Movie & Reviews
Get Smart: Though not the best TV-to-movie adaptation, this still provides some laughs.
By Nick DeRatto
Jun 25, 2008 - 11:25:55 AM

Bringing TV shows to the silver screen is always a tricky endeavor. For every great adaptation like The Fugitive, there are a dozen Bewitched. And some, like Get Smart, fall somewhere in the middle.

Based on the ‘60s spy spoof show of the same name, Get Smart features Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart, a meticulously detail-oriented analyst for U.S. spy agency CONTROL. When crime syndicate KAOS attacks CONTROL’s headquarters, compromising the identities of their agents, Smart finally achieves his dream of becoming an agent, Agent 86, and is paired with legendary Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) to help thwart KAOS’ latest plot for world domination.

Among fans of the original series, Carell has some huge ringing shoes to fill. While purists may not accept anything less than Don Adams as Agent 86, they may want to take another look. Carell’s performance perfectly captures the spirit of Maxwell Smart as his delivery of lines  often makes the jokes that much better. The rapport between Carell and Hathaway is also extremely well-done, creating some of the more humorous bits of the film.

Many of the bit players were well-suited for their parts, particularly Masi Oka and Nate Torrence as CONTROL inventors Bruce and Lloyd. Dwayne Johnson – formerly wrestler The Rock – showed off some comedic prowess and Bill Murray’s cameo as Agent 13 is downright hilarious, making audiences wish that he had more than just a few moments of screen time.

Despite being quite funny, Get Smart is far from perfect. Little of the satire found in the film was new, as producers instead hashed out many of the same ideas and situations that have already been done time and time again. Do we really need another spoof about finding weapons of mass destruction? The plot is also highly predictable. Yes, comedies are held to a slightly lower standard when it comes to that, but a few twists and turns might have been nice.

One of the biggest complaints to come from fans of the show, however, is sure to be the near absence of many of the gadgets that defined the original “Get Smart,” including the arguably most famous shoe phone. With the show set in the present day, this was a smart decision by director Peter Segal. After all, why would an agent for a high-tech organization use the bulky shoe phone with the technology available today? Agent 86 still gets plenty of cool gadgets, including exploding dental floss and a flamethrower hidden inside a Swiss Army knife, and, in a nod to the show, does use the shoe phone and original car briefly.

While not the best TV-to-movie adaptation, Get Smart is still far from the worst. Though fans of the show may have some gripes, it still holds its own as a decently funny comedy. Can you really ask much more?

Get Smart has a runtime of 110 minutes and is rated PG-13 for some rude humor, action violence, and language. It was viewed at Regal Westhampton.

nderatto@villagepublishing.com | 751-0421

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