Movie Review: Get Smart – Starring Steve Carell & Anne Hathaway

Get Smart - SoundtrackMovie: Get Smart (PG-13)
Released: June 20th, 2008
Runtime: 1 hr. 50 min.
Ticket Price: $5.00 Early Matinee
Refreshments: None
Starring: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin & Terence Stamp
Director: Peter Segal

Rating: Worth a Matinee

Synopsis: The super secret Control spy agency has been attacked and its agents identities compromised. So, the chief promotes a new agent, Maxwell Smart. He has wanted to get out in the field for years and recently passed his tests. He is paired with Agent 99, since she has recently had surgery to change her identity. It is up to the earnest Smart, Agent 86, and field-tested 99 to find who is behind the attack and put a stop to their dastardly plans.

Review: Get Smart is just a whole lot of fun. There are plenty of laughs from start to finish. Is it a cinematic masterpiece? No, but it is an entertaining action-packed funny movie. I laughed more at this than pretty every other comedy seen this year.

Steve Carell (The 40 Year Old Virgin, TV’s The Office) plays Maxwell Smart, Agent 86, and is great in the role. He isn’t doing a Don Adams impression from the original series, but has captured the essence of the character.

Anne Hathaway (The Devil Wears Prada, The Princess Diaries) plays Agent 99 and is excellent. She looks absolutely beautiful, but can kick some serious ass. She and Carell have great chemistry together. I usually don’t like the pairing of an older man and a younger woman, which is a Hollywood tradition, but really liked how they explained it away in the movie, by making Agent 99 older than she now looks after her surgery.

If you are a fan of the original series from the 1960s, then there will be plenty of references to make you happy. Including a cameo by Bernie Kopell, who played the KAOS villain Siegfried in the original. Terrence Stamp (The Limey) plays Siegfried in the movie with a comic flair.

Whether jumping out of planes, sneaking through sewer drains or almost getting hit by trains, there is plenty of action to go along with all the comedy. It is all done in a funny way, but really enjoyed the blending of the two.

Overall, Get Smart is worth taking in a matinee. You won’t be disappointed, at least the rest of the audience I saw it with all seemed to be enjoying themselves. There was even a smattering of applause when the credits started to roll.

Meet the Author

Jason of New Movie Friday
3 comments… add one
  • patrick Jul 8, 2008, 2:41 pm

    Get Smart looks pretty good over all though it seems like Steve Carell is veering toward an excess of slapstick humor

  • Jason of New Movie Friday Jul 9, 2008, 8:17 pm

    Patrick, I didn’t think there was too much slapstick in the movie. I think they did a really good job of paying tribute to the original.

  • Rob Sep 9, 2008, 7:00 pm

    this movie was really funny

Leave a Comment