In the interest of full disclosure, I’m not a fan of the original Get Smart series. To me it was basically Gilligan’s Island with spies. When I saw the first teaser for the upcoming movie my initial impression consisted of painful flashbacks to the recent movie versions of I Spy, Starsky and Hutch, and Bewitched. Basically I was not impressed.
Which is why I’m incredibly surprised that the WonderCon preview has turned me around 180 degrees. A new, longer trailer was premiered and it was less big-screen rehash and more comedy gold. Smart physical comedy coupled successfully with even smarter dialogue. Plus the action and stunts looked pretty impressive for a comedy. After three Adam Sandler crapfests in a row (including the absolute worst film I’ve seen in a theatre in the past decade, Anger Management) director Peter Segal may have finally found the magical combination between mass appeal and critical acclaim.
Stars Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway joined Segal onstage, and all three of them were in top form. The group played off each other perfectly which bodes well for onscreen chemistry. When asked about his relationship with Hathaway in the movie, Carell’s response was an immediate “Hot… really hot.” Questions from the enthusiastic audience were aimed mainly towards Carell, so when one young man got up and said “My question is for Anne Hathaway” the crowd cheered and Hathaway seemed pleased. “I feel so much better than I ever did in high school,” she said. The fan continued, “How was it working with Steve Carell?” Laughs filled the room and without missing a beat Anne said “And now I feel just like I did in high school.”
Regarding The Office, Carell said new episodes will be on in April, and that due to a recent stint of his own on jury duty he plans to write an episode that finds Michael Scott stuck with jury duty too. The only negative reaction of the presentation came when one fan prefaced his question by saying Carell should have played The Joker in the new Batman movie, The Dark Knight. The crowd’s reaction was immediate and severe with boos and insults shouted at the poor shmuck regarding his insensitivity to Heath Ledger’s recent passing. The microphone’s kill switch was employed, and the incensed crowd swallowed up the idiot.
Get Smart opens on June 20th.
Related Topics: Anne Hathaway, Conventions, WonderCon
