Rating: PG-13
Starring:
Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart
Anne Hathaway as Agent 99
Dwayne Johnson as Agent 23
Alan Arkin as The Chief
Terence Stamp as Siegfried
Terry Crews as Agent 91
David Koechner as Larabee
Masi Oka as Bruce
Nate Torrence as Lloyd
Ken Davitian as Shtarker
David S. Lee as Ladislas Krstic
Bill Murray as Agent 13
James Caan as The President
Patrick Warburton as Hymie
Special Features:
Disc 1 – Movie:
Play movie straight through or in Comedy Optimization Mode with Get Smart Takes, over 20 minutes of hilarious alternative jokes.
Disc 2 – Special Features:
The Right Agent for the Right Job: Behind-the-Scenes Training
Max in Moscow!: On Location or on a Soundstage? Watch and decide
Language Lessons: Spotlight on Linguistics Master Steve Carell
Spy Confidential: Gag Reel
Spying on Get Smart’s Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control
Other Info:
Widescreen (1.85:1)
Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound
Spanish, French Language
Spanish, French Subtitles
Running Time: 110 Minutes
Synopsis:
The following is from the official DVD description:
“Steve Carell is in CONTROL as Maxwell Smart, the novice agent often out of his depth but never out of options in this action comedy pitting him against the nuclear scheme of the evil spy group KAOS. Anne Hathaway partners with Max as ever capable Agent 99. And Director Peter Segal (‘The Longest Yard’) guides his stars (including Dwayne Johnson and Alan Arkin) through the dangerous realm of molar radios, multifunction pocketknives, exploding dental floss and more.
“Get Smart” is rated PG-13 for some rude humor, action violence and language.
Mini-Review:
I was really looking forward to “Get Smart.” I watched the original TV show when I was a kid, I’m a big fan of Steve Carrell, and I enjoy the rest of this fantastic cast. I think my expectations may have been unrealistically high. So when I saw “Get Smart” in the theater, I was a bit let down. Almost all the funny scenes in the film were shown in the trailers and commercials. The few new moments that were left were just ‘eh’. They generated chuckles, but not the ‘laugh out loud’ moments I was hoping for. Don’t get me wrong – there were funny moments. A scene where Max attempts to break out of handcuffs in an airplane bathroom is disastrously hilarious. Another scene imitating the memorable laser alarm scene in “Entrapment” is also funny. But I was hoping for more.
Carrell isn’t as funny as he is in “The Office,” but I can’t think of anyone better for the role of Maxwell Smart than him. He makes him funny, but still keeps a degree of competence in him so that the film doesn’t venture totally into farce. Anne Hathaway as Agent 99 is relegated mostly to the role of ‘straight man’ and pretty face, but she handles it well. Dwayne Johnson makes a great foil to Carrell as Agent 23. He’s everything that Max is not. Alan Arkin generates a lot of laughs as the exasperated Chief. Cameos by Bill Murray, James Caan, and Patrick Warburton are also fun.
I have to mention that I took my kids and mother-in-law to see this film and they all enjoyed it. My son particularly loved a scene where Max puked in a jet. So I guess among 6 year olds, this is a winner. If you’re looking for a lighthearted comedy, this will do. Fans of the original series should enjoy the nostalgia while new fans should enjoy Steve Carrell’s comedy.
I was a bit disappointed with the organization of the bonus features. There are 20 minutes of deleted or alternate scenes, but the only way you can see them (at least as I found) was to view them within the movie. It was tedious and aggravating. I would rather have had the option to watch them separately from the movie. You’ll also find a featurette on the filming that took place in Moscow, a gag reel, a short featurette where Carrell pretends to speak different languages, and a ‘making of’ video. There’s really not all that much here considering it’s a 2 disc set.
