Posted: Sunday 17th August 2008

Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) is one of the best analysts at CONTROL, a US spy agency. After tiring of his desk job, Smart tries for promotion to field agent but fails when his boss decides to keep him in his current position. Just when he thinks that his dreams are never going to happen, Smart finds himself promoted and paired with Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) following an attack by crime group KAOS. As the newly paired duo get to grips with each other, Agent 99 tries to keep Smart out of trouble whilst he finds his feet in his new position. When the mission takes them to Europe, Agent 99 and Smart have to work together if they are going to stop the threat against the world and save the day.

Get Smart is based on the popular TV series from the mid-60s that starred Don Adams and Barbara Feldon and was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. This new movie captures the essence of the original series and finds a perfect onscreen pairing with Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway. Whilst the US may have given the movie a bit of a rough ride, we actually thought it was pretty damn funny. In fact we'll elaborate further; not only did we laugh, we actually howled in the cinema much to the dismay of the other journalists around us. We may as well admit upfront that we are huge Steve Carell fans so maybe that has made us slightly biased.

Our favourite scene involves a dance off between Smart and Agent 99 during an undercover mission in Russia. Not only does Anne Hathaway look simply stunning but Steve Carell completely steals the show when he takes to the floor with an unlikely dance partner. We admit that the film's humour is at times immature but we don't have a problem with obvious humour, especially when it's this funny.

The reason Get Smart works so well is due to Carell and Hathaway's pairing. The two actors have incredible chemistry and you get the feeling that they had lots of fun filming together. If you look carefully you'll notice that Hathaway looks as if she's trying not to laugh on a number of occasions. Carell is always the reliable face of comedy and Get Smart is another gem for his CV. Hathaway on the other hand is a revelation and showcases previously unseen comedic talent. She has impeccable comic timing and keeps up admirably with Carell. The two leads get superb support from Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, Alan Arkin, Masi Oka and Terence Stamp.

Get Smart is the kind of movie that we all need from time to time. It's never going to sweep The Oscars or feature on many 'greatest films' lists but no one can deny the charm it has. We are struggling to think of a film that has made us laugh more this year. Get Smart is a fun popcorn movie and if you fancy giving your brain a rest and your lungs a workout then this is the perfect movie. We think it's the perfect way to round off the summer movie season.