# Get Smart movie: Mini-review



## Harpmaker (Oct 28, 2007)

[img]http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x28/Harpmaker45/MV5BNzM0MTI4NzA1NF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTc.jpg[/img]
Directed by: Peter Segal
Cast: 
Steve Carell - Maxwell Smart / Agent 86
Anne Hathaway - Agent 99
Dwayne Johnson - Agent 23
Alan Arkin - The Chief
Terence Stamp - Siegfried

Comedy
Rated PG-13 for some rude humor, action violence and language.
Release Date: 20 June 2008 (USA)
Runtime: 110 min
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 : 1

Recommended






Mini-synopsis (for those that didn't watch the trailer above ):
KAOS (the bad guys) have stolen and distributed nuclear weapons to radical states all over the world and unless the United States pays them big bucks they will publish the launch codes causing global destabilization. It is up to the agents of CONTROL (the good guys) to prevent these codes from being published and to stop the first nuclear event KAOS has planned for a demonstration, which just happens to be the assassination of the President of the Unites States. The problem is that CONTROL headquarters has been breached and the identity of all their agents compromised. The only two CONTROL agents now unknown to KAOS are agent 99, who recently had extensive plastic surgery, and agent 86 who gets promoted to active field status due to the circumstances.

This is a mini-review of the movie _Get Smart_. As a mini-review, I won't be talking about the quality of the movie transfer to DVD, the quality of the sound or DVD extras; I'll just be telling you what I thought of the movie itself.

This is one of the few movies I have seen in years that I can recommend to almost any audience, and I do recommend it. Being a "spy" movie, there is violence and killing so use your own parental judgement when it comes to letting young children view it. While there are a few, and I mean few, "bad words" in the film, I think they may have been thrown in to help get the coveted "PG-13" rating. 

I had my doubts about this film since I have been very disappointed in other attempts to either recreate or update TV shows from the '60's and '70's. To top that off, the original _Get Smart_ series (1965-1970) was one of my favorite shows growing up.

I was VERY pleasantly surprised! This movie does an excellent job of retaining the flavor of the old show without trying to copy it. Steve Carell, who plays the lead character (Maxwell Smart / Agent 86) does it to perfection. Anne Hathaway plays Agent 99 from the original series with a style all her own and updates the character for the 21st Century.

While this will be an enjoyable romp for those not familiar with the original series, the experience will be enriched if you do have that knowledge. Many references to the original series are included, and there are at least two cameo appearances by people associated with it as well.

The guy driving the Opel that Maxwell Smart stops to get a ride from, but who is then rear-ended, is Bernie Kopell, who played Siegfried on the original series.

Leonard Stern, one of the producers of the original series, has a cameo as the pilot of the airplane that The Chief and Max commandeer.

Don Adams, the original Maxwell Smart, was born Donald Yarmy. The airline that took Max and 99 to Russia was called Yarmy International as a tribute to him.

There are references to the three cars that were shown in the original television series. The most obvious is the Sunbeam Tiger shown in the display. Also shown were a Volkswagen Karman Ghia and an Opel GT. All of these cars were in the opening credits for the original series in various years.

During the opening credits there are clippings of _Get Smart_ villains from the series including Mr. Big (Michael Dunn's picture) and the Claw.

A background movie marquee (in the scene where Smart meets 99) reads 'Ship of Spies', the name of a two-parter episode in the original series.

The photo of the woman behind the Chief's desk is of actress Jane Dulo who played 99's (Barbara Feldon) mother on the original series.

One of the items in CONTROL's display cases is a Portable Cone of Silence from the original series - two small domes connected by a tube. (the thing never did work, that is the continuing joke!)

The first item in the display of old Control equipment is the famous 'Shoe Phone' that Max always wore, and on several occasions broke.

This film just works for me on many levels, and it is one that I will continue to watch over and over again. The "stapler gag" makes me laugh EVERY time, and the scene where Max tries to get out of the handcuffs leaves me in stitches (pun intended)!

The chemistry is good between the actors and the writing is top-notch (a rare thing these days). Do yourself a favor and see this movie, otherwise you will definitely have "missed it by THAT much".  :bigsmile:


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