Get Smart (film)

:"This article is about the 2008 remake film. For the 1989 reunion movie, see Get Smart, Again!"

Infobox Film
name = Get Smart


caption = Theatrical release poster
director = Peter Segal
producer = Alex Gartner
Charles Roven
Andrew Lazar
writer = Tom J. Astle
Matt Ember
starring = Steve Carell
Anne Hathaway
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
Alan Arkin
Terence Stamp
and James Caan
music = score by: Trevor Rabin theme song by: Irving Szathmary
editing = Richard Pearson
distributor = Warner Bros.
released =
[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425061/releaseinfo (more)]
runtime = 110 min.
country =
language = English
Russian
budget = $80 million
gross = $223,030,585 (worldwide)
website = http://getsmartmovie.warnerbros.com/
amg_id = 1:358552
imdb_id = 0425061

"Get Smart" is a 2008 film adaptation of Mel Brooks and Buck Henry's 1960s spy parody television series of the same name. The film stars Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart and Anne Hathaway as Agent 99. Alan Arkin, who also worked with Carell in "Little Miss Sunshine", plays the Chief. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Terence Stamp, Terry Crews, David Koechner, Masi Oka, Ken Davitian, Larry Miller, Patrick Warburton and Dalip "The Great Khali" Singh also star. Bernie Kopell, who played Siegfried in the original series, makes a cameo appearance. Bill Murray also appears as Agent 13 hidden in an empty tree trunk.

ynopsis

Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell), the top analyst of the top secret American intelligence agency CONTROL, hopes to become a field agent like his idol, Agent 23 (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), but despite scoring extremely well in the acceptance tests Max is denied the promotion because the Chief of CONTROL (Alan Arkin) thinks Max is too valuable in his present assignment. This changes when CONTROL headquarters is attacked by their arch-enemy, the terrorist organization KAOS, led by a man known only as Siegfried (Terence Stamp). As a result, almost all of CONTROL's agents are exposed and killed. Max becomes Agent 86 and is partnered with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway), whose recent plastic surgery has protected her identity, while former field operatives like 23 are demoted to desk jobs.

Max and 99 travel to Russia on a mission to determine how KAOS has been getting nuclear weapons. Along the way, Max slowly proves to 99 that despite his inexperience and clumsiness he is actually a good field agent. Max also begins to show, as does 99, that he has slight feelings for her, and she for him. However, 99 does not want to have a relationship with any agent, as she previously blew a mission due to her being in a relationship with a partner (as it turns out, Agent 23). The pair try to infiltrate KAOS's Moscow nuclear weapons factory, which is disguised as a bakery, and even though Siegfried has been expecting them, Max and 99 overpower the guards and plant explosives that will bury the nuclear weapons under rubble. Max even saves both 99's life and his own by helping one of Siegfried's henchmen, a man named Dalip (Dalip Singh), with his marital problems using information gleaned from his analyst work. The Chief sends 23 to oversee clean-up of the bakery, but 23 reports that he has found no evidence of nuclear weapons, causing CONTROL (and an upset 99) to believe that Max is a double agent.

Siegfried reveals that KAOS has distributed nuclear weapons to unstable dictators, and will supply them with the activation codes unless the American Government pays him $200 billion, and decides to establish the credibility of his threat by destroying Los Angeles with a nuclear bomb during the President's visit. The Vice-President doesn't believe CONTROL's claims that KAOS is a serious threat so the Chief, 99 and 23 go there to try and personally convince the President, to no avail. Dalip sends Max (who is in custody in Washington D.C.) a tip-off about the bomb via a radio call-in show, so Max escapes custody, equips himself with vintage items from the CONTROL museum (such as the shoe phone) and travels to Los Angeles himself to meet with the Chief and tell him about the bomb. Agent 23 doesn't believe Max's claims or his innocence because he has a crush on agent 99, even though the Chief and 99 do. This, plus the fact that Max detects trace radiation on 23 (who had walked through the Moscow nuclear facility), causes Max to realize that 23 is the double agent. 23 takes 99 hostage and flees with the bomb's remote detonator, and Max and the Chief give chase. 23 ties 99's hands tightly together and locks her in his car. Max and the Chief save 99, with Smart kissing Agent 23, which was a trick to distract him and kicks him into the now flaming, track-led government GMC Yukon. When Max and 99 are stuck to the car, Max saves 99 by throwing her to the ground while he tries to cut himself free. 99 looks up and sees the car destroyed by the oncoming train, believing Max and 23 to be killed. 99, extremely upset about Max's death, says out loud that she wished they had more time together too, an answer to a question Max asked her earlier. Suddenly, Max appears, shocking her, saying he "missed it by that much." 99 kisses Max. The three realize that the bomb, hidden in Walt Disney Concert Hall where the President is attending a concert, will be triggered when the orchestra plays the final notes of Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". Reaching the Hall just in time, Max tackles the conductor, stopping the orchestra and stopping the bomb. However, the orchestra is doubtful that there was a bomb and the guards ridicule Maxwell. Maxwell guesses correctly that the bomb was under the piano and shocks the guards. During Siegfried's escape, the terror mastermind insults Dalip once too often and Dalip throws him out of their car off a bridge and into a river.

