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The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 19, 2008

Get Smart

An old TV series becomes new movie fodder as Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 hit the big screen in "Get Smart." We sent our TBO.com Street Team to check it out and share their thoughts.

"Steve Carell was a great choice for Maxwell Smart. He really makes every character he plays seem tailor made for him, and this is no exception. The film did a nice job of balancing humor and action, but I think that in their effort to stay true to the original series, they dumbed down a lot of the story and dialogue.

"Whereas Carell gives his all, Anne Hathaway seems to be phoning in her performance at times and the chemistry doesn't always work between them.

"Fans of the original will still enjoy this modernized version, but for the sequel the filmmakers are going to have to go bigger and better."

Nizar Babul, Tampa

"The movie got some things right: some of 'Get Smart's' catchphrases, the shoe phone, the theme song playing while Smart goes through a series of doors and into a telephone booth, the CONTROL spy agency, the evil group KAOS and the gadgets. Carell was an excellent choice for Smart. He was believable and funny, without stooping to imitation or mimicry.

"The movie also got some things wrong. Changing the bumbling, clueless-but-lucky idiot Maxwell Smart character into an intelligent-but-clumsy policy wonk sapped a lot of fun out of the character and the movie. Anne Hathaway, while beautiful and talented, was miscast in the role of Agent 99. She's too young and has zero chemistry with Carell. Terence Stamp's time as the villain Siegfried was wasted, as he had very limited screen time.

"Overall, it 'missed it by that much.'"

Lisa Ciurro, Tampa

Read more thoughts from Reel People and add your voice to the mix at TBO.com, keyword: Reel People

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