Detective Mystery Similar to Inspector Clouseau without the Laughs

Move over, Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes – Inspector Sun is trying to be the new world famous detective. This film is patterned after whodunnit murder mysteries with bugs and spiders as the main characters. In this Inspector Sun Christian Movie Review, I give you the information you need before viewing this movie with your children.

Inspector Sun Christian Movie Review

Studio Synopsis:

After being fired from his detective job following a mission gone awry, Inspector Sun boards a seemingly normal plane for a much-needed vacation. When an enigmatic millionaire receives a threat on his life, sun is back on the case. Trapped in a web of lies, sun must find the culprit before it’s too late.

My Synopsis:

This film is entitled Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow. It was originally released in Spanish in 2022, and has been dubbed in English. 

Set in Shanghai in 1934, Inspector Sun (an anthropomorphic spider) always gets his man, and this time it is the Red Locust. 

However, everyone views the Inspector as “lucky,” and he plays the part of the bumbling fool well. Furthermore, he creates chaos in his wake. Due to the appearance that he isn’t truly a world class detective, he is told to hand in his badge and “take a long vacation.”

When he misses his plane to New York City due to a hyperactive jumping spider, he takes a flight to San Francisco instead and finds himself as the spider detective on the case of the inevitable in-flight murder.  Did the Black Widow Arabella kill her 13th husband? Or is there someone else that wanted him dead?

Inspector Sun Christian Review – What Parents Want to Know

Language:

No foul language. However, there are some words that people may consider “soft cussing.” Use of dang, darn-it, stupid, jerk, moron, gosh, and dumb.

Furthermore, “what the…” is spoken without finishing the thought.

Violence:

Mild violence, which includes a fireworks factory exploding. 

The title is The Curse of the Black Widow, so you can expect the murder of her tycoon husband to occur aboard the seaplane. The dead spider is seen hanging in a web. A fly is hit with a magazine. A couple of characters (spiders) are missing legs.

There are various scenes of people trying to kill spiders and bugs in the human world.

One character drops his cup of hot coffee on someone. Another one makes a comment about, “eating you alive.”

Additionally, an assassin bug is onboard the plane, and he spits acid to kill victims.

A henchman security guard holds a spider outside the plane door in midair. 

Furthermore, a new breed of mutated bugs is created. They are freaky-looking and evil. A couple of creatures are eaten by fish.

There is a man with a glass eye and scars on his face shown close-up.

Spiritual Content:

A spider is seen in a yoga pose. 

One character says, “I’m not a praying mantis.”

A dream catcher is used to hypnotize another character.

Sexual Content:

Inspector Sun picks up a pen with a caterpillar, and when he turns it upside down, it becomes a “sexy butterfly,” similar to the tip and strip pens.

One character says, “I’m handsome.” Additionally, a female is called a doll, which is an expressionless or unintelligent woman or girl who is considered attractive.

The Black Widow spider is supposed to be attractive and seductive. She is newly married and on her honeymoon. After she kisses her husband, he is shown with lipstick prints all over his face. Additionally, the honeymoon suite is shown with a heart-shaped tub. 

A reference is made to a lover’s tiff.

Adult Content:

There were several scenes in a bar setting with insects and bugs drinking.

Other Content:

The main character comments, “I break rules all the time.” He also mentions cheating on an exam and advises another spider to cheat.

Additionally, be aware of the shameful accents especially by the main character.

Positive Content:

Originally, Inspector Sun says that he is a huntsman spider and huntsman hunts alone. He eventually comes to realize that he can benefit from other spiders’ abilities and work as a team.

Christian Review of Inspector Sun and the Curse of the Black Widow – My Viewing Recommendations

While Inspector Sun attempts to paint itself In the realm of the old serialized detective adventures, it cannot hold a candle to those iconic detectives who have come before him. The attempt to give a new look to detective shows with the arachnid characters wasn’t enough to convince me Inspector Sun was the next big hit.

However, a seven-legged spider and the setting is intriguing. There were too many things that were off-kilter in this movie. Moreover, I tried to like this movie, but I was disappointed. Imagine watching Casablanca without Humphrey Bogart. I knew something was missing; it failed on several points.

In spite of the fact that I tried to like this movie, I was disappointed. While the storyline had potential, it fell flat. Additionally, the timing of the lines was visibly off, and from an auditory standpoint, it was difficult to listen to at times. 

Finally, the addition of Inspector Sun’s unwanted new assistant seemed to be placed there to give the audience a teachable moment (everyone needs a little help) that seemed forced. 

Overall, it’s not worth watching on the big screen, but it’s not the worst thing your child could watch. Save it for a rainy day at home. However, I suspect with the lack of children’s movies in October due it being “horror film” month, Inspector Sun will do better than it should at the box office.

About the Movie:

Rating: PG for action and some suggestive material

Release Date: October 27, 2023

Runtime: 1 hour, 28 minutes

Genre: Family/Animation

Studio: The Thinklab, Gordon Box, 3Doubles Producciones, Particular Crowd

Director: Julio Soto Gúrpide

Written by: Toby Davies, David Freedman, Rocco Pucillo

Produced by: Adriana Mafatti Chen, Julio Soto Gurpide, Karl Richards, Peter Rogers, Rocco Pucillo, Jason Kaminsky

Edited by: Zara Muñoz Dominguez

Music by: Fernando Veláquez

Distributed by: Viva Pictures

The Cast of Inspector Sun:

Inspector Sun voiced by Ronny Chieng

Janey voiced by Emily Kleimo

Arabella Killtop voiced by Jennifer Childs Greer

Red Locoust voiced by Rich Orlow

Mr. Scarab voiced by Rich Orlow

Captain Skelton voiced by Iain Batchelor

Dr. Bugsy Spindlethorp voiced by Scott Geer

Ant Queen voiced by Jeanette Grace Gonglewski

Mr. Gill Tea voiced by Paul Louis Miller

Frequently Asked Questions:

Where can I watch Inspector Sun?

In the United States, Inspector Sun had a theatrical release in English on October 27, 2023. However, when streaming dates become available, I will update this post.

Will Inspector Sun stream on Disney+? 

It is unlikely that Inspector Sun will stream on Disney+ as it is not a Disney movie.

Will Inspector Sun stream on Peacock?

Currently, Inspector Sun does not have a streaming platform or date.

What was the original title for Inspector Sun?

The original title was Inspector Sun y la maldición de la viuda negra. 

What is the Rotten Tomatoes rating for Inspector Sun?

​The Rotten Tomatoes critic score is 80%; however, there is no current audience score for this film.

Furthermore, it has a limited opening in movie theaters. We had to drive over an hour to see this film. Therefore, I do not expect it to do well at the box office.

Pokemon: Detective Pikachu Movie Review