inspector Gadget is unlikely to be remembered as one of Disney's all-time highlights.
