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Movie Review - 'Get Smart'
Get SmartStarring Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, and Dwayne Johnson
Directed by Peter Segal
Rated PG-13
When he debuted on
television in the 1960s, Maxwell Smart was an unlikely hero. He was a
super-confident bungler who happened on the correct move or perfect clue
completely by accident, and even then, he didn't do it alone; he had the
ever-reliable Agent 99 at his side, and her abilities more than made up for
his lack of them.
Ultimately, that's the problem with the film version of Get Smart, starring Steve Carell in the role that made Don Adams a household name 40 years ago. We're supposed to feel an awful lot of sympathy for this new version of Maxwell Smart, which, correct me if I'm wrong, was not the case on the TV show.
So instead of Smart backing his way into solutions and having the audience shake their heads because this guy is so clueless and he thwarts catastrophe at the end of every episode, we're supposed to be on Smart's side now, because he used to be fat, because he was constantly overlooked for promotions, and because he tries hard.
The new Max Smart is quite handy in a fight, light on his feet, a bit of a counselor, and clearly knows his stuff.
What in the hell is going on here?
The plot is almost exactly what you'd think it is if you have any familiarity with the series: Max Smart, an agent of the secret government agency, CONTROL, tries to stop a plot hatched by KAOS.
Despite what feels very much like a betrayal of the central character and a plot that is as time-honored as it is inflexible, there are certainly moments, where Get Smart wins you over. Carell and Anne Hathaway make a good on-screen team, and Dwayne Johnson, the converted pro wrestler known as The Rock, continues to make great strides as a comedian. Individual scenes and gimmicks work better than the collection of all them, though this is never really a bad movie.
The trouble is, Get Smart never really distinguishes itself in any way other than not really being bad. It's fair to expect more.
Colin Boyd
1 Comment
Reader Comments (1)
Once again Colin you hit the nail on the head. All of the loveable, clueless traits of the original Maxwell Smart are lost in this film. It's apparent the writers never watched the TV series to see what made it click. Then again, Buck Henry and Mel Brooks have some pretty big phone-shoes to fill.