Big Picture Big Sound

The Film

Michael Scott as a secret agent? No, that's not a plotline for an episode of The Office. It's most likely the pitch that Warner received for the 2008 remake of Get Smart.

Steve Carell stars as Maxwell Smart, CONTROL's best, bumbling analyst, who yearns to be a secret agent. When all of the "real" agents are outted by the terrorist organization KAOS, Smart's daredevil dreams come true, as he is paired with recent plastic surgery recipient Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway).

We're pretty sure that Barbara Feldon never had surgery in her Smart days, but that's just one of the many timely tweaks fans will notice. The film is hoping there are plenty of those, too, with countless references to the TV classic.

It's no Austin Powers, but frankly, neither was Austin Powers after a while. Still, Get Smart is mindless, mild fun. Overall, two things save the movie: Carell and the endless parade of other famous faces. Look for Alan Arkin, Bill Murray, The Rock, Terence Stamp, David Koechner, Get Smart original Bernie Kopell, and James Caan -- as the president.

For a second opinion, check out Karen Dahlstrom's theatrical review of Get Smart.

The Picture

Comedies aren't your typical demo-room fare. However, this is secret agent comedy, so you can expect plenty of high-tech toys, explosions, and other action to blow up on your big screen. Warner gave it all a nice 1.85:1 transfer. The end result is pretty sharp, with lots of dark colors and detail.

The Sound

In a completely bizarre move, Warner neglected to give this $230 million blockbuster top-shelf audio. The Dolby 5.1 soundtrack does just fine for dialogue, but never really rocks the house in the film's many action scenes.

The Extras

How can three discs feature so little? Sure, Get Smart has its share of extras, but considering this lengthy set, one would expect a little more. One disc features the digital copy, with a DVD game on another. All of the other extras are included on the main disc, and those are typical. A massive 45 minutes of deleted scenes can be sewn into the movie, promising "62 percent more laughs," if you can get past the annoying way it's edited. Probably the best short is "The Old 'I Hid It in the Movie' Trick," a 9-minute short narrated by film stars Masi Oka and Nate Torrence, who highlight all of the film's references to the original series.

Final Thoughts

Carell didn't quite butcher the classic gumshoe, a la Steve Martin's The Pink Panther. Still, there's something about this remake that seems to miss the mark -- but only by that much.

Where to Buy:

• Get Smart on Blu-ray Disc (Amazon.com)

Product Details

• Actors: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp, James Caan
• Director: Peter Segal
• Audio/Languages: Dolby Digital 5.1 (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Region: A
• Number of Discs: 3
• Rating: PG-13
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• Blu-ray Disc Release Date: November 4, 2008
• Run Time: 110 minutes
• List Price: $35.99
• Extras:
  • Smart Takes Alternate Scenes
  • The Old "I Hid It in the Movie" Trick
  • The Right Agent for the Right Job
  • Max in Moscow
  • Language Lessons
  • The Vomit Reel
  • Spy Confidential
  • Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control
  • Get Smart: KAOS Out of Control (Game)
  • Digital Copy