RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Features
  • | Columns
  • | Guides
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
News / Columns / Critics Consensus
Critics Consensus: Get Smart Misses by That Much, Guru Gets No Love
It's Love versus Smarts this weekend.
by Tim Ryan | June 19, 2008
Discuss Article
This week at the movies, we've got wacky spies (Get Smart, starring Steve Carell and Anne Hathaway) and silly self-help specialists (The Love Guru starring Mike Myers and Jessica Alba). What do the critics have to say?

Steve Carell has patented a very specific type of character: One who bristles with unearned self-confidence, fecklessness, and occasional decency and competence. Who better to update the role of Maxwell Smart, the most clueless of secret agents? Well, critics say Get Smart benefits from Carell's screen persona, but falters when it delves into action territory. Stepping into the role made famous by Don Adams, Carell is Maxwell Smart, an overeager and under-qualified spy who's recruited along with the lovely Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) to take down KAOS, a sinister organization bent on world domination. The pundits say Get Smart is amiable enough, buoyed by a solid cast (including Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Alan Arkin, and Terence Stamp) and some solid laughs. But others complain it devolves into a generic action flick, missing the sharp satire of the original show. At 52 percent on the Tomatometer, Get Smart missed it by that much. (Check out pics from the Get Smart premiere here.)


"I knew we should've taken that left turn at Albuquerque."


After a long hiatus from live-action comedy, Mike Myers is back, playing a New Age spiritualist in The Love Guru. The critics' advice to Myers: Heal thyself. An American raised by gurus in India, Pitka returns to North America to establish himself in the self-help game; his first undertaking is to help a hockey star heal from the wounds of a recent romantic breakup. The critics say The Love Guru is relentlessly juvenile, wasting a solid collection of players (including Jessica Alba, Justin Timberlake, Ben Kingsley, and Verne Troyer) on shticky comic set pieces that lack rhythm or wit. At 13 percent, The Love Guru is less than enlightening. It's also one of the worst-reviewed films of Myers' career.


"Welcome to Being John Malkovich, LLC."

Also opening this week in limited release:
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl, starring Abigail Breslin as a plucky Depression-era girl who solves a mystery and saves her family's house in the process, is at 68 percent.
Expired, a dark indie comedy starring Samantha Morton and Jason Patric as parking meter officers in love, is at 75 percent;
And Brick Lane, the story of a Bangladeshi woman who experiences culture shock after an arranged marriage brings her to London, is at 60 percent.


"You can still get a job after Batman & Robin!"



Recent Mike Myers Movies:
-------------------------------------
42% -- Shrek the Third (2007)
89% -- Shrek 2 (2004)
12% -- Dr. Seuss' the Cat in the Hat (2003)
14% -- View From the Top (2003)
55% -- Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)


Recent Steve Carell Movies:
-----------------------------------
78% -- Dr. Seuss' Horton Hears a Who! (2008)
23% -- Evan Almighty (2007)
64% -- Dan in Real Life (2007)
73% -- Over the Hedge (2006)
91% -- Little Miss Sunshine (2006)


Related Items
Movie: Brick Lane
Kit Kittredge: An American Girl
The Love Guru
Expired
Celeb: Mike Myers
Jessica Alba
Anne Hathaway
Steve Carell
Bookmark and Share
Comments (1-18 of 18 posts) | Reply
jokerboy1991
jokerboy1991 writes:
on Jun 19 2008 05:20 PM

Im gonna see Get Smart, Love Guru looks awful (what happened to MYERS?!?!?!?). I cant wait til next week for Wanted, I bet that gets tomatoe rating of 68-75, which is good enough for me, because it looks awesome to me... I bet Wall*e gets a tomatoe meter rating of something in the 90's.

(Reply to this)
quietus28
quietus28 writes:
on Jun 19 2008 06:53 PM

Jessica Alba a solid cast member? Hmm. Pretty questionable cast if that's the case.

(Reply to this)
thomas.crown
thomas.crown writes:
on Jun 19 2008 07:18 PM

The captions are too funny!

I'm surprised Get Smart got 50s, I thought the critics would hate it. Love Guru on the other hand, not surprised at all.


