If you’ve ever wished you could have a robot arm, you’ve probably wondered about the Go-Go Gadget. Although the robot’s real name is Jonathan “John” Brown, his character appears in the cartoon as an awkward bumbling fool. In the first film, he is played by Matthew Broderick, while the sequel stars French Stewart. While Gadget is a great help to people in need, he can also be annoying if he’s not working.
The song, “Go Go Gadget Arms,” was written by Gamelan Padhang Moncar and first featured on the album Beat! (Selections from the International Gamelan Festival, 21-28 March 1999, Wellington, N.Z.) (Live). The song runs for four minutes and 55 seconds, and has a hypnotic rhythm. This is a fun, quick way to start your day or end the night.
The cartoon series has many other great gags, including gadgets that can reach far places. Gadget’s “Go-Go Gadget Arms” are a great example of this. The gadgets can be activated by saying “Go-Go Gadget.”
Gadget’s hat contains several mechanical hands that can hold various useful and useless objects. These hands can be retracted or extended depending on the character’s needs. The left arm and leg of Gadget can also retract and contain spring mechanisms that allow them to increase their stride. This makes it easier for them to walk and run. They are also great for jumping, although they have a lot of glitches.
Gadget’s name was also a reference to the Snooping Little Kid named Penny. This character sometimes works with the same Snooping Little Kid as Gadget. In the opening credits, Gadget is handcuffed to Dr. Claw. He then gets to sit down in front of a chair that has an Incredibly Obviousbomb attached to it. This scene is the first time Gadget’s arm was handcuffed to a person.
Penny is always the first one to give Gadget advice, but she is also often too stubborn for words. This is especially true when he’s trying to help Penny with her problems. Though Gadget has a lot of smart ideas, he has a tendency to troke Brain. The female MAD-agents are never reprimanded for not staying home. However, Penny’s utterance of “Wowsers!” is a good example of his incompetence.