The heroes celebrate their success in CONTROL headquarters. The President is very impressed with the agency, especially Max's heroics. Max and 99 begin not-so-secretly dating and have bought a puppy, named Fang. Bruce and Lloyd get a little payback on a bullying field agent via the introduction of Hymie the Robot. The film ends with Max and 99 leaving CONTROL through the set of high-tech security doors; of course, Max can't leave the last door (which doesn't close) alone and repairs it with his pocket knife, causing the door to close on him and a mini harpoon to stick him in the cheek.

Cast

Marketing

A spinoff film, "" (featuring Oka, Torrence, Miller, Warburton, Terry Crews and a cameo by Hathaway), was released on DVD on July 1, 2008 [ [http://www.amazon.com Amazon.com] ] , eleven days after the feature film's theatrical release.cite web | title=SciFi.com| work="Smart" spinoff heads to DVD | url=http://www.canmag.com/nw/9883-get-smart-stills | accessdate=June 24 | accessyear=2008] cite web | title=SciFi.com| work=Internet Movie Database| url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1018723/ | accessdate=June 24 | accessyear=2008] [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/news/1648781/ ROTTEN TOMATOES: "Get Smart" Sequel Already Planned ] ] The film tells a standalone story that takes place concurrently with the events of the film (including a scene in which Agent 99 calls Lloyd to berate him for the poor quality of her gadgets compared to that of Max; that scene takes place immediately after Max accidentally renders himself unconscious with a blowgun in this film).

In addition to traditional television advertisement and movie trailers, Warner Bros. has commissioned Pepsi to produce a flavor of Sierra Mist soft drink dubbed "Undercover Orange" to help promote the film. [http://www.bevreview.com/2008/04/18/review-sierra-mist-undercover-orange/ BevReview.com » Blog Archive » Review: Sierra Mist Undercover Orange ] ] Warner Bros has also funded an online community called "CONTROL Vs. KAOS" [http://www.control-vs-kaos.com CONTROL vs. KAOS Team ] ] where visitors can participate in contests, 'missions', etc.

A 7:45 minute promotional clip, featuring an action sequence of Max and 99 parachuting from an airplane, has been released on iTunes as a free download.

The Subway restaurant chain is holding a contest to give away a 1965 Sunbeam Tiger.

Critical reception

The film received rather mixed reviews from critics. As of June 26, 2008, the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported that 53% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 128 reviews — with the consensus that the film "rides Steve Carell's considerable charm for a few laughs, but in the end is a rather ordinary Summer comedy." [cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/get_smart/ |title=Get Smart Movie Reviews, Pictures - Rotten Tomatoes |accessdate=2008-06-20 |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes] Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 53 out of 100, based on 26 reviews. [cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/getsmart |title=Get Smart (2008): Reviews |accessdate=2008-06-20 |publisher=Metacritic] The film also received positive reviews from Roger Ebert and Entertainment Weekly. Series creator Mel Brooks said "I liked it. I liked it a lot. I thought he (Steve Carell) was the perfect choice." Richard Roeper of the "Chicago Sun-Times" also gave the film a thumbs up saying that it was one of the year's more pleasant surprises.

