Get Smart (2008)

An analyst (Steve Carell) in a secret government agency is promoted to a field agent. He is sent to Russia along with a female agent (Anne Hathaway) to track down an unknown terrorist group's procurement of nuclear material. By the time this big screen adaptation of the popular 1960s Mel Brooks/Buck Henry television series GET SMART hit cinemas, some forty years had passed. Since the younger movie going demographics had probably never heard of the show, much less seen it, the producers have hyped up the film with lots of action like a typical summer blockbuster in addition to the laughs. It worked. The film was a big hit and it's an enjoyable if disposable romp that doesn't dwell on nostalgia for its entertainment values. Carell does an admirable job of channeling Don Adams (the original Max Smart) and is considerably more appealing. If the film contains the usual blockbuster bloat, it nevertheless delivers enough chuckles that you don't mind. The comedy highlight is an amusing dance off between Carell and Lindsay Hollister against Hathaway and David S. Lee. I will confess however that I found the original TV show unfunny. Directed by Peter Segal (50 FIRST DATES). Dwayne Johnson and Alan Arkin provide strong support with other roles going to Bill Murray, James Caan and Terence Stamp.