Would you believe … that this is a great movie with a fitting tribute to the original series, but a refreshing look at intelligence and comedy all in one package? Get Smart is a fun film that combines intelligence, sight gags and physical humor blend together to create an entertaining film that doesn’t take itself seriously and doesn’t ask the audience to either.
Popcorn Humor
I enjoyed the original series when I was a kid. It was fun and it was funny. Barbara Feldon was easy to admire and aspire to as the smart, savvy and beautiful Agent 99. Agent 86 or Maxwell Smart wasn’t always that ‘smart’ and was more in the habit of bumbling his way to success, but it didn’t detract from my childhood enjoyment at all. The lines were pretty well drawn between KAOS (the bad guys) and CONTROL (the good guys).
The film acknowledges the television show’s past with its Cold War era sensibilities of good guys versus the bad guys while at the same time modernizing it to the grey territory that the good guys and the bad guys occupy now. Steve Carell shines in the role of Maxwell Smart, I thought I liked him in Evan Almighty, but I think this is just a role that he was born to play. Max is an analyst who is a man of absolute details. He’s fastidious in his appearance, his choices, his note taking and his reports. He’s taken the field agent test 8 times and finally, he passes. His excitement is curtailed however by the fact that the Chief (Alan Arkin in a delightful character part) needs Max right where he is.
When Control is attacked and their agents compromised, the Chief gives Max his chance as the new Agent 86 and pairs him with the mysterious Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway who really steals the show between the nods to Barbara Feldon and her own brilliant talent). Agent 99 looks young, but she’s just had massive reconstructive surgery and had a few years taken off as well. The film follows their exploits as Max bumbles through the physical needs of the mission and Agent 99’s disdain for his inexperience slowly transforms to admiration for his talents and determination.
What I Liked
The nods to the original show including the ‘museum’ pieces of the car, the infamous shoe and the suit. I loved seeing Anne Hathaway dressed up in an evening gown and short hair bob ala Barbara Feldon. I also loved the occasional “would you believe…” line that was not overused or abused. I enjoyed Dwayne Johnson as Agent 23 and the twists and turns of the plot.
What I Didn’t Like
Physical humor is great, but some of the sight gags got old after a while. There’s a blink and you miss it (and hope you miss it) vomit scene that the film could seriously have lived without. There are some startling moments of violence that may scare young kids. (Fair warning, there’s a couple of hit by a bus scenes that just happen and one that actually had me jump in my seat.)
What I’m On the Fence About
There are a few flashbacks of Max as a really overweight guy (try 300+ pounds) who couldn’t pass his physical. He’s gotten much stronger and fitter. It’s a great idea, just on the fence about the presentation. There’s also a sexy dance sequence where Max shows phenomenal strength dancing with an overweight (albeit really lovely woman) at a ball. The scene could have been really bad, but I actually think they pulled that off with a level of class that I didn’t expect for the film.
The film is rated PG-13, but mature 9 and 10 year olds can probably handle it. Parents are advised to check it out first because while the original was very kid accessible, this movie caters more to teenagers with a gracious nod to thirtysomethings and older who remember the original. Some reviewers are calling this a comedic Bourne Supremacy – I don’t see it, but that’s just me. As for remaking a classic show into a film, this one is a gem in the rough.