Missed it by that much...
URGA MOTW
Get Smart
When an old favourite of a TV show gets remade into a 21st Century special-effects laden movie, you've got to reserve judgement until you actually see the film (or read a reasonable spread of reviews). There's been some god-damned awful "remakes" in recent years, and then there's been some movies that pay decent homage to their origin, but also reinvent the concept and stand as entertaining movies in their own right. I'd count Transformers and Speed Racer in this latter category.
So where does Get Smart fall?
Also in this latter basket. Steve Carrell isn't Don Adams, but his characterisation of Maxwell Smart is still great, and very very funny. The movie does stand on its own - it's not a parody of the original series, nor a parody of what the original series was parodying, but it still tells a satisfying spy story with enough humour and action to keep you interested throughout. The pacing is good, the supporting characters aren't completely one-shot jokes (more like three-shot :p) and most of the cast give a solid performance.
Max's character isn't a buffoon or in any way incompetent - he's just a little clumsy and talks too much for his own good. Despite all this, his heart and mind are in the place to make a good Control Agent, and this is what gets him through. This may be different to the original series, but I'm happy to accept this along with the other "reinventions" this movie brings.
The humour is a mix of wit, sarcasm, silliness, slapstick and crude humour - and it's a great balance. A lot of American comedies rely too much on crude/stupid humour, but this movie bridges the gap between high and lowbrow humour so it has something for everyone.
The plot isn't anything spectacularly new, and I spotted the climax's revelation a mile off... but it's good enough :)
All in all, this is a worthwhile remake of the series and a good standalone movie to boot.
8.5/10
Get Smart
When an old favourite of a TV show gets remade into a 21st Century special-effects laden movie, you've got to reserve judgement until you actually see the film (or read a reasonable spread of reviews). There's been some god-damned awful "remakes" in recent years, and then there's been some movies that pay decent homage to their origin, but also reinvent the concept and stand as entertaining movies in their own right. I'd count Transformers and Speed Racer in this latter category.
So where does Get Smart fall?
Also in this latter basket. Steve Carrell isn't Don Adams, but his characterisation of Maxwell Smart is still great, and very very funny. The movie does stand on its own - it's not a parody of the original series, nor a parody of what the original series was parodying, but it still tells a satisfying spy story with enough humour and action to keep you interested throughout. The pacing is good, the supporting characters aren't completely one-shot jokes (more like three-shot :p) and most of the cast give a solid performance.
Max's character isn't a buffoon or in any way incompetent - he's just a little clumsy and talks too much for his own good. Despite all this, his heart and mind are in the place to make a good Control Agent, and this is what gets him through. This may be different to the original series, but I'm happy to accept this along with the other "reinventions" this movie brings.
The humour is a mix of wit, sarcasm, silliness, slapstick and crude humour - and it's a great balance. A lot of American comedies rely too much on crude/stupid humour, but this movie bridges the gap between high and lowbrow humour so it has something for everyone.
The plot isn't anything spectacularly new, and I spotted the climax's revelation a mile off... but it's good enough :)
All in all, this is a worthwhile remake of the series and a good standalone movie to boot.
8.5/10