(Reply to this)
Splitter
Splitter writes:
on Jun 19 2008 08:46 PM

I expected this of Get Smart. It's nothing substantial, but it will be fun, and Steve Carell will deliver.

(Reply to this)
jokerboy1991
jokerboy1991 writes:
on Jun 19 2008 09:01 PM

LOL "You can still get a job after batman and robin", good one Tim.

(Reply to this)
rockclmbr6
rockclmbr6 writes:
on Jun 19 2008 10:08 PM

Hahah, I take it the Get Smart title is a reference to the topic on the Get Smart board saying "I wonder how many reviewers will use the term 'misses by that much?'"

Clever stuff.

All my friends say they want to see The Love Guru, which makes me think I need friends with better movie taste...Get Smart looks like what the reviews are saying: funny, but nothing really spectacular. I'm ok with that, generally.

I'm seriously looking forward to Wall-E and Wanted though. Next weekend is gonna rock.


(Reply to this)
hitnrun017
hitnrun017 writes:
on Jun 19 2008 10:12 PM

I am going to look up EVERY single person who goes to see The Love Guru and slap them. I might go see Get Smart, but I want this week over with so we can get to Wanted and Wall-E.

(Reply to this)
Tim Ryan
Tim Ryan writes:
on Jun 19 2008 11:53 PM

In reply to this comment (#1801848)
Actually, my main man Alex Vo came up with the captions. Credit where it's due.

(Reply to this)
Tim Ryan
Tim Ryan writes:
on Jun 19 2008 11:56 PM

In reply to this comment (#1801750)
I would argue Ms. Alba has done a good job with mediocre material. And she definitely held her own in Sin City and her cameo in Entourage.

(Reply to this)
Artiga88
Artiga88 writes:
on Jun 20 2008 10:30 AM

In reply to this comment (#1801943)
I saw Love Guru. come and slap me now *****!

(Reply to this)
Ecs5001
Ecs5001 writes:
on Jun 20 2008 10:53 AM

Lmao. Artiga did you enjoy it?

(Reply to this)
onepiece226
onepiece226 writes:
on Jun 20 2008 11:03 AM

In reply to this comment (#1801943)
I'm going to slander anyone with the namehitnrun017 and personally tell them I saw The Love Guru, cause it was pretty funny........................................................................................................................I'm waiting for a slap?

(Reply to this)
vitajex
vitajex writes:
on Jun 20 2008 11:19 AM

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!

I would recommend to all of those who feel (as I do) that "The Love Guru" being released is an insult to all American film-goers, stand outside your local theater and wait for people to ask for tickets to "The Love Guru".
Then, offer to buy their movie ticket for ANY other movie playing instead.

If you go during matinee time, it wouldn't cost too much. If everyone got one person to NOT watch it, we could show Hollywood what we really think of their "products".


(Reply to this)
CaptainJack
CaptainJack writes:
on Jun 20 2008 12:20 PM

People need to relax, everyone gets so bent out of shape.

Did you ever think maybe if you don't enjoy a movie that maybe it wasn't for you? Does everyone like the same music? Or the same piece of Art? Or how about the same sports team? The answers to all three are NO.

So does that mean the counter to what you like is "bad"? Again the answer is NO. Instead of trying to convince ppl not to see this movie or to see that one, we should just let things be. Let everyone have their own path of discovery, do not take that away from them. It's selfish, after all maybe your neighbor will enjoy Get Smart or The Love Guru, and for that couple of hours in the theatre they can experience a little escapism and have some fun.

Word.


(Reply to this)
Almost.Famous
Almost.Famous writes:
on Jun 20 2008 12:35 PM

In reply to this comment (#1801649)
Hmm im thinking the exact same thing as you. Get smart can be fun but love guru has horrible written over it. Wall-e will obviously get something in the high 90s and get praised like every pixar movie (with the exception of cars.)

(Reply to this)
collex
collex writes:
on Jun 20 2008 12:51 PM

I will probably see The Love Guru, but on DVD, not in theater. I must say I'm intrigued to see Justin Timberlake play a Quebecer (wich I am. And I don't understant the marijuana pizza and good porno line. Marijuana is still illegual (but very common) here and I didn't even know we did prono).

