Love crappy movies but are too ashamed to admit it? Are you a big Rob Schneider fan but you're tired of being burned? Not sure if you want to waste your money on the same old movie? That's why you have Joe.
Joe Loves Crappy Movies is by Joseph Dunn. Joe willingly goes to see the very worst that Hollywood has to offer. Whenever a crappy movie comes out Joe will be there to see it, make fun of it, and actually review it. Nothing is safe, and nothing is sacred. From the big budget action disasters to the low brow fart based comedies, to anything starring Martin Lawrence? Joe will tear it apart.
With each entry you'll get not only a comic poking fun at the movie, but also a detailed review. Joe's not educated in film or cinematography or acting, he's just a guy that draws comics and likes movies. So if you're looking for the everyman perspective and a little joke in comic form... you're in the right place.
Get Smart
Starring: Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, Terence Stamp, Terry Crews, David Koechner, James Caan, Nate Torrence, Masi Oka
Directed by: Peter Segal
Warner Brothers
The Official Site of Get Smart
Discuss Get Smart on the boards!
Back in June when the big screen adaptation of Get Smart, the popular TV series about a bumbling spy, his high-tech gadgets, and super sexy partner, came out, I was far from impressed. I was someone whose closest exposure to the source material was watching its Saturday Morning cartoon rip-off, Inspector Gadget so, in other words, I went in with no frame of reference on the material or expectations of what the movie “should” be… other than it should probably be good, right?
In a movie that should be built around explosive action sequences and laugh out loud comedy, Get Smart comes up light in both departments. A forgivable misstep had they taken that energy and focused it on developing the film’s love story or avoiding the predictable pit falls of story telling. No luck there. The film has a good look, great cast and some bright ideas but nothing substantial backing it up.
Steve Carell Plays Maxwell Smart, an analyst for a Government company called Control. Max pushes paper all day long but daydreams of the glory that comes with being an agent in the field. When Control’s evil counterpart Chaos starts targeting known agents, Control’s best are sent into hiding. Fresh-faced Smart is promoted to Agent status to take on the case. A wonderful explanation of why someone so unqualified would be allowed to touch a gun.
Smart is joined by Agent 99, played by Anne Hathaway who holds her own with the funny men and the action heroes, perhaps because they’re not being as funny or… actiony (?) as we may have hoped. Still, it’s another role for Hathaway where we’re able to see a whole new side to her, and she’s still as charming as ever.
Not that the others aren’t. Alan Arkin who plays the Chief is as dependably awesome and Dwayne Johnson is perfectly cast as 23, a representative of the ideal agent. I even enjoyed the banter and power struggle between field agents Terry Crews and David Koechner and the Intel division represented by Nate Torrence and Masi Oka. There’s definitely a nice structure created with all these characters, which I think speaks towards the strength of the casting, but they’re hardly given an adventure worth watching.
Get Smart is harmless, it just thinks it’s funnier than it actually is. I’m sure someone had a good laugh at the over the top dance sequence but they weren’t in the theater with me when I saw the film. I’m sure someone was blown away by the big car chase battle but all I could see was the possibilities of a great scene marred by sloppy camera work and lazy stunts.
There’s a scene in Mr. And Mrs. Smith, the best scene in Mr. And Mrs. Smith actually, where the two stars are driving their minivan and fighting the bad guys all around them as they bicker amongst themselves. It’s the perfect blend of character and action using smart ideas and strong talent to their fullest. Get Smart has a similar scene where Smart and 99 face off against a bad guy inside an SUV going 80 miles per hour and it looks lazy by comparison. These capable killers are just flailing around having a glorified slap fight. It’s a nice idea with nothing behind it.
On DVD the second time around the film was a lot less grating than in theaters, perhaps because I properly had my expectations in check. When you don’t look forward to the jokes being funny or the action being grand it’s amazing what good you can find. I still had trouble looking past the films finale that used a familiar plot crutch to develop synthetic tension, but I was definitely enjoying some of the smaller character moments.
Like I said, I was never a fan of the show so I can’t really speak for its legions of fans, but I can’t imagine this mediocre and forgettable effort impressed or honored their favorite childhood Spy show. The gadgets are there, the look is strong and the casting is spot on. The film is far from horrible; it just could have used a few more smarts.
Rating: 6 out of 10 - I’m giving Get Smart a generous rating because I actually did enjoy it a little the second time around. It’s silly and light-hearted and fun. I just expected more the first time out and that’s really my own fault.
Get Smart is not a DVD you would die without. It’s not a necessity to own. At the same time it’s not exactly something you should be ashamed to pick up this week on DVD. I mean, don’t break the bank to pay for it or skip voting so you can get to Best Buy before the store closes. It’s not worth that.
