Movie Notes: Get Smart
= 2 stars
Starring Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson
Directed by Peter Segal
Synopsis
Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell), an analyst for the American intelligence agency CONTROL is hastily promoted to field agent after an attack on headquarters. He’s partnered with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) to infiltrate the evil organization KAOS.
The Good
- Steve Carell takes well to ridiculous situations requiring gross physical comedy — an airplane bathroom ordeal is particularly dork-tastic.
- Some cute homages to the original TV series such as the series of sliding doors. Did I miss the shoe phone?
The Bad
- Despite the best efforts of Carell and Hathaway, overall, I didn’t laugh very much. Many of the film’s best jokes are in the trailer, and some sequences I just didn’t get, like a long dance number with an extremely overweight woman.
- Somewhere along the assembly line, a lame blockbuster action plot was grafted onto what could have been a funny situation comedy. Unfortunately, the addition of a stock blockbuster action plot proves a largely dull pastiche of many spy / thriller movies. Bond has had several far better parachute sequences, and the big scheme that must be stopped is similar to Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much. Everything devolves into an overlong chase sequence that has absolutely no tension since the good guys must win, to make the inevitable sequel.
- Feels like a film product instead of genuine movie. Pick stars based on mainstream appeal — Steve Carell because he’s funny, Anne Hathaway in hopes the wives won’t totally be bored, add the Rock, and that guy from Heroes. The basis of an old TV show appeals to the over 40 crowd. It’s a perfect rental for a hapless suburban dad trying to find a movie the whole family would enjoy. Unfortunately, as is often the case, whenever I succumb to a film of this genre I find myself inevitably disappointed.
Conclusion
Be smart; don’t get Get Smart. Waste of time, even as a rental.
IMDB: Get Smart
Wikipedia: Get Smart
Rotten Tomatoes: Get Smart