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Get Smart (2008)
A Smart Movie to Start Your Summer
Although summer vacation has already started for most people, for me, Get Smart was the first movie I saw once my vacation began. And I'm pleased to say, I'm happy I chose this film to start my summer movies off. Last year was riddled with sequels of sequels, and while Get Smart isn't exactly a new concept (remaking popular TV shows into movies seems to be a big trend), at least it feels fresh from last summer's lame blockbusters.
In all honesty, I never saw an episode of the beloved Get Smart series. However, I do not like going into movies with an existing audience without knowledge of the series, so I did my research, as well as manage to watch the first two episodes of the series. And I was glad I did, because this movie does indeed pay homage to the original.
Although, what slightly troubled me with this movie was the knowledge that the original 99 (Barbara Feldon) refused to show up for a cameo, as well as the fact that the original creators of the show had little to no influence with this movie. Just a heads up for those fans who were hoping for this.
And yet, with all the negative comments said by critics, I can't help but love this film. Why? Well, I suppose it has a sort of...charm. The cast was wonderfully chosen, and Steve Carell was great as his OWN version of Maxwell Smart. Yes, he decided to not copy Don Adams' portrayal, and while he does honour the late Don with this role, he in no way mimics it. Which is a good thing. After all, if people wanted to see an exact retelling of the show and exact copies of the characters, they can easily watch the old series instead of this movies. This movie was updated so that it was not exactly like the shows (and also to reach out to a broader audience).
My one gripe with this film was the choice of Anne Hathaway as Agent 99. I enjoyed Anne Hathaway a lot in this movie, don't get me wrong. She was a great actress. However, the fact that they made her character older than she looks (for reasons explained in the movie) made me cringe slightly. If they wanted 99 and Smart to be close in age, then they should have picked someone older to play 99. In fact, it would have been better if they kept the 20 year gap and threw away the whole excuse entirely. Other than that, Carell and Hathaway are a surprisingly great team in this movie.
The rest of the cast is wonderful. Alan Arkin as the Chief was great, and even Dwayne (no longer 'The Rock', so he must be serious, now) Johnson was surprisingly tolerable and a good choice to have in this movie. Bill Murray's cameo was delightful, and Patrick Warburton's brief appearance as Hymie was equally wonderful.
The humour and action is also very consistent, and there was all kinds of humour in it to please plenty of people's funny bones. Slapstick humour, smart humour, gross-out humour (warning to those who don't like vomit scenes, there's a very brief one), they had a lot of fields covered. The action is also well choreographed, and well-paced. I did not feel as though the movie dragged on, and the 110 minutes went by in a breeze. I'm not saying it was a smooth ride all the way, but the slow parts were minimal.
As I've said before, I love this movie. In fact, I would give it a ten out of ten, that's how much I love it, but in no way is this film absolute perfection. I hope for a sequel (though not a new franchise, Hollywood needs to get out of that habit) and maybe this time Mel Brooks and Buck Henry can have more of their say with this film, and hopefully Feldon would agree to a cameo.
I love this movie for it's charm, and I would see it again if I have the excuse (and I do). Ignore what the critics and other people have to say about this movie. If you want to see it, see it. And form your own opinion about it.
While it has its setbacks, and might not be for everyone, Get Smart has found a place in my heart, that's for sure.
Kingdom Hearts II (2005)
A game that certainly compliments the original...
The concept of the game was perceived as odd from my mindset when Kingdom Hearts was first released. I remember thinking how bad the game would be, and what a waste of time it would be playing it. Boy, was I wrong. When I finally got Kingdom Hearts, I absolutely ADORED the game. The plot was simple yet unique, and the characters became deeper the more you went through the game. Despite the annoying camera angle, the game play was also superb. All the characters became memorable. In my mindset, Sora was actually a classic Disney character.
Now, following up for such a wonderful game is a difficult challenge to make. Though it is not the "official" sequel (Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is. Though I like to call it Kingdom Hearts 1 1/2.) it still possesses that shaky II in its name. Sometimes the original was so great, that the sequel fails to live up to the original's standard. I was worried it would end up like most Disney sequels.
Thankfully, it was not of that sort. It is, perhaps, better than the first if I must say so. The agitating camera angle is fixed up, and you use the Right analog stick (something I more used to in other games) instead of the Right and Left buttons to control the camera angle. The appearance of the game is sleek and sharp, and the characters (especially Sora and the other 'human' characters) appear a lot less blocky than they did in the original. The opening song, Sanctuary, is just as good as Simple and Clean, sung by the same talented Utada Hikaru. Most of the voice acting was superb as well, though I was a little bummed that Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom, and Kiera Knightly didn't do the voice talents for their characters in the "Pirates" level. They changed Yuffie, Leon, and pretty much the entire Final Fantasy casts' voice actors as well, which I think was not good move. However, the original actors for Sora, Riku, and Kairi remained, however you can tell that SOME of the people went through puberty along with their character...*nudges at Haley*. I also liked the fact that you have the option of skipping the lengthy cut scenes if you've already been through them once before.
As for the plot, it was still pretty similar. But now the Nobodies have joined up as an enemy. There's a three hour tutorial with Roxas, a boy who you will learn is 'related' to someone familiar. I found that part to be the only annoying thing of the game. I guess it was because you're so used to playing Sora, that it's annoying to be another person. Also, as you carry along with the story, there are many twists that leave you surprised. (For example, you learn something about 'Ansem.' Why I have his name in quotes, is for you to figure out).
Another thing I liked was the reaction button. Instead of pressing X to talk to people, instead you use the triangle button. It is also quite helpful in mini games and battle sequences where you can do special moved to deal out more damage to your enemy. The only real problem I had with the game was the fact that it felt too...short. Despite the fact that the ending was completed, with a little cliffhanger at the end (stick around after the credits) it still felt like something was missing. The levels seemed to be a lot less longer than the originals, though you did come back for a second go at them. Thankfully the Gummi Ship is also redone, and is more fast-paced and enjoyable, keeping your trigger finger happy.
However, though I can go on and on about how marvelous this game is, I feel that I have the need to stop before I ruin the experience for you. Hopefully you will take my word and go out and buy the game. Despite being $50, it is well worth that money.