Saturday, 5 July 2008 08:42 pm
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deckardcanineThere was too much of a downpour for my family to attend the Mall fireworks this year. At least the drizzle was light enough earlier in the evening that we went to a barbecue at the home of my sister's friend from high school. It just so happened that I was wearing my class of 2000 shirt with names on the back, so we could confirm that said friend's brother had been in my grade (populous enough that fewer than half the names rang a bell for me). Didn't meet any school friends of my own, but I did meet one's parents, one of whom was also my former teacher. Throw in the cupcakes collectively glazed to look like an American Flag cake -- and my sister fretting over the blue food coloring on her teeth and tongue -- and I'm glad I went.
Earlier in the day, my dad and I saw Get Smart. I'd been reluctant due to mixed reviews, some of which even put it on the same low tier as The Love Guru. And while my third-grade memories indicate that the show was lowbrow and repetitive, they're happy enough that I didn't want them sullied. Movies based on shows don't have a good track record, after all.
But Dad and I both considered it pretty good. It's not The Naked Gun Redux, but neither is it The Nude Bomb Redux. Perhaps the trick is to expect the parallels to be plentiful yet tenuous. For example, it wasn't until the credits that I realized that the little terrier Fang corresponded to the golden retriever Fang from a few episodes. And Alan Arkin isn't half as sober a chief as Edward Platt.
There is no living man I'd cast as Maxwell Smart over Steve Carell. This Smart is surprisingly skillful, resourceful, insightful, and even sometimes graceful, but it's never a long wait before his next goofy line or slapstick moment. Several other characters get a number of each in as well. They're not all gems, of course, and some of the tropes (e.g., "Zis is KAOS; ve do not _____ here") really miss their original delivery, but I laughed pretty often.
You may have heard that the plot barely hangs together or requires suspension of disbelief. That's really no different from the show. The main difference is the four-decade shift in both setting and style, complete with exciting if impossible action sequences. It may be fair to say that the movie takes itself a little more seriously than the show. Fine by me.
That said, here's a suggestion to entertainers everywhere: No more spy spoofs. The James Bond franchise is almost a parody of itself, and I can think of too many direct or indirect references to it elsewhere.
Earlier in the day, my dad and I saw Get Smart. I'd been reluctant due to mixed reviews, some of which even put it on the same low tier as The Love Guru. And while my third-grade memories indicate that the show was lowbrow and repetitive, they're happy enough that I didn't want them sullied. Movies based on shows don't have a good track record, after all.
But Dad and I both considered it pretty good. It's not The Naked Gun Redux, but neither is it The Nude Bomb Redux. Perhaps the trick is to expect the parallels to be plentiful yet tenuous. For example, it wasn't until the credits that I realized that the little terrier Fang corresponded to the golden retriever Fang from a few episodes. And Alan Arkin isn't half as sober a chief as Edward Platt.
There is no living man I'd cast as Maxwell Smart over Steve Carell. This Smart is surprisingly skillful, resourceful, insightful, and even sometimes graceful, but it's never a long wait before his next goofy line or slapstick moment. Several other characters get a number of each in as well. They're not all gems, of course, and some of the tropes (e.g., "Zis is KAOS; ve do not _____ here") really miss their original delivery, but I laughed pretty often.
You may have heard that the plot barely hangs together or requires suspension of disbelief. That's really no different from the show. The main difference is the four-decade shift in both setting and style, complete with exciting if impossible action sequences. It may be fair to say that the movie takes itself a little more seriously than the show. Fine by me.
That said, here's a suggestion to entertainers everywhere: No more spy spoofs. The James Bond franchise is almost a parody of itself, and I can think of too many direct or indirect references to it elsewhere.