Widescreen
By Staff
Missed it by 'that' much: Would you believe the new "Get Smart" film features thousands of stars trying to stop the evil KAOS and change the world as we know it?Hundreds of stars forming a human chain to encircle the president, James Caan, and prevent impending doom?
Steve Carell being funny and Anne Hathaway showing off her super agent skills in this summer’s newest action comedy?
Sorry, I just had to get in my “would you believe?” reference as I take a look at this summer’s newest comedy, "Get Smart." Steve Carell stars as Maxwell Smart, a CONTROL analyst who just wants to become an agent. He’s studied the chatter, maybe too much, and reported it up to the field agents. Now all he dreams of is a chance.
The evil KAOS is still alive and kicking and has its sights set on taking out CONTROL. Everyone in CONTROL has been compromised, including the superstar Agent 23 (Dwayne Johnson).
The only agent who remains is Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), but the Chief (Alan Arkin) decides to give her a partner and promote the only one not exposed to the clutches of evil. Maxwell Smart will become Agent 86.
As "Get Smart" started, I thought we might get another "Beverly Hills Cop" with a nice mixture of action and comedy. Carell had funny moments, as did Dwayne Johnson, but they never seem to go beyond the polite chuckle stage. The story got a bit too serious at times and the comedic energy wasn’t as stable as it could have been.
Dare I say, a sequel might actually be better than this original? Maybe we can get better as we go, because I do like the actors in "Get Smart." Carell is a genuinely funny individual and is perfectly cast as Maxwell Smart.
Unfortunately, "Get Smart" missed it by “that” much for me. Instead of being a great take on the material, it was only a fun diversion.