Get Smart

I'll preface this review by saying that I have only passing, vague memories of the original television show.

Get Smart as a comedy shall be judged by genuine, well-earned laughs. I don't remember laughing once, though I may have cracked a smile once or twice. As an action film, Get Smart shall be judged on thrills. I wasn't impressed by any of the action sequences. I approached the movie with a certain amount of expectations based on Steve Carrell's starring role. However, it seemed that Carrell was playing at a character rather than embodying a character. His performance was more a kin to his shoddy work in Evan Almighty than the highs of Dan in Real Life or Little Miss Sunshine. He was straining to turn the lackluster dialogue and hijink setups in the script into laughs and the strain showed always. Anne Hathaway was gorgeous and dull and not at all believable as a spy (even in a comedy). Dwayne Johnson should not act. And Alan Arkin made me cry with his grumpy/fuming/hoarse company man routine. He's done it better in better films (i.e. - Glengarry Glen Ross, 13 Conversations About One Thing). In short, I was unentertained by the whole spectacle, and I cannot think of one interesting thing to say about it.

*1/2