Get Smart (2008)

Get Smart is the kind of spy comedy that actually delivers on both halves of its promise: it’s consistently funny, but it also moves with the slick momentum of a real action-thriller. Steve Carell turns Maxwell Smart’s overeager incompetence into something oddly endearing and human, and Anne Hathaway’s Agent 99 isn’t just a straight-woman foil—she gives the movie charm, spark, and a surprisingly warm chemistry that keeps the jokes from feeling disposable. Director Peter Segal stages the set pieces with enough polish that you can enjoy the suspense even while you’re laughing at how badly Max is improvising his way through it all. It’s a bit edgier and broader than the old TV show, so if you’re sensitive to some crude jokes and mild language it may not be your flavor, but if you want a crowd-pleasing, well-made romp that’s smarter than its goofball premise, this one earns the ticket.

Get Smart (2008) is clearly aiming to turn a classic spy spoof into a modern action-comedy, with Steve Carell playing the well-meaning screwup and Anne Hathaway providing the slick competence. The problem is that it often settles for routine “Bond-lite” set pieces and broad pratfalls when it should be sharper, weirder, and more consistently funny, so the pacing can feel bland rather than buoyant. If you’re expecting the clever bite of the original TV series or a truly inventive parody, this may come off as an ordinary studio comedy wearing a spy suit. Still, Carell and Hathaway have decent chemistry and a few gags land, making it a passable pick if you just want light, noisy entertainment and don’t mind the humor being hit-or-miss.