Get Smart Review

Overall 4.27 of 5 view all 15 reviews

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renfield1969
Halethorpe, MD

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It tries hard - maybe too hard.

into Independent Films, comedy fan, into action flicks

Pros

Great characters, Fun cameos

Cons

Underused villain, Too touchy-feely for a spoof

JUN

2008

This reimagining of the beloved TV show doesn't work as well as it should, but it definitely has some hysterical moments. Carrell pays some lip service to Don Adams, but goes a long way towards making the role entirely his own. Some of the best moments of the film come from the fantastic lineup of supporting actors and cameos. Dwayne Johnson and Alan Arkin make the most of their characters and light up the screen whenever they appear. Masi Oka plays one of a pair of loveable lab techs that come very close to stealing each of their scenes. Terrence Stamp is wasted as the recast Siegfried - we know he can do a great villain, but this movie needed a funny villain, and even the one-liners delivered by his second banana did not add enough to bring him up to the level this movie should have had. This movie tried very hard to show that while Maxwell Smart is bumbling - that's why he's funny, remember? - he is also incredibly competent and has a big heart. While his super spy skills make for some good movie moments, it is his super sensitivity that gets in the way of an enjoyable movie experience the most. In their desperation to humanize the character, I think they must have had to edit some extra funny stuff out of the film. There is one incredibly funny line that has appeared in most of the promotional trailers that mysteriously is not used in the actual film. It makes me wonder what else got cut to make room for one more shot of Max standing alone and forlorn, his eyes conveying the story of his ravaged soul, and his lips saying nothing funny at all.