Inspector Gadget Volume One: The Gadget Files DVD Review

[Pavan]

From my ToonZone.net post:


Inspector Gadget Volume One: The Gadget Files heads to DVD on Tuesday, July 6. This first set of the classic inspector features the first five episodes of the series, at a generous price of $14.99 and a runtime of 110 minutes. DiC and UAV Co. have done a nice job in releasing classic DiC series on DVD, and this set is no exception.

In episode one you even get to see the good inspector with a
moustache -- even in the opening and closing theme! This episode was taped in 1982 while the other episodes on this set was taped in 1983, and Inspector Gadget doesn't have a moustache in any other episode. The first five episodes are: "Gadget in Winterland," "Monster Lake," "Down on the Farm," "Gadget at the Circus," and "The Amazon."

The packaging for this set is nice. It's only a one disc set and on
the disc there is a photo of the inspector in what seems to be him on the moon. The back cover of the case has five episode titles,
original airdate and an one-line synopsis of each episode.

The menu navigation is quite simple and easy to use. The theme song for Inspector Gadget plays in the background during the main menu screen. The video and audio are quite good and much better than anything we've seen on television. It's not crystal clear, but close to it, especially for 1983. You can also play all the episodes at once with the Play All feature or play them one by one in the episode selection feature.

This set has special features as well. There is a 10-question
interview with creator Andy Heyward. He answers all ten questions, which were sent in by fans all around the world via on-line. This is very interesting and all fans should watch this because you will learn something you didn't know about the series. There is also a section titled, "Public Service Announcements." What this really is that they are the tag scenes (the final scenes of each episode), from the first five episodes. They are removed from the actual episodes on this set
and used only in this special feature. Some fans might hate that they did that, some might like the idea, since these scenes usually had nothing to do with the episode. Personally, I'd rather have them at the end of the episode, rather than a separate section -- but at least they are on the set.

My recommendation: Buy the DVD before it self destructs and blows up good 'ole Chief Quimby!