Simply A Masterpiece

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The first version of the TV show GET SMART to be released to theaters, THE NUDE BOMB was made in 1980, and its parachuting and airplane scenes were combined for the new GET SMART movie. Don Adams returns as that indefatigable secret agent, Maxwell Smart, and this time his mission is to save the world from a spoof of the atomic bomb, the Nude Bomb. It is no wonder that this element of the plot made viewers uncomfortable when this movie appeared in theaters all those years ago, and this may have resulted in the movie being panned and becoming only a modest success. The camaraderie between the Chief and Max is missing here, but I feel that that could not be helped, since Ed Platt, the original Chief of CONTROL, had already died and (SPOILER!) the Chief is revealed here to be an impostor, a recently cloned double agent who is reporting Max's every move to KAOS HQ. There is a wonderful chase scene through the old Universal Studios back-lot involving the Jaws and Battlestar Galactica (correct me if I'm wrong) areas, neither of which are around anymore (at least, to my knowledge). The wonderful gadgetry and beautiful anamorphic widescreen photography (this was originally intended as a TV movie) help overcome the somewhat meandering plot, and the character of Agent Twenty-Two also adds character to the movie (I wonder why Agent Ninety-Nine wasn't brought back). All in all, a most satisfying mystery movie with a most satisfying ending.

As you watch the beginning credits of this movie, you'll see that this was based off of characters created by Mel Brooks. That's kind of misleading considering Maxwell Smart is the only character from the TV show to appear in the movie. Granted he may have been the Lead character, but the show had a hilarious cast of supporting characters whom probably could have given this movie a chance. I may even be generous saying that. The comedic timing is way off base, you can tell they tried to emulate Mel Brook's style but failed miserably. I wouldn't even recommend this to Die Hard fans of the show. Easily one of the worst TV to Big Screen movies ever made.

"Get Smart" was very big in the 1960's. Spoofing James Bond, and having catchphrases such as "Sorry about that, Chief!", "Missed it by that much!", "Would you Believe..." and most of all, "...And Loving It". Don Adams(1923-2005) made it big playing the bumbling Maxwell Smart(Agent 86). This time, he's out to stop KAOS from launching a "Nude Bomb". Kinda like a smart bomb, only it leaves you buck naked! Smart got some new agents to work with him: Agent 22(Andrea Howard), Agent 34(Sylvia Kristel, "Private Lessons"), Agent 35(Pamela Hensley, before "Matt Houston") and the Chief(Dana Elcar, "MacGyver" and "The Learning Tree") The comedy was nonstop. The shooting and the fight scene are hilarious. The only downside I didn't like is when some of the originals didn't appear. Like Hymie(Dick Gautier), Agent 99(Barbara Feldon) or even Siegfried(Bernie Koppel). Edward Platt(The Original Chief) died in 1974. That's beyond everyone's control. They put it down just because Don Adams was the only original character? Give me a break! The movie was funny, the cast was fine. It deserve some reprise in the theaters. I don't think that die-hard "Get Smart" fans would think this show should go onto the big screen. This movie is for the fans, by the fans, and strictly for the fans. I enjoyed very much! 3 out of 5 stars!

As a long-time "Get Smart" fan, I was very disappointed. Max was NOT Max. He used language and acted so completely unlike the character in the TV series, it was shocking. What were the writers thinking . . . No 99? A crime!! The reason the original series worked so well was the relationship between Max and 99 and the chemistry between Don Adams and Barbara Feldon and the rest of the cast. There are several funny scenes, but mostly the movie is pretty awful. See "Get Smart, Again" (wonderful!) or (I hate to even say it) . . . the horrible Fox series. Both are better than this.