GET SMART [PG-13]
review by Padraic Maroney

We’ve seen pretty much every kind of secret agent spy movie that there is to see. From James Bond to Austin Powers, there isn’t anything new that can be thrown at audiences. That is where Get Smart comes in.

Based on of the classic television show of the same name created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, “Get Smart” seeks not to just merely coexist with the series. Rather, the film is looking to be a modern update and with it a lot of things are updated from what television fans might remember.

In fact, right from the beginning, Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) has yet to be made into an agent. Having failed the agent exam seven times previously, Max is hoping number eight is the lucky one. Despite passing his test, it’s only after an attack on the C.O.N.T.R.O.L. headquarters that he is made into an agent and paired with the lovely Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway). The pair are put together to figure out a plot devised by the evil K.A.O.S. organization that is so wickedly convoluted that even after having seen the film, viewers might not be able to fully explain at the water cooler on Monday. It has something to do with the short guy from “Borat” (Ken Davitian) wanting to blow up L.A. At least we’re pretty sure it does.
This is one of those spy films where the plot gets just as many frequent flier miles as the characters because there is no way anyone can predict all of the steps along the way because chances are screenwriters Tim Astle and Matt Ember (”Failure To Launch”) probably made things up as they went along. But for a change, this approach works, especially with two solid comic leads keeping things fun and unpredictable.

As 99, Hathaway is not merely the partner to Max, as she is able to carry her own and her version of 99 is actually the more experienced of the two agents. Mix that in with the added sexiness Hathaway lends to the character, best shown in the laser scene that easily rivals Catherine Zeta-Jones’s in “Entrapment,” and it catapults 99 into the new millennium. Nothing against original 99 Barbara Feldon, but it’s hard to believe that she would have been able to move quite like that. With being highly experienced and having a low threshold for incompetence, Agent 99 is constantly butting comedic heads with Carell’s hilariously bumbling newbie Smart. The formula of mix matched partners isn’t anything new, but Hathaway and Carell are able to mine the ground for some good laughs.

Laughs don’t come just from the duo, however. The film is kept chugging along by a surprisingly well done turn by Dwayne (née “The Rock”) Johnson (”The Game Plan”) as the new character Agent 23 and Oscar winner Alan Arkin (”Little Miss Sunshine”) as The Chief. It’s good to see Johnson making the transition into non-family roles that allow him to show his charm and personality. He is finally being given the chance to shine in material that is worthy of him. Also along for the ride are Masi Oka (”Heroes”) and Nate Torrence (”Studio 60″) as tech geeks Bruce and Lloyd (and who will be getting their own direct-to-DVD spin-off film next month) in charge of inventing all of Max’s fun gadgets.

Besides the scripted laughs, the enjoyment that comes from the film is also seeing the chemistry that the cast all have together. Even when bickering, Hathaway and Carell’s odd couple has an underlying chemistry that makes the otherwise implausible love interest twist in the final moments of the film work, something that less capable hands would not allow. Thankfully, director Peter Segal (”The Longest Yard”), the writers the cast are all skilled enough to walk that fine line between disbelief and ridiculousness perfectly.

The movie is heavy on the laughs, but it fails is when it comes to the action scenes. Director Segal’s résumé is filled with comedies but lacks any action films, and he still tries to stylize the sequences by simply changing to a different visual look. This would be fine except that it takes us out of their world and only reminds us that we are, in fact, watching a movie.

Still, “Get Smart” is one the smartest movies out this summer because the people who made it know what audiences are looking for in a popcorn flick and have topped this bucket o’ fun with a generous portion of all the stuff. This is what a summer movie should be, and thankfully, it cannot be reviewed with an ironic five words: “Missed it by that much!”•••

Padraic Maroney is a regular contributor to EDGE Boston.