Movie Review: Get Smart

Hey all,

Sorry for the gap in posting again, my store finally sold and I am getting transferred to a new one next week, there I will have more managers and hopefully a bit better balance in my personal life. Let's see though, shall we?

Anyway, My roommate and I caught Get Smart, with Steve Carrell, Anne Hathaway, and Dwayne (The Rock) Johnson today. Overall, I had a good time, but I wouldn't call it a great film. There were many aspects that I did enjoy, and some that I didn't. Let's start with the good.

Casting this film is a challenge, Both Don Adams and Barbara Felton are such iconic TV characters that you really need actors who can convey both the comedic timing of the duo, as well as the underlying romance that percolated through the series. Adam Arkin as the Chief and Dwayne Johnson as super Agent 23 were perfectly cast in their roles as well. The humor, while never over the top, makes you laugh and keeps it entertaining. I can't think of an actor other than Carrell who can skirt the line between serious and silly and better. I'll say this too, Anne Hathaway got uber-hot real fast!

The bad about the film is that I never felt like it reached a good balance. Was it comedy or action? I know you have action/comedy films all the time, but Get Smart for me never decided what it was first. Movie like the Rush Hour series, which blends the two so well, is clearly an action movie with comedy. Get Smart never defined itself as a comedy with action, which is what it should be. It seemed perpetually between the two. My roommate thought that Agent 99 is a little frosty through the film, though I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt in trying to flesh out her role as the veteran versus Smart's rookie status, and her battle between her frustration with him and the attraction she feels towards him.

Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of redeeming qualities in the film. Carrell is channeling a dead on Don Adams, with just enough flair of his own. Hathaway brings that 60's vibe from the TV show to the modern day with her persona and styles. The last action sequence with Smart on a runaway car is both funny and suspenseful.

All in all, Get Smart is a fine distraction for 2 hours, there are other better films out there, but Get Smart is a fun distraction that will entertain you.

End of Line.
Gerrad!