Box office performance

In its opening weekend, the film grossed $38,683,480 in 3,911 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking #1 at the box office and averaging $9,891 per venue. [cite web|url=http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=getsmart.htm |title=Get Smart (2008) - Weekend Box Office Results |accessdate=2008-06-23 |publisher=Box Office Mojo]

As of September 14, "Get Smart" has grossed $129,030,585 domestically and $94,000,000 overseas, bringing its total to $223,030,585. Domestically, it is the highest grossing live-action movie for both Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway as lead actors.

DVD Release

The DVD has been announced to be released on November 4th, 2008.

equel

On October 7, 2008, it was reported that Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow Pictures are producing a sequel. Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway are set to return. [ [http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/10/06/get-smart-2] ] [cite web|url=http://tvseriesfinale.com/articles/get-smart-steve-carell-to-return-as-agent-86-in-movie-sequel/ |title=Get Smart: Steve Carell to Return as Agent 86 in Movie Sequel |accessdate=2008-10-07 |publisher=TVSeriesFinale.com]

References to the original series

*The plot device of a bomb in the piano was also used in an episode of the first season of the original series: "Hubert's Unfinished Symphony".
*During a scene at the beginning, we hear Siegfried's catchphrase: "This is KAOS. We do not ___________ here.
*Many of Max and the Chief's catchphrases are used in the film.
*During the opening credits, references to Mr. Big and the Claw (Craw) are seen in the newspaper and Max's notes, respectively. In one scene, Siegfried is talking to his superior in the phone, and fans of the original series know that Siegfried's superior is Mr. Big. This makes him an unseen character.
*The items in the CONTROL Museum are from the original television series, including the Shoe Phone, the portable Cone of Silence, a red Sunbeam Tiger and a snub-nosed revolver. Max takes several of these items and uses them during the film's climactic action scenes. Two other cars from the original series - an Opel GT and a Karmann Ghia - also appear in the film.
*Bernie Kopell, the actor who played Siegfried in the original series, cameos as the driver of the Opel GT.
*Leonard Stern, the producer of the original series, makes a cameo appearance as the pilot of the Cessna 206 small airplane commandeered by Max and the Chief.
* Right after Max accidentally renders himself unconscious with a blowgun, 99 disguise herself with an evening gown and a wig that resembles the original agent 99 character from the 60's series.
*The entrance to CONTROL has been updated, but the stairway, the red stripe down the center, and the phone booth have not changed. The multiple doors leading to and from the booth also remain, but have been updated. At one point, Max has to input a code on a keypad to get past one door he didn't get through in time; the tones heard match the melody of the "Get Smart" theme.
*Max and 99 fly on "Yarmy International Airlines". Yarmy is Don Adams' actual last name.
*Besides the major characters, minor characters in the film who originated in the TV series include Larabee, Hymie the Robot (played by Patrick Warburton), Agent 13, and the dog Fang.
* The very end of the film includes a dedication to Don Adams and Edward Platt who played Maxwell Smart and The Chief, respectively, in the TV series.
*James Caan appeared as Rupert of Rathskeller in "To Sire, With Love", a two-part episode of the original series.
* In "Double Agent," one of the CONTROL scientists builds a remote control fly, which Max accidentally smashes with a newspaper. In the movie, Bruce and Lloyd build a remote control fly which is also almost immediately destroyed by Agent 23, who thinks it is real.
* The Latin American dubbed version features the return of legendary Mexican voice actor Jorge "El Tata" Arvizú, voicing Steve Carell's Maxwell Smart. Arvizú voiced Don Adams in the Mexican Dubbed versión in the '60s and in the short lived tv series in the '90s.

References

External links

* [http://getsmartmovie.warnerbros.com/ Official site]
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* [http://www.workingauthor.com/get-smart-2008-review/ "Get Smart" Review]
* [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1YourView&xml=/arts/2008/08/22/bfsmart122.xml Telegraph.co.uk] Review of [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=A1YourView&xml=/arts/2008/08/22/bfsmart122.xml Get Smart]

Box Office Leaders USA
before = The Incredible Hulk
date = June 22
year = 2008
after = WALL-E