Common Sense Media Review
By S. Jhoanna Robledo
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Silly and fun, but edgier than the classic TV series.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Get Smart
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 33 parent reviews
Based on 103 kid reviews
Kids say this movie is a hilarious action-comedy filled with laughter and impressive performances from a talented cast. While some viewers appreciate its family-friendly humor and entertainment value, others note the presence of sexual references and violence, suggesting it may be more suitable for older children and teens.
- action-comedy
- family-friendly
- sexual references
- talented cast
- hilarious humor
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Forget the underlying plot in GET SMART, the modern-day cinematic adaptation of the classic TV series. What passes for one -- something about evil organization KAOS' attempts to bomb Los Angeles, with a preamble about weapons theft in Russia -- is rudimentary at best and confounding at worst. The movie is really the triumph-of-the-underdog story of Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell), a brilliant-but-nerdy analyst at secret government agency CONTROL who finally gets his wish to become a field agent when headquarters is attacked and the identity of all of CONTROL's operatives -- except for Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) -- is compromised. It's up to Max and 99 to stop the bad guys and save the day ... provided they can learn to work together.
Is It Any Good?
You could quibble about the movie's uneven plot, but don't let that get in the way of a good time. Carrell doesn't so much slip into original Get Smart star Don Adams' shoes (which do make a satisfying appearance) as put a cerebral sheen on them, playing Max (aka Agent 86) as delightfully eager to please and not entirely inept. Not really inept at all, in fact.
The rest of the cast also attacks the admittedly lightweight material with zest. Hathaway gives 99 a little sex appeal -- but she has the brawn to match, too -- and as superstar Agent 23, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson clearly has muscle power, but he's also surprisingly subtle and effective. But it's Alan Arkin, as the chief of CONTROL, who makes a particularly delicious impression, making what's essentially a one-dimensional character into a complicated curmudgeon who still proves he has the goods when the time comes. (Also keep your eyes peeled for plenty of inspired cameos.) With teamwork and some truly impressive gadgetry -- which really is half the point in a movie like this -- the cast manages to elevate the material. In the end, it feels like Get Smart only missed greatness by "this much."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why so many TV shows get made into movies. What do you think the appeal is for filmmakers? For studios? Does nostalgia translate into big audiences (and big profits)? Why do some succeed and others fail? Why do you think they remade Get Smart?
What shows would you like to see turned into movies? Why?
Why does Max want to be an agent so badly? What motivates him? What about his idea that our enemies are real people, too? Can you think of any other movie spies who have that perspective?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 20, 2008
- On DVD or streaming : November 3, 2008
- Cast : Anne Hathaway , Dwayne The Rock Johnson , Steve Carell
- Director : Peter Segal
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Warner Bros.
- Genre : Comedy
- Run time : 100 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some rude humor, action violence and language
- Last updated : January 24, 2022
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate