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2008
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GET
SMART
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STARRING:STEVE
CARELL,ANNE HATHAWAY,DWAYNE JOHNSON, ALAN ARKIN,TERRENCE STAMP,KEN
DAVITIAN,TERRY CREWS,DAVID KOECHNER,MASI OKA,NATE TORRENCE,DALIP
SINGH,JAMES CAAN
BASED
ON CHARACTERS CREATED BY MEL BROOKS & BUCK HENRY
SCREENPLAY
BY TOM J.ASTLE & MATT EMBER
PRODUCED
BY MICHAEL EWING,ALEX GARTNER,ANDREW LAZAR & CHARLES ROVEN
DIRECTED
BY PETER SEGAL
GENRE:ACTION/ADVENTURE/COMEDY
RATED:AUSTRALIA:PG/UK:12A/USA:PG-13
RUNNING
TIME:110 MIN
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Film
adaptations of popular TV programs have never been big box office
or critical successes. Peter Segal's re-imagining of the successful
1960's spy spoof Get Smart hopes to buck the trend, and somewhat
succeeds in doing so.
Steve Carell is perfectly cast in the role of Maxwell Smart, a thorough
yet bumbling analyst at the super top secret government agency known
as Control, who wants nothing more than to go out into the field.
Control's arch nemesis is the devious terrorist network Kaos, led
by Siegfried (Terrence Stamp). When the news breaks that Kaos have
created and distributed nuclear weapons to unstable dictators, Smart
is charged with the mission to stop Kaos' plans for world destruction,
only after the identities of the rest of Controls' agents have been
compromised. Playing the straight man (or woman in this case) to Carell
is Anne Hathaway who plays Agent 99, a super spy partnered with Smart.
Get Smart is a satisfactory globe trotting action comedy (with
unfortunately more emphasis on the action) which features throwbacks
and references aplenty to the hit TV show, yet comes off surprisingly
as non-nostalgic.
The films strength (and indeed drawcard) is Carell, who gives an astute
comedic performance which hits the popular characters clueless and
satirical wit, while bringing a physical presence to the role. There
are several hilarious scenes featuring Carell in mind numbing slapstick
mode, some of which showcase his ability to convey pain to hilarious
results.
The films weakness however lies in the casting of Anne Hathaway, who
has the looks and the sex appeal (director Peter Segal gives her legs
more attention than anything else) yet does not project a fun vibe
for Carell to play off, the chemistry between the two literally and
virtually non-existent.
Terrence Stamp, Dwayne Johnson and Alan Arkin round out an on pitch
cast, Arkin especially throwing in some great zingers.
The film features decent enough satire of the current political landscape,
along with several predictable jabs George W. Bush who is given a
good smack down through James Caan's inept president.
However, I would have loved to have seen more humour and less action.
For some reason Segal and co. seem to be competing against the Bourne
movies and the likes of Casino
Royale, which is exactly not the type of espionage
film I was hoping for.
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