After a couple of inconclusive teasers, Warner Brothers is finally giving audiences the Get Smart goods; now, maybe you’ll believe I didn’t jam my head too far up Peter Segal’s ass during my editing room visit last month.
This is a very confidently cut trailer. It gives you a very accurate sense of the action/comedy balance Segal’s trying to strike, and it’s also… y’know, funny. I like the opening bit with Steve Carell and Terence Stamp (the cut back to Carell, and his near-smirk, sells it), and I don’t know how not to laugh at Alan Arkin upbraiding Dwayne Johnson for jamming a staple into David Koechner’s forehead (“That’s CIA crap!”). From what Segal told me, Arkin’s going to be the secret weapon of this movie (the Academy Award winner actually thought one of his bits was up there with “Serpentine!”); and from what I’ve seen, Anne Hathaway is going to be trouble for the trousers. I can’t believe I just wrote that, and I really can’t believe I’m not deleting it.
It’s important to remember that Segal and Carell are trying hard to honor the tone of the Mel Brooks/Buck Henry series while updating it as much as they can for younger audiences. I think the humor is definitely in the same realm as the show; some of the gags may be a tad more suggestive, but they’re still on the tame end of the PG-13 spectrum. As for Carell, he’s reworked Max to mesh with his persona, but there’s still a bit of Don Adams in there. I think the fans will be pleased.
You’ll see for yourself June 20th.