Get Smart (2008)

A highly intellectual but socially awkward spy is tasked with preventing a terrorist attack from a Russian spy agency.

Director:

Peter Segal

Writers:

Tom J. Astle, Matt Ember,

Stars:

Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Alan Arkin

2 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Carell	...	Maxwell Smart
Anne Hathaway	...	Agent 99
Dwayne Johnson	...	Agent 23
Alan Arkin	...	The Chief
Terence Stamp	...	Siegfried
Terry Crews	...	Agent 91
David Koechner	...	Larabee
James Caan	...	The President
Bill Murray	...	Agent 13
Patrick Warburton	...	Hymie
Masi Oka	...	Bruce
Nate Torrence	...	Lloyd
Ken Davitian	...	Shtarker
David S. Lee	...	Krstic
Dalip Singh	...	Dalip

Storyline

American Maxwell Smart works for a Government spy agency in an administrative capacity. When the agency's head office is attacked, the Chief decides to assign Maxwell as a spy and partners him with sexy Agent 99, much to her chagrin. The duo nevertheless set off to combat their attackers by first parachuting off an airplane and landing in Russian territory - followed closely by an over seven feet tall, 400 pound goon, known simply as Dalip. The duo, handicapped by Maxwell's antics, will eventually have their identities compromised, and may be chalked up as casualties, while back in America their attackers have already planted a bomb that is set-up to explode in a concert.

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Plot Keywords:

spy | airplane | 2000s | victorinox | tough guy | 

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Taglines:

Saving the world . . . With difficulty

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Romance | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Official Sites:

Warner Bros. [France] Warner Bros. [Japan]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

20 June 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Max la menace

Filming Locations:

Gorky Street, Moscow, Russia

Box Office

Budget:

$80,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,542,005 (UK) (22 August 2008)

Gross:

$130,313,314 (USA) (31 October 2008)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Village Roadshow Pictures, Mosaic Media Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Leonard Stern:  As the Cessna Pilot of the airplane that The Chief and Max commandeer. Stern was one of the producers of the original Get Smart (1965) TV series.

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Goofs

When Max jumps out of the plane, his hands are tied together. Moments later, in air, his hands are free again. Max's last shot with the Swiss Army knife crossbow cut the strap around his wrists.

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Quotes

Agent 99: Did you see anything while I was dancing?
Maxwell Smart: Just once, but I don't think you expected him to lift you so high.

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Crazy Credits

The Warner Bros logo is a lock on CONTROL vault doors, which opens up and let the doors swing open.

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Connections

Featured in You Know What's Bullshit: DVD's (2009)

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Soundtracks

Dead Poets Society (Ode to Joy) (from Beethoven's 9th Symphony)
Written by Ludwig van Beethoven
Performed by The Ambrosian Singers
Conducted by John McCarthy
Courtesy of Reader's Digets Music
By Arrangement with The Orchard

User Reviews

Get Smart Movie Review from The Massie Twins!

With loads of action, quirky humor, jazzy music, and shoe phones, Get Smart has admirably mimicked the blend of genres and innovations that made the original series so memorable, and while die-hard fans will likely pick apart what this re-envisioning doesn't get right, it's almost impossible not to laugh at Steve Carell's ludicrous on screen antics.

Over-analyzing analyst Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) dreams of becoming an official Agent for the top secret government organization CONTROL, and longs to execute action-packed spy missions like his idol, the charismatic Agent 23 (Dwayne Johnson). When CONTROL headquarters is attacked by longtime nemesis group KAOS and many of the Agents' identities are compromised, Smart is promoted to Agent 86 and partners with the unwilling Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) to thwart the villainous group's latest plan for world domination.

Whether or not Steve Carell perfectly embodies Maxwell Smart, he certainly knows how to handle his comedy. Excelling at both physical and verbal-stemmed laughs, Carell makes the tumbles look as easy as his notable style of quick quips and clever observations, and the funnyman seems to garner chortles even when the rest of the crew can't quite muster an equal energy. Anne Hathaway provides the good looks and serious attitude to counter Agent 86's incessant jokes, and the pair's on screen chemistry gels nicely throughout the majority of the film. A few slips and failed retorts interrupt the flow of their characters' progressions, but are quickly forgotten in the grand scheme. Alan Arkin furnishes several of the funniest moments in the movie and the Academy Award-winning actor never misses a beat when the camera turns his way. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson again confirms his status as a reliable comedic presence and laudably supports the leads. Many interesting cameos perforate the film, and while they're amusingly recognizable, they're also regrettably wasted. Few draw laughs with clever dialogue or comedic prowess, but rather produce a quick smile for those that get the reference or enjoy the recognition.

The humor throughout Get Smart always orbits around Carell and his singular style of comedy. Those that don't take a liking to his brand of wit will undoubtedly be less amused, as he is clearly the driving force behind the vast majority of the entertainment value present. While Carell's lines are rarely delivered without a magnetic humor, many of the conversations lose their luster midway, due to faltering dialogue and a lack of focus on creating the biggest laughs. Several of the extravagant set-pieces end with many a missed opportunity to supply more hilarity, and lots of little laughs spread the truly uproarious moments too thin. While a healthy dose of romance, drama, and some truly spectacular action scenes appears commendable, the devotion to these components often shortchanges the comedy.

From exotic locales to storm drains, and Moscow to Disney Hall, the action and humor follows Maxwell Smart at breakneck speed. A few feeble gags and missed chances at grand hilarity can't ruin the fun; and while they might have "missed it by just that much," it's not enough to detract from Carell's dynamic performance and the inspired comedy that trails closely behind.

• The Massie Twins