Austin Powers - I think the ultimate Spy spoof is Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Get Smart aspires to be more than a spoof but when you boil it down that’s really what it is. Mike Meyers embraced the spoof genre with the Austin Powers films and created a fantastic world worth revisiting. It doesn’t have the spit polish or diverse casting of Get Smart but it’s got about 10 times the laughs and 30 times the quotes even the biggest Get Smart fan could dig out of this film.
Get Smart hits DVDs tomorrow but tonight on the Triple Feature we’ll be talking about the new releases. Specifically Kevin Smith’s latest movie, Zack and Miri Make a Porno, a film that I was a little disappointed with. Check out my first reaction here and expect a full review later this week.
As for tomorrow, I’ve got something special planned for Election Day. I mean, besides voting. See you tomorrow.
Joe – The creator of the strip who has embraced giving crappy movies the chance they deserve. Like the majority of the cast he’s obsessed with boobs.
First Appearance - The Introduction
Yeo – Yeo is Joe’s wife and often the voice of reason in the strip. Having her act rational allows the rest of the cast to embrace being in a comic strip which primarily involves randomly punching people, interacting with fictional characters and talking about boobs. Yeo is smart, beautiful and way too good for Joe. Don’t tip her off.
First Appearance - Fever Pitch
Irv – Joe’s movie-going sidekick who’s always down for watching Jason Statham crescent moon kick some thug through a plate glass window and getting some drinks before after and during a Vin Diesel movie. Like the majority of the cast he’s obsessed with boobs.
First Appearance - Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior
Agent 337 George Jones – A government Agent that took over for Joe after he was bad-mouthing President Bush in the V for Vendetta strip. George ran the show for over a month bring a much needed sense of patriotism and justice to both the strips and reviews. He eventually got too attached to his work, empathizing with Joe’s plight to give crappy movies a fair shake. In a way he came to love crappy movies as well and was pushed out of the position. He spiraled out of control and ended up in prison. His adventures will be told in the limited series JLCM Presents: 337 Locked Up which is set to début Christmas of 09.
First Appearance - V for Vendetta
Other Notable Appearances: Stay Alive, Ice age 2, Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector, Slither, Here Comes Guest week, Let’s Go To Prison
Leonidas – The former king of Sparta who has traveled into the future and is having trouble coping with the modern times. Yelling loudly and kicking people into giant holes doesn’t really work the same way it did in the olden days. As time as gone by he’s adjusted but it’s a safe bet that he’s always one bad message away from throwing a spear through someone.
First Appearance - 300
Other Notable Appearances: Four Brothers, Strip# 300, The Golden Compass, Rambo, Untraceable, The Ladies of Max Paybe
Palpatine – Former Senator, Emperor of the Galactic Empire, Sith Lord... He shows up in the Joe Loves Crappy movies galaxy on occasion to let people know that they’re being stupid. No one’s really sure how he shows up in this universe but chances are it breaks all kinds of copywrite laws.
First Appearance - Episode III: The Dark Side
Other Notable Appearances: Four Brothers, Night Watch, Saw 3, Are We Done Yet
Slow Billy – Billy is a sweet kid but he’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. If you’re watching him for the day be prepared to explain to him the plot of the movie or how popcorn works or, not so much where babies come from, but what babies are. He’s a complete moron.
First Appearance - Four Brothers
Other Notable Appearances: The Chronicles of Narnia, The Da Vinci Code, Vantage Point, Journey to the Center of the Earth
Kyle the Movie Snob – Be careful what fun facts about movies you tell your friends at a friendly gathering or in line for the latest blockbuster, because if you’re even slightly wrong, Kyle will be more than happy to let you know. He usually gets what’s coming to him though. Poor guy has cracked three ribs since joining the JLCM cast.
First Appearance - Ultraviolet
Other Notable Appearances: 16 Blocks, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Transformers, Journey to the Center of the Earth
Jean-Luc Picard – Another lawsuit waiting to happen is Jean Luc Picard who, towards the end of the strip’s first year, became the go-to background character. If there was ever a seat to fill or a random person to place wandering around in the background, nine times out of ten it was Picard. While Picard has crossed paths with Irv he and Joe have never met. Perhaps they will some day but for now just can an eye on the background.
First Appearance - The Producers
Other Notable Appearances: I’m not telling you, that’s no fun. It’ like Where’s Waldo – go find him!
Ice Cream Sandwich – Delicious and… deadly? Usually when you see someone eating an Ice Cream sandwich, someone else is experiencing a substantial amount of pain. Still, how nice is an ice cream sandwich on a hot summer day?
First Appearance - Saw IV
Other Notable Appearances: Bee Movie, Run Fatboy Run, Saw V
