Get Smart

Directed by Peter Segal, starring Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Die hard fans of the cult 60s TV show, will probably feel jilted by the modern day revival of Get Smart. By morphing this celluloid classic into a big budget film for the big screen, director Peter Segal seems to have “missed it by that much.”

In a glitzy blockbuster that would be more suited to James Bond or Indiana Jones, Steve Carell does his part to fill the void of the babbling but loveable Maxwell Smart aka Agent 86. But even the comedy king himself cannot salvage this lackluster spy flick from a lack of humour and over zealous special effects. Anne Hathaway adds some spunky edginess to the role of Agent 99, made famous by Barbara Feldon. Yet the lukewarm on screen chemistry with Carell is awkward which only adds to the yawn factor.

Although the new Get Smart starts with promise, it fails to excite. The iconic opening sequence of CONTROL’s safety vault is restored and introduced to modern gadgets such as the iPod and flame throwing Swiss Army knifes. The shoe phone and the Cone of Silence all make cameos, so do the snappy catchphrases which Carell serves up extremely well.

Get Smart: The Movie follows Max’s promotion from analyst to field agent where he teams up with 99 on a mission to track down stolen nuclear material in Russia. Cheap giggles are permeated here and there, yet by transferring the series to a no-expense-spared feature has been at the detriment of the original charm of the TV show. But if you’re looking for a light hearted first-date flick then this is for you as it has action, romance and comedy all mixed in together, it’s generic but it’s there.