Get Smart (imdb | get tickets)
With all the rumors of an Office spin-off in the works and my own personal desire to see Agent Michael Scarne come to life, I almost thought that Get Smart was the so-called spin off. After all, Steve Carell never really seems to play anyone but Steve Carell with the exception of a surprisingly warm performance in Dan in Real Life (not actually a very good movie though). Unfortunately, other Office actors and actresses didn’t make any guest appearances, though Hiro from Heroes (Masi Oka) does.
While not the incarnation of Agent Michael Scarne that I was hoping for, Get Smart is pretty enjoyable in its own right. It’s a typical comedic take on the tried and true secret agent formula and includes a hit list of fun actors to see on screen - Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Bill Murray and, the unforgettable, Anne Hathaway. The movie includes your typical double agent, Eastern Eurpean terrorist mastermind, nearly painful puns used (like the terrorist group being refered to as KAOS) and plethora of unbelievable gadgets and definitely satisfies one’s cravings for a comedy spy flick.
Unfortunately, however, it doesn’t really stand out in any aspect. With the likes of Bill Murray and Steve Carell involved, you would probably expect a laugh riot, but the movie stays just a bit too far on the serious side which is a bit of a mistake given the fact that Steve Carell is the last person you expect to see as a daredevil, stuntman extraordinaire and his limitations there become rather aparent later in the film. All-in-all, the movie seems a bit half hearted as if the writers couldn’t commit to any one particular aspect of the genre - action, comedy, romance. It’s got all the parts of a great movie just without that certain je ne sais quoi. Good for a few laughs when you’ve got nothing to do during weekend matinee hours but probably not something you need to go watch for $12 + popcorn.
2.5 out of 5 Swiss Army crossbow arrows in the foot
Leave a Reply