Get Smart Lightens Up

By DeWayne Hamby

“Why so serious?” is the tagline of a highly buzzed about forthcoming film about a crime-fighting superhero but it also fits as an observation of many modern action movies. Not unlike Batman, the revised James Bond has been stripped of any hint of camp, going for a darker, grittier tone. Would our old friend, the over-the-top Jaws even fit into Daniel Craig’s steely-eyed world?

With the breezy fun of yesteryear transforming into edgy adventure, where do viewers who want lighter-toned good-verses-evil espionage turn to? Turns out it’s bumbling everyman hero Maxwell Smart to the rescue, arriving in the big-screen revamp of the classic television show Get Smart. Played by Steve Carell, Smart is insecure, clumsy and uncoordinated, a hero most of us can relate to. Thrust into a world crisis, he sometimes shows his brains and sometimes shows how little he has, honoring Don Adams’ classic portrayal while making it his own. 

It helps that Carell has a great cast surrounding him, including Anne Hathaway (Agent 99), Dwayne Johnson (Agent 23) and Alan Arkin (the Chief), all hamming it up for the camera. On our end, it appears they’re all having a good time and it’s contagious. Thankfully, the laughs only complement the story, balancing that with creative stunt scenes and interesting locations. The result is a movie that’s fun, entertaining and feel-good, like the television show and previous box-office entries True Lies and The Man Who Knew Too Little.

The PG-13 Get Smart, although containing some profanity and slapstick violence, is still a nice alternative from a recent crop of gross-out R-rated comedies and blood-soaked action flicks. 

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