And I will probably see Get Smart on DVD too. Can't wait for Wall-E. But I'm going eight week in a small, small town, so I don't know if they'll have it.




(Reply to this)
kooks25
kooks25 writes:
on Jun 20 2008 02:44 PM

Both movies look dumb.

(Reply to this)
sunsaz
sunsaz writes:
on Jun 20 2008 04:40 PM

Wasn't expecting Get Smart to be of the same caliber as the show. Oh well, it'll tide me over until Wall-E comes out next week.

IMO, the people who were protesting Love Guru earlier this year were wasting their time. If no one goes to see it, it won't be because of them.


(Reply to this)
Read More Comments
Page | 1
Post Your Comment
You must be registered to post comments. Login or Register.

Related Links

Get Smart
  • Pictures
  • Posters
  • News
  • Forum

Related Articles

  • People's Choice Awards Winners Announced (0)
  • Segal to Helm Captain Marvel, Get Smart 2 for Warners Opens in new window (5)
  • RT on DVD: Get Smart, Futurama: Bender's Game and the Obama DVD Controversy (15)
  • Weekly Ketchup: Steve Carell to Get Smart again. (34)
  • Carell Commits to Get Smart Sequel, New Warners Deal Opens in new window (6)
  • UK Critics Consensus: Hellboy Delights; Somers Town Shines (0)
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Kapow! The Bat Slams The Box Office (76)
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Moody Superheroes Rule the Box Office (27)
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Hancock shows some attitude at the box office (38)
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: WALL-E and Jolie: Box Office Power Couple (35)

Most Discussed

  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Avatar Continues Its Run In 2010 (229)
  • RT's Ten Most Popular Movies of 2009 (101)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Is Joining Forces With Flixster! (50)
  • Weekly Ketchup: Annual Ketchup Edition (37)
  • Five Favorites of the Five Favorite Films of 2009 (36)
  • Awards Tour: The Hurt Locker Wins Big At National Society of Film Critics Awards (36)
  • Friday Harvest: Eclipse, Robin Hood, and more! (31)
  • Awards Tour: People's Choice Awards nominations! (31)
  • Critics Consensus: The White Ribbon Is Certified Fresh (24)
  • Awards Tour: Producers Guild Announces Nominees (19)

Latest News

  • Awards Tour: People's Choice Awards nominations! (31)
  • Awards Tour: Producers Guild Announces Nominees (19)
  • Rotten Tomatoes Is Joining Forces With Flixster! (50)
  • Seth Rogen talks Funny People (0)
  • Win Funny People on DVD (0)
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Avatar Continues Its Run In 2010 (229)
  • Awards Tour: The Hurt Locker Wins Big At National Society of Film Critics Awards (36)
  • Weekly Ketchup: Annual Ketchup Edition (37)
  • Friday Harvest: Eclipse, Robin Hood, and more! (31)
  • Five Favorites of the Five Favorite Films of 2009 (36)

Latest Interviews

  • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson (76)
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview (22)
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland (2)
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist (17)
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview (12)
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary (24)
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview (8)
  • RT on DVD: Wassup, Bruno (3)
  • Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back (0)
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview (16)

Latest Features

  • RT on DVD: District 9, Ponyo, Young Victoria (0)
  • RT on DVD: Sam Raimi Drags Us To Hell... (2)
  • RT's Best of the Decade! (192)
  • Our Favourite Films of 2009 (13)
  • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson (76)
  • RT on DVD: Inglourious Basterds, Year One, The Ugly Truth (2)
  • The Effects of Where the Wild Things Are (37)
  • The Gimmicks That Changed Cinema: Part 2 (8)
  • RT on DVD: The War Begins in Terminator Salvation (2)
  • The Gimmicks That Changed Cinema: Part 1 (37)

Sponsored Links

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo
About Us | Advertise | Contact Us | Press | Careers
IGN | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | Direct2Drive | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Game Sites | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | GIGA.DE | What They Play | Battlefield Heroes
By continuing past this page, and by your continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2010, IGN Entertainment, Inc. | Support | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! RSS Feeds
IGN’s enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA.
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.