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Get Smart - 11/8/2008 10:37:09 PM

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Post #: 1

- 11/8/2008 10:37:09 PM

skeletonjack

Posts: 1297
Joined: 30/9/2005

I saw a preview of this tonight and was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Far funnier than I'd expected it to be, although it's a shame that the trailer gives away so much from the second half of the film. The second half also doesn't quite live up to the first, but this is still solid entertainment mainly due to another winning turn from Steve Carrell. Great support too from the likes of Alan Arkin and David Koechner. 4 Stars

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Post #: 2

RE: - 12/8/2008 10:05:57 AM

mejaars

Posts: 215
Joined: 21/11/2006
From: Dullsville

Already saw this, and I'n not ashamed to admit it, it enjoyed it! As the review says, the story is way too convoluted and unnecessary Bond-ish. Carrell is okay, Hathaway kicks ass, The Rock is annoying as usual. It is a big fat shame that you already've seen way too much of the jokes in the trailers, not too many good ones left. Have no idea why, but it's surprisingly entertaining. Depends on my mood if it is a 3-star or a 4-star movie.

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Post #: 3

Above average fun - 12/8/2008 9:25:42 PM

tysmuse2

Posts: 45
Joined: 29/10/2007

Just returned from a free screening and I'd say this Empire review is bang on the money, I found it to be quite good (much more enjoyable than the god-awful Stepbrothers) but anyway, it doesn't have any 'gut-busters' but I found myself chuckling the entire time. Oh and the Rock is great and should have been used more, and Anne Hathaway's legs are worth seeing anytime!

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Post #: 4

Not bad at all! - 20/8/2008 9:52:11 PM

timkenyon

Posts: 18
Joined: 1/2/2007
From: Derbyshire

Get Smart was a TV show in the 60's starring Don Adams as Maxwell Smart. The show was created by Mel Brooks. Right off to bat that should tell you this film is not going to be entirely serious. For a comedy, I subscribe to the '5-laugh' rule. If I laugh out loud 5 times (more than a snigger) it's a funny film.

Steve Carrell takes Don Adams role of Max Smart, an analyst - formerly fat - who is awaiting the results of a Field Agent exam. Max works for a governmental agency called Control fighting the newly awakened (from a long dormant state) Kaos.

From the off there are nods to the TV show; the car, the suit, the phone-shoe on show in the Smithsonian Castle in Washington, DC; the entry doors and phone booth. Steve Carrell can hit marks and pauses like no actor I've seen recently. His delivery is dry when called for and self-effacing in the next beat. From moment one you get the feeling the Max is simply a guy who's very good at his job waiting for his chance to make the jump up. As we think this, it happens.

Anne Hathaway plays Agent 99 - Max's long running love-interest in the TV show; and from the moment the key parts of the story get going the two unlikely candidates; 99 - the long serving field agent and 86 (Smart) - the rookie; are paired up to investigate the incursion to Control's HQ.

The rapport between 86 and 99 is excellent. The relationship starts in petty one-up-man-ship (anyone who had an older/superior sibling will recognise this) and quickly develops into admiration, and respect. All treated with very grown up perspective and one that I'm sure was lost on the audience I shared the cinema with. The action sequences are reminiscent of early Bond - but considering the whole show was a spoof of Bond that's hardly a shock - and comic touches abound with Carell and Hathaway hitting as many marks, beats, and punchlines as possible.

The cast of supporting characters makes for an interesting read. Dwayne Johnson's acting chops are co

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Post #: 5

- 21/8/2008 9:00:08 PM

Wynter

Posts: 4
Joined: 19/8/2008

I saw this today, and I really enjoyed it! The script is a great mixture of slapstick and deadpan humour, which works because of Steve Carrell's spot-on delivery. I thought he, Anne Hathaway and The Rock were all brilliant, though I wish there had been more of Agent 23, because he was one of the funniest aspects of the entire film, in my opinion. Also, Alan Arkin is a legend.

