PICK OF THE FLICKS
The Best In Film 365 Days of The Year
Reviews & Views
Lastest Releases & Retro Favorites
Tony's Movie Review |
Year of Release: 2008 Date Of Review: June 2008 Here we go again, another big screen version of a popular old TV series. Will it be good or will it be bad? Will it recapture the true essence of the original or will it re-interpret the ideas with a fresh new look and slant? Comparisons are going to be made and fans of the original are always going to debate which is better. In this instance you take a groundbreaking 1960s spy series that was a head of its time in its day and today, in the new millennium it still has a loyal cult following. What tweaks do you make? What’s there to fix? Who do you cast in the role of iconic bumbler Maxwell Smart? Who would make a great Agent 99? Should we bring back all the characters from the TV series or only some? Do we go for lookalikes or a totally different looking cast? What new characters should we introduce to add spice to the proceedings? Do we recycle all the old jokes? Can we recycle all the old jokes, attempt to make them seem fresh and still get away with it? A remake of “Get Smart” was no easy task; in fact an attempt to remake something as iconic as “Get Smart” is audacious. In some way whether it works or not, the attempt should almost be applauded, because it’s almost impossible to better the original source material, particularly when Mel Brooks had a hand in it. First we had Don Adams and now “The 40-Year Old Virgin” Steve Carrel takes on the role. Who is the better Maxwell Smart? Hands down Don Adams is the best but that’s not to say that Steve Carell isn’t any good in the role. Steve is actually perfectly cast in the remake and has a similar look and appearance to Adams. On the plus side it was nice to see that Steve Carell did not do a Don Adams, he gave the character his own slant and a fresh interpretation. Then there’s the Barbara Feldon and Anne Hathaway comparison. Feldon was always fetching in the role and a nice foil for Adams. Hathaway is lively, full of enthusiasm and seems to be having a ball with the part and makes an excellent Agent 99. It is believed that Barbara Feldon actually approved of Hathaway’s casting. This new film works best when the 2 leads, Hathaway and Carell are on-screen together and the chemistry is in full swing. Nevertheless, the film is still somehow caught in a time warp of sorts and still doesn’t fully feel like a new millennium production. Aside from the ipod and Ryan Seacrest references the film doesn’t take full advantage of millennium pop culture. The 1960s TV show was ahead of its time and sadly this new production isn’t. What the film does have is a solid supporting cast. Many of the famous TV characters return and many look very similar to their earlier counterparts. Alan Arkin is well cast as the Chief, as is Terence Stamp as the villainous Siegfried. Actually the original Siegfried (Bernie Kopell) pops up in a blink and you’ll miss him cameo during the high-speed finale. Dwayne The Rock Johnson is well cast as Super agent 23. The Rock is given a great introduction and you expect more but he is sadly underused in what could have been a potentially great secret agent role. Ken Davitian of Borat fame generates a few laughs as Siegfried’s henchman Shtarker. The presence of Indian beefcake Dalip Singh (“The Longest Yard”) adds Bondish menace to the proceedings. Singh is reminiscent of Bond villain Richard “Jaws” Kiel from “The Spy Who Loved Me” and “Moonraker”. Also, look out for funnyman Bill Murray as Agent 13 who is undercover inside a tree and James Caan drops in as the rather clueless President of The United States. A few modernized riffs of the old theme music pop up throughout to remind you of the films origins. The stunts, the explosions and the high speed chase finale are all well executed and prove to be larger than life escapism. A highlight action sequence is the parachute rescue, involving Max, agent 99 and Singh in a high flying free-fall reminiscent of the classic Bond pre-credit of “Moonraker”. Two of the comedic highlights are a dance sequence at a Russian Ball in which Carrel puts on a display of hot shoe shuffle moves with an overweight dancing partner and a nice follow up sequence which sees Carell and Hathaway dodging security beams in a scene reminiscent of “Entrapment” and “Mission Impossible”. Like a lot of films these days, the best bits are in the trailer and “Get Smart” is no exception, with a lot of the film’s funniest lines featured in the trailer. As far as remakes go this is a genuine attempt and it does bring back some of the old TV show magic. The filmmakers and writers obviously have an affection for the original series, have done their research and try to bring back some of the charm and essence of the original by recycling some of the old gags with a few neat new touches. It’s not a complete bullseye but I still enjoyed this film a lot. I hope it turns out to be a success as I can sense “Get Smart” may be that rare occurrence where a sequel could even be better than the first film. With a sequel any jarring aspects of the original will be ironed out and we will have come to accept Carell and Hathaway in the roles much more. We will be able to forget about Don Adams and Barbara Feldon and move on with a new franchise for a new era. Also, with the brief introduction of Hymie the robot agent, just moments before the film ends it seems that the filmmakers are really keen for a sequel. Although this “Get Smart” may not be Don Adams “Smart”, it’s still a smarter entertainment option than some of the other so-called comedies currently playing in the multiplexes. Cinema Synopsis: In the all-new action comedy "Get Smart", Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) is on a mission to thwart the latest plot for world domination by the evil crime syndicate known as KAOS. When the headquartes of U.S spy agency Control is attacked and identities of its agents compromised, the Chief (Alan Arkin) has no choice but to promote his ever-eager analyst Maxwell Smart, who has always dreamt of working in the field alongside stalwart superstar Agent 23 (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson). Smart is partnered instead with the only other agent whose identity has not been compromised: the lovely-but-lethal veteran Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway). © Copyright Pick Of The Flicks. All rights reserved. If you like "Get Smart" you should enjoy "The Nude Bomb" The First Big Screen Maxwell Smart Movie - Now Available: The Nude Bomb (1980) [DVD] Steve Carell DVD Collection - Now Available: Anne Hathaway DVD Collection - Now Available: Dwayne Johnson DVD Collection - Now Available: Alan Arkin DVD Collection - Now Available: Terence Stamp DVD Collection - Now Available: James Caan DVD Collection - Now Available: Bill Murray DVD Collection - Now Available: Pick Of The Flicks - Recommended Links: The Super Spies at Hollywood Cult Movies Comedy & Slapstick at Hollywood Teen Movies Pick Of The Flicks Blog Spot / Messageboard: Use the search bars below to search our site, find your favorite movie or find your favorite poster:
|
PRODUCTS: Buy The Posters Now:
|
||
Tony's Rating System
|
||
Masterpiece
Outstanding
Excellent
Very Good
Not Bad
Fair
Not Good
Visit Our Other Sites
Hollywood Teen Movies
Hollywood Cult Movies
80s cinema
Hollywood Brunettes
Hollywood Redheads
Hollywood Blonde Bombshells
Hollywood Blackhaired Beauties
Internet Actors Database
Pick Of The Flicks
Hollywood Action Stars
Hollywood Action Flicks
Hollywood Dance Movies
Hollywood Comedy Movies
Top 10 Movie Stars
