During all the July 4th hoopla, Wheezley and I snuck off to see Get Smart this weekend. It’s a spy movie, and y’all know I’m a sucker for those. Seriously, I will watch or read just about anything if there are spies in it.
But you know what? Get Smart was surprisingly good. My expectations were pretty low, and I was pleasantly surprised. Always a good thing. 😎
The movie is a remake of the classic TV series (which I’ve never seen, but Wheezley claims was super cool) and focuses on Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) and the sexy Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway).
Max wants to be a Control field agent more than anything, and he finally gets his chance when headquarters is attacked by evil Kaos agents. It seems Kaos has stolen some nuclear weapons and plans to blow up the president (a goofy James Caan). Of course, Max and Agent 99 are sent to Russia to find the weapons. But really, the plot just sets up scenes for Carell to work his goofy charm.
Carell doesn’t do anything new in the movie. He’s still the likable, downtrodden straight guy who gets caught up in goofy situations, like inhaling a blow dart and shooting a miniature harpoon through his face — multiple times. But the gags really work in Get Smart. There are some hysterical scenes, including a dance-off that had the whole theater chuckling. At some parts, people were laughing so loudly you couldn’t hear the dialogue — it was that funny in places.
Hathaway also does a nice job being the straight women, and she gets her share of the good lines. Plus, her clothes in the movie were just gorgeous. Sigh.
The movie doesn’t take itself too seriously like some remakes do (which is something I always appreciate), and the actors all look like they’re having a great time. Dwayne Johnson (formerly known as The Rock) plays a suave agent who mentors Max, and Masi Oka of Heroes fame pops up as a lab geek. And, of course, Terence Stamp is one of the bad guys because, well, he usually plays a bad guy. There are also cameos from lots of comedians.
Overall, if you’re looking for a fun summer movie, go see Get Smart. You’ll probably leave with a smile on your face. Thumbs up. In fact, the movie was so fun I’m going to check out the original TV series.
What about you guys? Anyone see anything good at the movies this weekend? The Dark Knight approacheth … along with Hellboy II …
