Review of film: “GET SMART” -- It’s SEMI-SHARP but ENJOYABLE

Review of film:   “GET SMART”  --   It’s SEMI-SHARP but ENJOYABLE = 

   

                 [ RATING:  7.5 of 10 stars ] 

Date Rated: Jun 24, 2008 | Rel. Date: Jun 20, 2008 =

[Based on an advance preview:]  While I enjoyed this film, I found certain elements to be “LESS” than I’d expected. One by one, all the main actors do a basically quite GOOD job. STEVE CARELL plays Maxwell Smart, but he’s almost overly “RESTRAINED” and unemotional in the role. ANNE HATHAWAY is unexpectedly vibrant as Agent 99, DWAYNE (“ROCK”) JOHNSON is surprisingly funny as macho Agent 23, and ALAN ARKIN is a joy playing The Chief. Minor characters are also very well-cast. But, while I found the film to be cute, enjoyable, and with some quite good special effects (such as the “Cones of Silence” and chases), I found it to be a trifle DISAPPOINTING in that it wasn’t anywhere near as FUNNY as I’d expected, the laughs being mainly “chuckles” rather than “full” laughs; it was more “subdued” than I’d anticipated. The audience applauded a good deal at the end, and I expect you’ll appreciate it the same way.