Get Smart

You will believe a man can talk into his shoe.

Get Smart (2008)

First thing is first; I loved the old show that this movie is based on. And, I knew going into this movie that I would likely not enjoy the new Get Smart. For many years, producers have tried to bring this show back in some way or another with terrible results. (Anyone remember the remake series from 1995 with Andy Dick?)

Well, I can’t say I really liked the movie that much, but it did make me laugh in a few places. It’s not a bad film.

Steve Carell doesn’t try to do a bad impression of the Don Adams character. It’s a completely different version of the character. And, I didn’t have a problem with that either. Carell fills in the role fairly well. Actually, all the actors were good. The Rock is freaking great in the movie and steals the show.

The problem is most of the jokes weren’t funny and not fully realized. It feels like they played it too safe in order to appeal to a mass audience. They needed to beef-up the script with another re-write. And, that’s the biggest fault and I have with the movie, the script was really lame.

Anyway, Get Smart is a reasonably funny movie that had to potential to be very funny and enjoyable, but comes across too tame for its own good.

Pros: It respects the original series and has a few funny callbacks to the old show. The Rock is charming and funny and Anne Hathaway is sexy as hell. The opening credits with Steve Carell walking through the multiple doors with the Get Smart theme was a nice callback.

Cons: The movie didn’t go for the bigger laughs and felt like a safe comedy. The script was unfinished. The editing is a little off at the beginning. One edit jumps from one day to another without any transition.

Grade: C-

“Missed it by that much.”