Get Smart

(Movie Review) 

Although I'm far too young to remember the original run, I was introduced to "Get Smart" when Nick at Nite started re-running the show back in 1990. 

I fell in love with it immediately. It was a spy story with jokes. How could you beat that? 

At first I thought it was just me, but in talking with classmates from school and from church youth group I soon realized that this show was making many new converts among my generation. Every kid who had basic cable back in the early 90s was becoming a fan. And in fact, even now re-watching the show on youtube from time to time I still get a chuckle out of it. (That old cone of silence! When will Max learn it doesn't work? Why does he always insist on it?) 

(Whisky has collected a few "Get Smart" gems on his blog. Worth checking out). 

The movie, unfortunately, was a bit of a disappointment. 

Not that this caught me off guard at all. By the time films make it to my video store here in Japan, it's often about a year after their US theatrical release. So, I had read a few reviews, and I knew enough to keep my expectations down. 

Still, curiosity and childhood fondness for the original caused me to want to check it out anyway. 

This is a decidedly mediocre movie. But then, movies based on old TV shows are notorious for being mediocre. It's hard to take a premise built for a few cheap gags in a 22 minute time slot and stretch it out to 90 minutes. 

And it's worth remembering at this point that this is not the first "Get Smart" movie. There was also "The Nude Bomb" (W) released way back in 1980, (and which I saw re-run on cable sometime in the early 90s.) And which, despite having the advantage of the original Don Adams, was absolutely terrible. 

The TV movie, "Get Smart Again" (W) was alright as far as I can remember it. 

(Although it's been about 15 years since I saw either movie, so I probably should rewatch them before pronouncing judgement.) 

The new "Get Smart" at least did a good job with the casting. Steve Carrell recreates Maxwell Smart's arrogance mixed with cluelessness. And Anne Hathaway also does a good job with 99; just like the original Barbara Feldon she's slightly impatient with Maxwell Smart, but not altogether unfond of him. 

Bill Murray did a great cameo as agent 13. Patrick Warburton was perfect as Hymie the robot. And, even though he wasn't portraying a character from the original series, I enjoyed seeing Masi Oka in a small role. And David Koechner at least looks a lot like the original Larabee, even if he plays the character differently. 

The problem is that none of the jokes are all that funny. 

Well, if we were perfectly honest with ourselves, maybe the original "Get Smart" was not all that funny either. A little silly, maybe, worth a few chuckles, but seldom laugh out loud funny. 

But, when you sit down for a movie, you have higher expectations. 

Link of the Day
The Legitimacy of Violence as a Political Act?
and Striking a blow against tyranny -- with teabags!
Also I don't know if you've already heard this or not, but I found this NPR interview with Bart Ehrman really interesting The Gospel Truth: Sometimes A Little Hazy

Get Smart: Movie Review (Scripted)