Customer Rating:  
Summary: "That Is What They Do, Not Who They Are" ~ Romance, Bad Guys And Muffins Of Mass Destruction
Comment: I was somewhat hesitant to take the time to watch the '08 remake of the 60's comedy television series `Get Smart'. To be honest, I wasn't a big fan of the show growing up even though I watched it (there wasn't a lot to choice from back then). With that in mind I wondered if I really wanted to listen to all the rehashed lines and view all the 60's comedy routines that the 60's television series was known for. However I do enjoy Steve Carell and Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson so I decided to go ahead and spend the quality time with my wife and daughter and take the chance.
I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised with what I saw. While the film remained true to the spirit of the original series there was more than enough original thinking infused into the movie to allow the film to be enjoyed on its own merit without being nothing more than a tribute piece of cinema. There were loads of laughs, some superior physical comedy sequences (love the dance-off), smart dialogue (yes, I said smart) and consistent energy from beginning to end. Maybe it's not destined to be a classic, but certainly a film the whole family can enjoy.
My Rating: -3 ½ Stars-.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Hollywood Got Smart!
Comment: I've waded through dozens of remakes of old TV series and movies. And if there is one constant in the universe that I have learned it is that in every single case the original idea was done better and really didn't need a remake in the first place. And yet Hollywood would keep pumping the things out just to keep the income flowing with seemingly no regard for it's general poopiness. There is absolutely no reason I was expecting to enjoy Get Smart! as much as I did, but enjoy it I did in spades.
Get Smart! was a TV program of the 1960's starring Don Adams as inept but likeable Agent 86 (modern audiences will recognize Adams as the voice of "Inspector Gadget", which itself was not too dissimilar from Get Smart). In it Agent 86 spent each episode trying to thwart the activites of KAOS, a quasi-terrorist organization based upon more serious types found in the James Bond movies. Agent 86 used a variety of Bond-esque devices, notably his shoe, which contained a phone and other doo-dads to help him get through each episode. Accompanying him was the attractive Agent 99 and each week the two would stop the henchmen of KAOS. I watched reruns of the show when I was around 8 years old but I honestly don't remember much except for what I wrote above, as well as the now-famous intro scene with Max Smart going through dozens of sliding heavy-metal doors to get to a phone booth where he would, presumably, receive his orders.
In this incarnation Maxwell Smart, played by Steve Carrell of "The Office"), has finally succeeded in becoming a full-fledged agent after several years of taking agent exams (and overcoming a helluva eating disorder) and is finally sent into the field after HQ is forcibly dissassembled by a double agent working with KAOS. Accompanying him is the more experienced Agent 99, played by Anne Hathaway. Hathaway's serious nature and Smart's unintentional funniness make for a surprisingly good on-screen chemistry between the two, which I honestly wasn't expecting. After a while a friendly rivalry springs up between the two in which they try to outdo one another (the dance scene being a hilarious example) and eventually come to have a serious attraction for each other.
Also included is an appearance by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as super-suave Agent 23, whom Max aspires to be like, and Alan Arkin as "The Chief". The movie starts out a little slow but by the time the "Cone of Silence" drops you'll be laughing your glutials off, and quite often. Carrell's scene in the airplane bathroom is an absolute riot! There is some homage to the original series in that some of the gadgets (the shoe phone, Smart's original car, etc.) are used eventually in the movie. In addition to this, I don't typically take notice of wardrobes displayed in various movies, but I have to give credit to these folks in this one. Anne Hathaway wore some subtle 1960's era type throwback clothing and it really added to the overall experience.
This is a fun movie and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how well it was pulled off!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Funnier Than I Thought...
Comment: I didn't expect this movie to be so funny since there are so many of its kind around. Steve Carell pulls of the perfect agent 86. Is he really smart but covers over it with goofiness or is he just plain dumb yet manages to get it right sometimes. The scene with him acting as marriage counselor in the midst of the fight scene was truly hilarious. This is a movie one can relax to and have lots of laugh.
Customer Rating:
Summary: hilarious!
Comment: I like Steve Carrell and Get Smart (the series) so this was a great modernization of that!
Customer Rating:
Summary: better than I thought
Comment: I went into seeing this movie thinking it would be just another dumb remake of a TV show. I was very wrong about that. The movie was entertaining and had good action from beginning to end. I mean the fight scenes were well coreographed as well as the explosions/special effects were well done. This is the first movie that Carrell had the leading role that I really liked. The supporting cast also meshed well to make this a good movie. I would recommend this movie for anyone looking for a good laugh and some action.
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