Movie Description
IThe spy spoof series gets the screen treatment with this action comedy starring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway. Agents 86 (Carell), 99 (Hathaway), and 23 (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) lead Control against the evil entity KAOS.
Though it features nostalgic nods to its classic TV inspiration, GET SMART is fun for both devoted fans and those who might mistake the cone of silence for a less-crunchy dessert dish. Steve Carell (THE OFFICE) takes over the role Don Adams originated as Maxwell Smart, a desk-bound analyst at spy agency CONTROL. When the evildoers at KAOS discover the identities of all of CONTROL's agents, it's finally time for Max to shine in the field. Paired with the sexy Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA), the bumbling Max leads a crusade against KAOS with a variety of high-tech gadgets.
Naysayers might have suggested that a movie based on the show GET SMART might have become another Cold War casualty, but the strong cast makes this action-comedy a success. Though the ‘60s series' Adams can't be replaced, Carell ably steps into his predecessor's phone-bearing shoes. As KAOS kingpin Siegfried, Terence Stamp is just as deliciously evil as he was as SUPERMAN II's General Zod. But Dwayne Johnson (THE GAME PLAN) especially deserves kudos for his comic chops in a supporting turn as Agent 23. The part may be smaller than the lead roles audiences are used to seeing him play, but it's a perfect opportunity for him to display his action and comedic muscles. Behind the scenes, series creators Mel Brooks and Buck Henry serve as creative consultants on the film, and this version of GET SMART shows a loving devotion to its source material.
| Credits | | Producer: | Alex Gartner, Andrew Lazar | | Cast: | James Caan, Nate Torrence |
Editorial Reviews
"[T]he film is breezily entertaining....Carell does a fine, goofy job."
USA Today - Claudia Puig (06/19/2008)
"[W]ith funny jokes, brand actors and enough special effects to give you some bang for your summertime buck....The most crucial of those recognizable faces in the GET SMART movie belongs to the comic actor Steve Carell, putting an amusing deadpan spin on the blundering CONTROL spy Maxwell Smart..."
New York Times - Manohla Dargis (06/20/2008)
"[D]irected by Peter Segal with a refreshing lack of look-how-meta-clever-we-are egotism, the movie references enough of the original touchstones to please those who lived it the first time." -- Grade: B+
Entertainment Weekly - Lisa Schwarzbaum (07/11/2008)
3 stars out of 5 -- "In many ways, Maxwell Smart is the role Carell was born to play. The 007 wannabe exudes the guileless quality of his 40 year-old virgin..."
Empire - Tony Horkins (09/01/2008)
3 stars out of 5 -- "Steve Carell re-invents the '60s TV show about an unconventional spy in this silly-but-fun movie....Perfectly likable..."
Empire - William Thomas (03/01/2009)
| See an error? Submit a change request |
All rights reserved.
