Movie Review: Get Smart
Today 'Get Smart' is being released on DVD. I had a chance to check out this movie while it was still in theaters. With this movie being a part of the summer movie 'blockbusters' (2008 was mostly a summer of disappointing, so-called blockbusters), I went into the movie with people's words in my ear, "Get Smart is a big letdown", "Get Smart couldn't live up to it's television show", "Get Smart has you in the trailer, but fails to follow through", so on and so on the reviews went.
Let me tell you the context of when I saw the movie. It was the 4th of July and it is my dad's birthday. He flew out to visit and spent a weekend with us. Deb and I wanted to take him out for dessert, party in the park and a movie. Now if you know my dad, him and I have two very different senses of humor. Growing up I loved 'Hot Shots', he however did not share the same opinion. So we got to the theatre and it was early, we were 40 min early for the start of 'Get Smart', but 'Zohan' was starting in 20 minutes. I suggested we just go see that, but my dad said let's wait it out, he was fine. MY WORD am I glad we did. Sitting through Zohan with my dad would have been the worst experience, that said Zohan is horrible!
Anyways, we're talking about Get Smart. Steve Carrell did an amazing job as Maxwell Smart, Anne Hathaway was very good (she and Carrell had great on screen magic) and Dwayne Johnson was funny, but not as funny as he was in 'Be Cool', Alan Arkin was great and played a role he usually plays as a superior or supervisor who gets upset and angry with his employees and then gives them a second chance AGAIN. The cast was great, well assembled and played well on screen. (Hiro Nakamura evens make a presence on the silver screen).
The movie kept me entertained the entire time. I thoroughly enjoyed the slap stick humor, staples being punched in people's heads, Carrell's bumbling buffoonery and the overall stretch of a terrorist blowing up the president was a nice overly done touch. Overall the movie was fun, had action, humor for adults and explosions for the kids. A good movie that I most likely would buy. I know it's not for everyone, but I know my wife, my dad and I all enjoyed it. I hope you do too.