I've been looking forward to this film for a while, and one of my biggest fears was that all the best bits were in the trailer, and the rest of it would be a disappointment, but I'm so glad that wasn't the case!

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Post #: 6

Three Stars? THAT'S A JOKE! - 22/8/2008 10:34:36 PM

andy399

Posts: 20
Joined: 22/7/2008
From: Billericay, Essex

This is comedy of the year. A stunning performance from carell make an unsuspectable film more enjoyable. Unbelievably good laughs, and a must see

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Post #: 7

- 24/8/2008 9:33:07 PM

freddyboi13

Posts: 20
Joined: 8/9/2006
From: Salisbury

I saw the film earlier today and was glad to finally see a good ol' funny film with plently of gags in it, Steve Carell is what really makes it but I welcome some of the other comedic actors in the film including the guy who is borats producer and champ from anchorman (sorry honestly dont know their names!) who help take some of the limelight away. However I did think that Bill Murray was criminally underused which was a shame but still there were some great moments in the film including the jet figher scene which was hilarious, I guess it was a little long but I didnt lose interest at any point, money well spent but now to see whether tropic thunder and pineapple express are better...

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Post #: 8

Good silly fun - 26/8/2008 4:44:09 PM

Gold Digger

Posts: 143
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: Outside London

Carrel is likeable and there are a lot of silly moments to raise a laugh. About what you expect.

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Post #: 9

RE: Good silly fun - 27/8/2008 7:16:29 AM

DJ Rob C: Mark II!

Posts: 34811
Joined: 30/9/2005
From: Christmas town

Very enjoyable and very funny

3.5/5

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Post #: 10

- 27/8/2008 12:25:53 PM

quizkid

Posts: 102
Joined: 22/3/2006
From: wymondham

get smart i found dissapointing the biggest laugh i had was in the stepbrothers trailer before hand this type of silly naked gun style humour is difficult to pull off the best way i think is to keep it tight 80or 90 mins throw loads of jokes in if 1in 4 hit youre right this is to long its not funny enough tha action bits dont really fit with the comic interludes and carrell is no neilsen or indeed bill murray this was better though than murrays attempt at ths genre man who knew to little no more than 2 im afraid

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Post #: 11

amazing !!!! - 31/8/2008 6:58:31 PM

ryanand conor

Posts: 47
Joined: 17/7/2007

this is the best comedy of the year so far!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

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Post #: 12

Get Smart - 1/9/2008 8:56:22 PM

moviemaniac2

Posts: 525
Joined: 17/9/2006

This is a silly, silly movie and an enjoyable way to pass an evening. The plot is wafer thin, Max Smart gets a chance to be a field-agent, is teamed with Agent 99, and stops the bad guys (does he? - yes he does!). This incarnation of Maxwell Smart (Steve Carrell) is not such a bumbling idiot as the original, and is kind of clever in a very odd way. This I feel is where the film fall down a bit as the whole point of the original series is that Smart is incredibly incompetent but still saves the day. Apart from Carrell, the cast really don't have much to do with both Hathaway and Johnson have very minor parts despite the billing. They simple don't have enough to do â€“ not even a 'peoples eyebrow' in sight for The Rock. Special mention to Alan Arkin who despite not having much screen time seemed to be really enjoying himself. Overall, slight but enjoyable.

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Post #: 13

Oh, come off it? - 6/9/2008 6:30:38 PM

thechair

Posts: 38
Joined: 28/7/2006

Four and five star ratings. Really? Some very 'read from the (bad) script' performances leading to a catalogue of misfiring jokes that edged towards the embarrassing in act two. Stamp was incredibly wooden in his 'phoned in performance, and every single moment was laid on in a way that there was not even the hint of a surprise. I saw some tit wrote on IMDB that his role (spoiler!) allowed The Rock to 'play against type'. WTF? Is he so establshed as to have a 'type' to veer so erratically from, even if he could veer? (I have nothng against The Rock, by the way) Posting from Arkham Asylum, obviously. 5/10 as the first hour was suitably gentle and offered a little character, and the end had some half decent action going on. Plus Anne has nice legs and Carell is affable so three stars. I know it's not on to decry other peoples' opinions...so I won't, but you know who you are. Feel it.

