Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Get Smart: Name's Smart, Maxwell Smart

There's irreverent humor and then there's classic humor. While it seems classic humor has been kept to Pixar and Kung Fu Panda while irreverent humor has taken mass quantities with Zohan, Love Guru, and Knocked Up, this movie stands outas excelling classic humor still works. (Please note I did enjoy Zohan and Knocked Up). It is a spy movie where everything is taken with a tone of seriousness, where no one winks at the camera, fully of people playing the straightman, we can't help but laugh at the obscureness of it all.

Get Smart follows Maxwell Smart, an analyst for CONTROL. He translates eavesdropped conversations tries to decode their meaning. CONTROL is secret brother agency to CIA and opposition to the terrorist counterpart in Russia, KAOS. Smart desperately wants to become an agent, and has repetatively taken the exam. In the end, he's a bookworm, not a on-the-feild guy. After CONTROL is broken into and agents assassinated around the world, the Chief (Alan Arkin) promotes Smart, partners him with the attractive, experienced Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) to stop the nuclear weapons from being passed around.

With performances on cue, a star-picked cast, and the writing of Mel Brooks to back it all up, what really filled in the gabs was a faint sense of realism. What are secret agents like? They're not tough guys, all patriotism and pro-government, they're like all other government officials and bureaucrats. They have a rivalry against the CIA, hate meetings and reports (except for Smart), are always eager for promotion, have work-complicated relationships, frustrations when women and men work together, and are jealous ex-boyfriends.

Of course there are side-jokes, such as the confusion of whether "hot" means "radioactive" or "attractive." There is chemistry between Carrell and Hathaway, but not in the romantic sense. There is chemistry between them in the competitive relationship. Hathaway may save Smart, but he's the one who finds a humorous way to the next clue, and neither forget to remind the other how they've one-upped them.

Included is a great chase involving cars, planes, and a train, that if not for the one-liners and crashing through a gulf course, would be just as suspenseful as Bond. Nuclear weapons used to blow up a building? Nothing like this has been used since 9/11. Humor may be our way of breaking away from it. Not a judgement, but something worth noticing.

The series of misadventures blend slapstick, real-life references ("Nuke-u-lar." "It's nuclear!"), spoofing other movies (mostly Bond), and some fresh material. It is a careful blend where, if you find one part funny, you will find all of them parts funny.

Is it entertaining? Highly, espically if you are use to spy movies, then you will find extra enjoyment as the humor relies on the seriousness of everyone else.

Is it for everyone? Yes. While it would offend no one, the humor is classic kind, not relying on current events or aiming for a particular audience. It entertains adults, young adults, and old children alike.

Is it memorable? Yes. The lead and supporting roles were idealy cast. "The Rock" is now Dwayne Johnson, acting in his own respect, Carrell's performance is one of his finest without relying on 40-Year-Old Virgin script, and I have a new respect for Anne Hathaway fitting into a role, both physically demanding and to implying depth to an otherwise small-character.

My advice: Now or on DVD later, this is a comedy that hits harder for the audience slightly older than the Kung Fu Panda crowd.

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