GET SMART
Review - Matt Mungle
"Carell Delivers Smart Comedy"
Movies based on past tv shows are pretty much hit or miss. There are
two schools of thought on these. You can try to completely mirror the
original or take the concept, modernize the characters and culture, and
create a film that is relevant while holding true to the nostalgia of
the original. That is primarily what takes place in the new world of
Get Smart. The names are the same but the story has been changed
slightly to give it, what I feel, is a wittier, fast paced version of
the TV show.
Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) wants nothing more
than to become an agent for the government troupe, CONTROL. When he
finally gets his big break he teams up with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) to
foil another dastardly plot by the democracy hating group known as
KAOS. With a little more style and far less bumbling than the original
Smart, Max has to work against time to stop a nuclear holocaust of
monumental proportions. The question is will he do it in time, or miss
it by that much?
Carell continues to show his strength in
comedic roles by creating a Smart that is enough like Adams to be
recognizable but still adding his own versatile wit and sharp paced
liners. When he is called upon to be bumbling he does it without the
slapstick campyness. When he has to be clever he is suave but naive.
Though a whopping 20 years younger than her on screen co-star, Hathaway
holds her own as 99 and brings a modernized edge to this female spy
role. Her and Carell work well together and the timing is decent.
This
film has a strong supporting cast including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson,
Alan Arkin, Nate Torrence and David Koechner. Each person brings their
own unique brand of acting humor to this film. Although there is
nothing overly creative or mold breaking about Get Smart, all the
pieces come together to make a great all around package. The site gags
work without being hoaky and humor is delivered and directed perfectly.
Get Smart is rated PG-13 for some rude humor, action violence
and language. It is tamer than most films of this rating and is safe
for anyone 11 and up. The rude humor is subtle and sparse. The writers
weave it in with tact and it never seems raunchy or gratuitous. Fans of
the TV show may worry that this new installment will deface the
original but I truly feel that if they give it a shot they will find a
pretty smart comedy that entertains nicely. I give it 3.5 out of 5 tiny harpoons.
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