I enjoy spy thrillers and even better, the ones mixed with good humour is my go-to for a relaxing movie night. This review is a throwback to one of the most entertaining spy comedies that I still watch again and again whenever I'm in the mood for it. I watched this film mostly because of Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway and the comedy setup, and I found myself enjoying their ridiculousness more than I expected.
Imagine a desk spy agent or analyst who spends years studying spies on the field and finally gets a chance to be out there. Do you think he would do better? That's the story of Maxwell Smart played by Steve Carell in Get Smart (2008). Written by Tom J. Astle and Matt Ember and directed by Peter Segal, this movie based on the TV series of the same name stars an ensemble cast including Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin and others in supporting roles.
The movie focuses on Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) who works for Control, a secret government agency fighting KAOS, the organisation responsible for all sorts of trouble. He's a very good analyst but what he really wants is to become a field agent. Unfortunately, he keeps getting turned down.
When KAOS launches an attack that exposes the identities of Control's agents leaving the agency short of agents who can go into the field, Maxwell gets his opportunity. He becomes Agent 86 and is paired with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) to take on the assignment. Agent 99 is not too thrilled about the arrangement because she is confident and experienced while Maxwell is learning as he goes. She isn't interested in babysitting a fellow agent.
Their mission takes them into the middle of a KAOS plot involving nuclear weapons and a plan to threaten the United States. Can an experienced agent and a novice agent work together to foil this plot?
My Review And Rating
If there was ever a spy comedy that made me laugh so much, it's Get Smart. Another close film is Spy starring Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Jude Law and other actors. Also, their plots are similar in the area of the desk agent having their opportunity to be on the field. I'd say this plot is interesting and the storytelling was well executed. This film takes the world of secret agents, dangerous villains and high-stakes missions and puts an awkward desk staff right in the middle of it.
I think this movie gets a high rating from me simply for the humour and excellent acting. Steve Carell plays Maxwell as awkward but not clueless. If he had been a foolish man stumbling through everything, I don't think I would have enjoyed this movie. His demeanour, mannerism and ridiculous efforts to seem experienced gave me many laughs throughout the 110 minutes running time.
There are several moments when I laughed because Maxwell would approach a dangerous situation with the confidence of someone who had read the instructions, only for reality to remind him that he was on the field. I also enjoyed his relationship with Anne Hathaway’s Agent 99. They both have good chemistry and she balances Maxwell nicely because Agent 99 is serious enough to keep the movie grounded while still joining in on the ridiculousness.
However, there are scenes where I feel the comedy works better than others. The physical comedy sometimes gets a little too far, particularly when Maxwell finds himself fighting or trying to escape from situations that become increasingly absurd. The scene involving the fat Russian woman is one example. It is funny because of how ridiculous the whole situation becomes but it also feels like the movie is pushing the joke a little too hard.
The action scenes are entertaining and well executed. There are explosions, chasing and plenty of danger that will keep you on the edge of your seat as a good spy thriller should but I found myself wanting more of the character humour.
Also, I think the plot is less interesting than the characters. Once the villain's plan is revealed, I was more interested in watching Maxwell and Agent 99 deal with each other than in worrying about what KAOS was planning. Some of the twists are easy to predict and the final part becomes increasingly dependent on elaborate action. The climax is entertaining but it feels much bigger than the comedy needs it to be.
Still, I had fun watching this film. It is not a movie I would watch for a complicated spy plot or a shocking twist. I watched it for the comedy, the characters and the chemistry between Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway.
Rating this movie, I’d give it 8 out of 10 stars. Get Smart is a solid movie that lets you sit back, laugh and have a good time while getting a good dose of action-packed scenes.
All images above are screenshots from the movie
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Rating: 80/100
