This shouldn’t qualify as news, but given the rumors that Peter Segal disrespected Mel Brooks and Buck Henry by brazenly pushing forward with Get Smart sans their input, it’s probably not a bad idea to confirm, once and for all, that Brooks approves of the film.
An excerpt from an interview published last Monday in the Los Angeles Times:
A: No, not at all. I had nothing to do with it. They never even called me! This one, they called me from Day One. They said, “What do you think of this?” Or “What do you think of that?” And I’d say yay or nay.
It’s got a good director, Peter Segal. Wonderful director. The writers were great. The producers were young and aggressive and smart. But the brilliance is Steve Carell. To choose a guy who’s right in the Don Adams groove. You couldn’t get a better guy than Steve Carell. And yet he doesn’t do Don Adams. He does none of his delivery. He just does Steve Carell.
So, yeah, Brooks was involved and seems happy with the final product. Controversy squashed.
I haven’t seen the finished film yet, but from what I saw in the editing room, Segal got the tone of the show exactly right. For those of you expecting a belly laugh-laden romp on the order of Top Secret! or, god forbid, Blazing Saddles, I’d advise you to Netflix discs from the Get Smart “Complete Series” box set that came out a few years ago. You’re not going to roar with laughter throughout, but you will have a smile plastered across your face for a few hours. While the Cold War satire is pretty damn sharp, it’s the interaction between the characters that keeps you coming back.
And I’ve a feeling Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, Alan Arkin, Dwayne Johnson, Dave Koechner and Terry Crews will pay respectful homage to the inimitable interplay of Don Adams, Barbara Feldon, Robert Karvelas and Edward Platt. You’ll find out for yourself on June 20th.