I just got back from seeing “Get Smart,” and while I did not laugh all too much, I have to admit most of the action sequences are mildly entertaining. Most of the jokes fall flat though, and the film relies too much on Steve Carell, who’s definitely not as funny as in “The Office.”I will post my detailed review on here very soon, but for now, let’s see how well the flick was received by some fellow critics online. Your own thoughts and comments are always appreciated.
• James Rocchi over at Cinematical liked some of the jokes in the film, while he pretty much hated others. Here’s a tiny sample of what he has to say:
“But while the actions and the settings in Get Smart may circle the globe, a lot of the comedy feels shut in. Fat suits aren't intrinsically funny; when Max is wrestling an unconscious bad guy onto a table and a passerby looks through the window smiling naughtily at what looks like man-on-man sex, it's a sad, shameful moment of ha-ha homophobia.”Read the whole Cinematical review right here.
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• Josh Tyler over at Cinema Blend thinks the film is rather formulaic, but he seemed to have a rather good time with Maxwell Smart. Here’s a part from his review:
“The action isn’t particularly compelling or creative, and the wait becomes much too long in between jokes. Luckily most of the movie, especially early on, is dedicated almost entirely to letting Carell and Hathaway pull off wacky hijinks, of the sort that would have made the dearly departed Don Adams more than proud.”Click here to read all of Josh’s review at Cinema Blend.
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• Here’s someone who really liked the film. Ron Henriques from LatinoReview thinks “Get Smart” boasts a lot of jokes that are not as cheap as you may think. Check out what he has to say about this:
“The gags hit more often than miss and sometimes the ones that feel flat are enhanced by the reaction of Carell or even a supporting player. The picture is entertaining on the action side as well, with a number of spry action sequences or deadly shoot-outs where the bad guys surprisingly stay dead when they're shot.”You can read LatinoReview’s entire take right here.
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• Slant Magazine’s Bill Weber didn’t laugh that much, and just like me, he thinks some of the jokes are quite simply embarrassing. Here’s an excerpt from his review:
“In that worst of all veins, Segal and his partners replace the kid-friendly warmth of the TV show's goofiness with heaps of sadism: Carell accidentally mutilating himself with metal pins, crotch-pounding violence, a high body count, a mistakenly-witnessed-buttfucking gag and other staples of the post-funny comedy era of crudity (now including the actual stapling of papers to people's heads).Read the entire review from Slant Magazine here.