New movie a “Smart” choice

Chances are, with all the wetness going on right now, a lot of you aren’t exactly in a movie-going mood.
But, if, by chance, you are, my guess is you could probably use a laugh right about now. And that’s just what you will get with this week’s new movie, “Get Smart.”
The film is a revamping of the 1960s spy comedy about CONTROL’s Agent 86, otherwise known as Maxwell Smart, and his battles against the evil KAOS.
When it comes to the role of Maxwell Smart, filling the shoes of the great Don Adams is a tall task - even if those shoes happen to double as phones. But this movie was spot-on with the choice of Steve Carell for the not-so-super-spy. Adams was ever the straight man, and that is right up the alley for this “Daily Show” alum.
In the role of the ever-beautiful and equally deadly Agent 99 is Anne Hathaway. This one was a little more of a stretch. Smart’s female partner is supposed to be just a bit older than the twenty-something Hathaway. The writers do their best to explain it away, but that doesn’t mean things don’t just look rather awkward when things get romantic between the two. But, that doesn’t mean that Hathaway is awful in the role; it just means there might be a few awkward moments.
One rather bright spot was the reteaming of Carell with his “Little Miss Sunshine” co-star, Alan Arkin, as The Chief. Arkin’s dry, yet witty give-and-take with Carell is refreshingly fun. Plus, you’ll get to see him kick a little butt, which is a treat in itself.
Sure, the plot can be a little predictable at times. The twist, and yes, there is a twist, most will see coming from a mile away. But this isn’t M. Night Shyamalan we’re talking about here. This is a movie based off of a old sitcom. You are supposed to laugh, and it does a great job at that. Surprisingly, “Smart” also masquerades rather decently as an action movie at the same time. I think they sometimes get a little too “Bourne” and not enough “Barney Fife,” but that’s not the worst thing in the world.
In the end, it comes out to a rather enjoyable time at the movies, which I’m sure some could use right about now. I’ll give it a solid B. Nothing to be ashamed of there.