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News
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2008
Movies: Carell saves 'Get Smart'
"Get Smart" doesn't possess the most intelligent one-liners and gags, but a cast full of recognizable stars keeps the film from being just another dumb comedy.
Steve Carell plays Maxwell Smart, a rookie secret agent who negotiates deadly scenarios and a tenuous relationship with his partner (Anne Hathaway). Carell (The Office) is dead-on as Smart, offering physical comedy along with some well-delivered punchlines.
Hathaway (The Princess Diaries) delivers a strong performance as Agent 99, a spy with some serious baggage. She isn't hilarious, but she doesn't need to be: Carell is the film's main jokester. The Rock, er... Dwayne Johnson (Gridiron Gang), is better than usual as the tough-guy
agent.
Director Peter Segal doesn't pull out any fancy tricks in "Get Smart." The plot is straightforward — albeit longwinded — and none of the jokes seem too unnatural. The film mostly stays away from raunchy humor and probably could have passed with a PG rating if not for a few scenes. Many of the laughs come from physical comedy or something as innocuous as Bill Murray hiding in a tree.
"Get Smart" provides a generally pleasant viewing experience. It doesn't engage the audience with a thick plot, but stays lively and upbeat enough to entertain.
— Asher Fusco
OBITUARY
Comedian Carlin dies Sunday at 71
BY KEITH ST. CLAIR ASSOCIATED PRESS
Carlin, who had a history of heart trouble, went into St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica on Sunday afternoon complaining of chest pain and died later that evening, said his publicist, Jeff Abraham. He had performed as recently as last weekend at the Orleans Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas.
LOS ANGELES — George Carlin, the dean of counterculture comedians whose biting insights on life and language were immortalized in his "Seven Words You Can Never Say On TV" routine, died of heart failure Sunday. He was 71.
"He was a genius and I will miss him dearly," Jack Burns, who was the other half of a comedy duo with Carlin in the early 1960s, told The Associated Press.
He produced 23 comedy albums, 14 HBO specials, three books, a couple of TV shows and appeared in several movies, from his own comedy specials to "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" in 1989 — a testament to his range from cerebral satire.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Comedian George Carlin died from heart failure Sunday. He was known for his unique insights on life and numerous comedy albums.