“Missed it by that much.” —Maxwell Smart
Today’s quick review: Get Smart. Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell), an intelligence analyst for Control, finally gets his shot at being a field agent when the identities of Control’s other agents are compromised by the terrorist organization KAOS. With no other options, the Chief (Alan Arkin) pairs Max with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) to track down Siegfried (Terence Stamp), a dangerous KAOS opertive, and stop him from carrying out a nuclear attack on the US.
Get Smart is a spy comedy based on the classic television series. Get Smart follows Maxwell Smart, an accident-prone spy, on his first field assignment. The movie features a pleasant mixture of adventure, slapstick, and spy genre parody, with quite a few references to the original series thrown in for good measure. However, Get Smart’s cheap jokes and simple story may disappoint viewers who are hoping for a sharper comedy or a spy movie with more substance.
Steve Carell is the heart of the movie, playing Max as a likable underdog with just the right mixture of comptence and clumsiness. He is joined by Anne Hathaway as Agent 99, Max’s talented partner and the straight man for his antics; Dwayne Johnson as Agent 23, Max’s friend in the agency; and Alan Arkin in a natural fit as the Chief of Control. Other familiar faces include Terence Stamp, Terry Crews, and James Caan, as well as a few fun cameos.
Still, Get Smart will not appeal to everyone. The tone splits the difference between the innocence of the original show and the crudeness of more modern comedies, though it errs on the side of being family friendly. The plot and action are decent for a comedy but not that compelling on their own. The film also depends heavily on Max to hold it all together. Those who don’t like the main character will find that the film has little payoff.
Watch Get Smart when you’re in the mood for something on the lighter side. Though not the sharpest comedy, its jokes hit the mark more often than not and its style of humor holds broad appeal. Skip it if you dislike Steve Carell or prefer raunchier comedies. For a parody with even more slapstick, try the Naked Gun trilogy or Spy Hard. For a similar flavor of adaptation, try Charlie’s Angels. For a classic comedy in a similar vein, try The Pink Panther.
6.5 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 7.0 for breezy comedy with a bit of heart.