Get Smart

Review by Feann Torr

The antithesis of James Bond, Maxwell Smart is a secret agent with a knack for hurting himself.

But what he lacks in co-ordination he more than makes up for with enthusiasm.

Based on the Get Smart TV series from 1965, the movie starts off innocuosly enough, introducing us to Agent 86 - Maxwell Smart - and his workplace at CONTROL, a top secret government agency whose mission is to protect the world.

Generally seen as a bumbling fool, his peers and colleagues often make fun of his methods. An analyst at the secret agency for decades, his dream is to become a field agent, to get out there, travel the world, hunt down baddies and look danger in the face without flinching.

Denied the chance to become a field agent the Chief (Alan Arkin) keeps Maxwell where he is because he's the best of the best when it comes to intelligence gathering. 

But when KAOS, an evil organisation bent on world destruction, manages to uncover the indentities of CONTROL's international secret agents, all bets are off.

Maxwell gets his chance to prove his worth with veteran Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) as the two set off to Russia to uncover KAOS' plans.

From the get go, I was laughing. Through the middle of the film I laughed. And there's was only really one section just before the end of the film - the big Hollywood stunt sequence - when I didn't laugh.

I'm not a huge fan of the original Get Smart TV series, but I loved this. The physical comedy that was no doubt orchestrated by one of the film's consultants (and creator of the original Get Smart series) Mel Brooks is hugely entertaining.

There's a particular scene in the first third of the film where Maxwell Smart is trying to break out of his handcuffs in aeroplane lavatory, so he can eventually sky dive down to his covert drop zone and begin his first field operation. 

What ensues is both hugely amusing and incredibly painful to watch.

This is a very funny film, and it's not just the slapstick comedy that works. There's quite a bit of wit here as well, and some of Maxwell Smart's comebacks are hilariously off-beat. 

While there are a number of sophisticated stunts, the best parts of the film are simpler parts. When Maxwell Smart tries to use a phone to knock-out his captor complete with triumphant scream is great, as is the excellent dance-off. These were not elaborate scenes, but they had the audience laughing.

Carell is excellent in the role of Agent 86, Maxwell Smart, and while consistently funny throughout the feature, he still manages to weave together a surprisingly endearing relationship between with the attractive Agent 99.

The film is not perfect and does have a number of by-the-book Hollywood elements no doubt foisted upon it by the film's financiers. Don't go into this movie expecting Austin Powers, because it's not. In many ways it's a better film than the Mike Myers series however.

I wondered if this modern-day take on the bumbling super spy would be completely devoid of the original TV series' charm, and in some ways it is, but on the whole there should be enough classic references to keep fans of the TV series happy.

The Cone of Silence scene is very funny, and Carell can be heard uttering the old "Missed it by that much", "the old shoe-phone trick" and "would you believe" nuggets.

Performances by the support cast give the film plenty of comedic punch too, with the various CONTROL agents - and especially the two gadget geeks - augmenting the production nicely.

If you like old-school Mel Brooks comedies full of physical humour, you'll be in stitches with this one. I must admit that I laughed myself silly watching this film, with solid performances by Steven Carell as Maxwell Smart and Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) as Agent 23.

It's not the most inspired movie to ever hit cinemas, but if you think James Bond or Jason Bourne take themselves too seriously, this will be an excellent tonic.

For me, this movie pushed all the right buttons. I laughed, I nearly cried and when an audience erupts into applause at the end of a film, you know it's done something right.

4 out of 5

Get Smart
Australian release: 26th June, 2008
Official Site: Get Smart
Cast: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp
Director: Peter Segal