Get Smart - Movie Review Thread

[WriteSimply]

If James Bond could be funny for an entire movie, he'd be Smart. Maxwell Smart.

Get Smart is Peter Segal's film adaptation of the 60s TV parody of Bond that is both entertaining and funny. Let's get one thing clear - this is not a Bond parody nor is it a parody film. This is Get Smart with a nod to its TV past and updated for modern film audience. The result is not only an exciting comedic spy film but one that doesn't undermine the intelligence of the audience. To that, credit goes to Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember, the writers.

The credit must also be shared to the cast who are excellent. Steve Carrell is on top of the material and gave it enough depth to Smart that he no longer just a two-dimensional bumbling character. In fact, he could actually be an action superstar if given a chance. His character get the most jokes and some scenes may make the audience roll on the floor laughing, if they could actually ROFL in a theater. The brilliant and beautiful Anne Hathaway raises her comedic chops here. Alan Arkin serves up a good dose of exasperated authority and Terence Stamp chews up the screen as a menacing but *****y Siegfried, the Kaos boss. Dwayne Johnson makes another terrific comedic turn as Agent 23 and Ken Davitian is funny as Shtarker, Siegfried's thankless assistant. Masi Oka as Bruce and Nate Torrence as Lloyd are hilarious as the geeky tech guys of Control, as are David Koechner as Agent Larabee and Terry Crews as Agent 91 as the sarky secret agents. This is an example of a great ensemble cast.

Not much can be said about the cinematography. Due to its 1.85 aspect ratio, it doesn't give enough breadth to show its beauty, not that DP Dean Semler didn't try. Note that Semler shot using the Genesis so the film has a video-like quality throughout. Editor Richard Pearson helped shape the film and give it its maximum impact. This is not a VFX-heavy film though what they do have matches well with the location footage, which is to say that it is believable. Sound design is not as immersive as it could be and that is a shame because this is an action-oriented comedy. The score by Trevor Rabin is excellent as he crafts his cues much like a thriller. He also updated the original theme to great effect.

Again, let's be clear. This is an action-oriented comedy that is both funny and thrilling, a mix that has never been done before. The chase sequence in the end describes the movie the best.

Get Smart is a hit and an unexpected pleasure. Be smart and watch it!

Running time: 1 hour 49 minutes.


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