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Get Smart was originally a television series about a bumbling secret agent and his beautiful and intelligent sidekick. Produced by Mel Brooks, the sitcom poked fun at the James Bond films and was a huge success, with repeats entertaining generations. This latest incarnation brings the battle between Control and Kaos to the big screen and adds some modern twists. Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) and Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) are on a mission to thwart the latest plot for world domination by an evil crime syndicate based in Russia, but things are not as clear-cut as they were in the Cold War era. Thanks to globalisation, one of the main men in Kaos is actually an Englishman by the name of Siegfried (Terrance Stamp).
This Max is furthermore not as dumb as his predecessor and is a geeky analyst who becomes a field operative when a double agent exposes the identities of all the other agents. The battle between brains and brawn is waged continually within the organisation by adult men who resort to childish pranks. The battle of the sexes is also much more evident as lovely but lethal 99 gives as good as she gets. And, would you believe – there is more than a hint of sexual tension between 99 and Max, between 99 and Agent 23 (Dwayne Johnson who is no longer known as The Rock) and between Max and Agent 23!
Get Smart is a clever film. It delivers equal amounts of action and humour as well as constant references to James Bond films and the well-loved television series, all aimed to draw the maximum amount of laughs.
Get Smart is rated PG and directed by Peter Segal.
