Get real, Steve Carell

In “Get Smart,” Steve Carell plays Maxwell Smart, an analyst for the spy agency CONTROL, who finally gets his chance to be a spy when its nemesis organization, KAOS, develops plans to destroy the world.

What’s surprising about the movie is how it manages to waste such an impressive array of potential strengths. At its core, it simply isn’t funny. Despite a cast of noteworthy actors, scenery that ranges from across the United States to Russia and all the zany gadgets one would expect from a spy movie, “Get Smart” isn’t likely to elicit a smile or even the occasional chuckle throughout its meandering, thoroughly unimpressive run.

“Get Smart” doesn’t know what kind of movie it’s supposed to be. With absolutely no cause or justification, it invests entirely too much energy in its action scenes, which detract from the comedy. Carell, despite his flexibility as an actor and talent for self-deprecating humor, has no idea what role he’s supposed to play.

For a movie about an inept secret agent, Carell is too competent, although he does occasionally put his foot in his mouth. The movie relies on Carell to be funny while simultaneously leading the action, which is an unreasonable expectation. While it goes a long way toward making his character human, it doesn’t contribute to any sense of humor.

If anything, “Get Smart” is a cautionary tale to screenwriters with impressive budgets; boring but well-financed is still boring. The movie has so much at its disposal, but somehow manages to make it seem like it’s trying to squeeze honey from a rock. Its brand of humor is nothing more than dressed-up, cookie-cutter versions of situational humor, better suited to sitcoms that take place in living rooms.

 In “The Office,” Carell manages to be funny every week, given just office supplies. “Get Smart” wastes that talent.

No one onscreen seems to have any chemistry. The actors are all successful in their own right, but thrown so recently into the same set makes their timing off and their jokes fall flat. Carell and Anne Hathaway are a particular example – the story relies so much upon their developing relationship, but it never comes off as warm or believable.

Mel Brooks (creator of the original 1960s “Get Smart” TV show) must be livid. The movie is an even, if consistently unentertaining, degradation of his memory. But being consistent isn’t necessarily a virtue - perhaps if it weren’t even, it would occasionally have a shot at being enjoyable. Instead, it is boring throughout, and makes its victims wish they had “Gotten Smart” and stayed at home.