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Title: Get Smart
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I don't know how many TV to movie adaptations we need before Hollywood realizes that they don't normally translate to great entertainment. "Get Smart" is not likely to be confused with great entertainment, but it's better then you would probably think. Of course, considering that this movie was produced by none other then the great Mel Brooks, maybe I shouldn't be too surprised. This is one of those movies where describing the story would be pointless. All you need to know is that, like the TV show, it's about a bumbling agent Maxwell Smart, AKA Agent 86 (Steve Carell). His partner is the sexy Agent 99 (Anne Hathway) who may look twenty years Max's junior, but is actually around the same age as him (the explanation involves plastic surgery).
These two actors have great chemistry together. Carell makes the most of his everyday man slapstick routine, and Hathaway holds her own perfectly with her own form of (more controlled) slapstick. She's Akryod to his Belushi. Anyway, as mentioned before, the story doesn't matter. True to it's TV roots, people watching this film will find it very predictable and thin. No twist is surprising, no stunt unexpected. Where the movie truely shines is it's humor. Some of it's predictible and some of it's not, but most of it is spot on. Of particular mention is Alan Arkin, leader of CONTROL. He steals every scene he's in. When an overconfident employee staples a sheet of paper to a co-workers head, Arkin shouts "WE ARE CONTROL!!! We catch bad guys, we don't staple things to other peoples heads! That's CIA crap!"
There are several scenes that even make this movie double as a good summer action film. A scene where Max accidently falls out of a plane without a parashoot is one of those rare scenes that is as exciting as it is funny. A scene where Max and Agent 99 try to outdance one another with different partners was a big favorite with the audience I saw the film with. Mainly, I believe, because while the scene was cute, the actors chemistry was easy to sense. "Get Smart" actually comes out at the right time of the year. If your looking for a comedy to see that doesn't aim for the family crowd, then this comes to save you from spending money on "You Don't Mess With The Zohan" and "The Love Guru." And since it's going to be several months before we get the next Bond film, then I think Maxwell smart will be a nice substitute until 007 comes driving to cinema's in whatever car is sponsering the making of the film.
- -Review By Kevin T. Rodriguez- -