Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- breezy
- irreverent
- lazy sunday
- action comedy night
What critics said
Critics broadly found Steve Carell charming and the film intermittently amusing, but considered it an ordinary spy comedy that overemphasizes action at the expense of sharper laughs.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Maxwell Smart begins in an administrative role before being assigned as an active spy after the agency attack.
Maxwell's antics disrupt parachute drops, undercover operations, and confrontations with the imposing Dalip.
The film combines a government spy agency, compromised identities, Russian infiltration, a bomb plot, and a concert climax with comic set pieces.
The production stages airplane parachuting, international pursuit, explosive danger, and major concert-based set pieces.
Films like Get Smart, and why
Johnny English
shared spy spoof structure, physical comedy, undercover missions, and breezy action-comedy tone
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
shared secret-agent parody, gadget-driven action, broad humor, and incompetent-protagonist premise
The Man Who Knew Too Little
shared fish-out-of-water espionage, comic action set pieces, and warm partner dynamic
Movie Details
- Director
- Peter Segal
- Release Date
- 2008-06-19
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (4024)
Cast
- Steve Carell
- Anne Hathaway
- Dwayne Johnson
- Alan Arkin
- Terence Stamp
- James Caan
- Bill Murray
- Patrick Warburton
- Terry Crews
- David Koechner
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV, Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Get Smart about?
- An overconfident desk analyst becomes an unlikely field agent when a terrorist plot forces him into a chaotic partnership with a seasoned spy.
- What is Get Smart like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Get Smart as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Get Smart violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Get Smart as mild.
- What did critics think of Get Smart?
- Critics broadly found Steve Carell charming and the film intermittently amusing, but considered it an ordinary spy comedy that overemphasizes action at the expense of sharper laughs.
- Which films are like Get Smart?
- Films with a similar feel include Johnny English, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, and The Man Who Knew Too Little.
- How long is Get Smart?
- Get Smart runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch Get Smart?
- In United States, Get Smart streams on YouTube TV, Howdy Amazon Channel.
