This week we take a look at the latest TV show-turned movie to come out of Hollywood. Get Smart (PG-13) stars Steve Carrell in the roll of Maxwell Smart. Costars include Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, and Terrence Stamp. Peter Segal directs.
Ryan: Basing a feature film on a TV show—especially one from the late '60's—is a risky endeavor. For every The Fugitive or Starsky and Hutch there's Bewitched, Lost in Space, S.W.A.T., Dukes of Hazzard or Wild, Wild West. This is definitely not a successful sub-genre of film. But with that said, Get Smart outshines it's mostly weak counterparts. It doesn't bring anything new to the table or offer anything fresh but for a summer popcorn comedy it's not too bad. It actually reminds me of another made-for-TV spy themed movie, I-Spy. That movie was nothing to brag about but it was a mildly entertaining comedy. That's what Get Smart aspires to be and that is what it accomplishes.
Andy: Get Smart is a fun movie. There are quite a few genuinely funny moments, several entertaining moments, and the movie never really gets boring. No one aspect of it particularly shines, but there isn’t really much to complain about with Get Smart, either. With this summer’s questionable movie line up so far, Get Smart is probably the best comedy out there, though I would not count on that lasting very long.
Ryan: There's no question that Steve Carrell is in the midst of a successful TV career (as Michael on The Office) but his film career, especially from a leading man perspective—has been slightly uneven. The 40-Year Old Virgin is an instant classic and Dan in Real Life was a pretty OK movie but Evan Almighty wasn't the kind of hit movie that critics or audiences were looking for. But with Get Smart Carrell gives a pretty credible performance--as a bumbling spy that still gets results. Fans of the TV show will appreciate Carrell's inner channeling of Don Adams to bring the character of Maxwell Start alive on the silver screen.
Andy: Carrell’s abilities as a comedic actor seem like they should be very limited, but he continues to entertain in most of his performances without seeming boring or stale. He has proven that he can carry a movie, but to have a strong opening weekend at the box office in the summer in a movie that he is leading is a surprising achievement. It seemed that the novelty of Steve Carrell should have worn off by now, but it hasn’t, and Get Smart is proof of that.
Ryan: Even though Get Smart is a pretty humorous film it does have its issues. The story is completely predictable (an obvious co-star in the movie is a double agent). The action set pieces are more extravagant than I thought they would be, and they distract from the verbal zaniness that made the original Get Smart TV show such a big hit. Casting Terence Stamp as a movie villain is always a good idea but in this case he doesn't have the material to truly showcase his villainy. These shortcomings notwithstanding, Get Smart is a still suitable summer comedy.
Get Smart is nothing special, but it does contain enough laughs to be an above average summer comedy. Final grade: B-.
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