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Post #: 14

Funny! - 10/9/2008 1:11:41 PM

blaud

Posts: 722
Joined: 13/12/2007

I quite enjoyed this

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Post #: 15

It's One Of Those Movies To Enjoy! - 22/2/2009 9:27:13 AM

joanna likes films

Posts: 987
Joined: 27/10/2007
From: Bexhill

I was a little worried about this, what if they just showed the funny side and when you watch it yourself it was going to be the most disappointing thing you have seen. Well, I was proven wrong. Funny, over the top, romance, wicked soundtrack and excellent pefomances from the main stars. I haven't seen the TV series but my mum did and said it was just like the movie, funny and lots of humour. Without doubt, Steve Carrell was Maxwell Smart because he can do funny with his facial features and his wicked one-liners. Anne Hathaway was her usual self: pretty without being a total bitch or annoying. The Rock (oh no, we're not allowed to call him that but I am!) was pretty cool and so was Alan Arkin and Terence Stamp. There was one problem in this, it was a little overlong for a comdey at near two hours but other than that it was great. Sit back, relax, switch your brain off and enjoy the most funny films of 2008 ever done.

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Post #: 16

Good fun! - 7/3/2009 8:06:28 PM

SkullKassidy

Posts: 121
Joined: 7/7/2008

It won't blow you away or change your outlook on life, but it'll probably make you chuckle for just under 2 hours. A fun movie!

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Post #: 17

Get Smart - 9/7/2009 6:12:48 PM

JJB888

Posts: 73
Joined: 19/12/2008

I will admit when I prepared to watch this I was expecting very little but was rewarded with, well, a good and harmless piece of comedy. I can imagine no other actor than Carell taking the part of Maxwell Smart, with some genuinely funny slapstick comedy backed up with excellent dialogue. As a matter of fact Hathaway, Johnson and Arkin all deliver some laughs. Another positive aspect is the stunning fight set-pieces and the brilliant gadgetry, which provides a great mocking of the James Bond iconography. As a matter of fact the film has some intriguing intertextuality, e.g. the climax of an orchestra note setting off a bomb, refers to Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much where someone will be killed at a certain musical note during an orchestra performance. So with this you can see that there is enough pleasing action and a nicely delivered narrative to compliment it. Although Get Smart does have its flaws, the fact Johnny English has covered the spoof of the spy/thriller genre, as have other films certainly hampers the novelty. This has obviously led to films like Get Smart upping the ante, which can sometimes affect the flow of the films story. Also Stamp's villain is evil and effective but isn't exploited to the full potential of the character and the fact the side-villains (mainly Dalip Singh (Great Khali if you’re a wrestling fan) reform is a tad formulaic. Also fans of the TV series may never be able to fully enjoy this as many will undoubtedly prefer the original shows. However the films financial success is evidence enough that this may have struck a chord with audiences and it is unsurprising as this is an enjoyable and silly comedy which I really enjoyed, despite the flaws.

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Post #: 18

Get Smart - 9/7/2009 6:12:49 PM

JJB888

Posts: 73
Joined: 19/12/2008

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Post #: 19

Fairly enjoyable spy comedy - 7/4/2010 4:23:15 PM

djphilips

Posts: 104
Joined: 26/12/2008
From: Malta

Yes, this film is silly. Yes, it's jokes are borderline childish and the cast is obviously looking for an easy paycheck, but people looking to relax and forget all of one's troubles will certainly be satisfied. Thanks mostly to the efforts of Steve Carell, Get Smart is a comedy which you will at least recommend to your friends after watching.
Whether turning to it for a good night out or using it as a mid-week rental, this movie will not disappoint. Just expect the usual lack of substance found in these types of films.

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Post #: 20