Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control

Zany research and development duo Nate Torrence (as Lloyd) and Masi Oka (as Bruce) head up a hilarious "Get Smart" movie off-shoot about the "KAOS" ensuing over an invisibility cloak. Not convinced? Well...

Would you believe Warner Brothers spins-off a couple of funny lines and situations leftover from their almost simultaneously released "Get Smart" movie re-make? No? Okay...

How about "Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control" was accidentally green-lighted as a TV series pilot for the now defunct WB during a writer's strike? So, when the strike was over, they didn't know where to put it. Not buying it?

I suggest we file this one under the "Cone of Silence" …^…^…

** Get Smart's Bruce and Lloyd Out of Control (7/1/08) Gil Junger ~ Nate Torrence, Masi Oka, Jayma Mays, Larry Miller

This spin-off from the new, "Get Smart," movie more closely resembles one of those episodes of shows like, "CSI," where they focus on the secondary, or even lesser,characters, with the producers harping on about how these are, "wonderful actors," with, "great characters," that need to be given the chance to, "shine," when in fact we all know it's because the real stars wanted a week off. There's a reason those actors and characters aren't the leads, and the same goes for this movie.

Although, I think you'd be hard pressed calling it a, "movie," considering the run time is listed as 72 minutes when, in fact, the actual movie itself barely lasts an hour (another way it's like a TV episode) with the end credits being stretched out ever.... so.... slowly and various average outtakes and scenes not actually in the movie, but obviously intended to be, spliced into them. If the scenes are, "funny," enough to go in the end credits why the heck are't they IN the movie? Having said that, it's mildly amusing without ever being hilarious but hardly worthy of it's own release onto DVD. Unless you're a movie studio looking to suck every last dollar out of your new Summer Blockbuster. Stand up Warner Bros! The best thing in it is Larry Miller, who has the best lines in the film (which might be damning him with faint praise but at least they made me laugh). And I'm including the end credits in that. That way I can sell this review as, "Feature Length."

I never saw the "Get Smart" movie that this direct-to-video movie is spun off of, namely because I can't stand Steve Carell and that I never thought the original "Get Smart" TV show was all that funny. But the opportunity to see this for free came up, and I decided to give it a try. Though the events of this movie seem to be playing at the same time of the events of the Carell movie, the events of this movie seemed pretty clear; you don't need to see the Carell movie to understand what's going on here.

It's a harmless but mostly forgettable movie. Though there was something in this movie that bothered me. Though the characters of Bruce and Lloyd are partners, when it came down to a scene focusing on just one of them, 95% of these scenes were focused on Lloyd, not the Asian-American Bruce. Subtle racism? Maybe. On the other hand, Bruce is shown to have a girlfriend (who is Caucasian - rare for a movie to show such a male Asian / female Caucasian relationship), while the poor Lloyd is shown to be hopeless with women. Judge for yourself.

Bruce and Lloyd: Out of Control is a spin off of the Get Smart movie featuring Steve Carell. The movie is based around Bruce and Lloyd (funnily enough since they are in the title) who are the two tech guys from Get Smart who came up with all the spy tools. It runs in the same time line as the Get Smart movie and has a cameo appearance by Anne Hathaway (99). It also includes Patrick Warburton (Hymie) and the receptionist (dont know her name) from the Get Smart movie. Hymie although not there for long was hilarious. There are some extremely funny parts and overall it isn't too bad but at just over 60 minutes was too short.

After slapping my own head around for opting to watch this film., a review was just moments away.

Choosing to see a poorly reviewed movie doesn't have its flaws however occasionally you discover a hidden gem destined for cult status... Well maybe?!

There are word combo's for the very worst, sadly which don't apply here, as though the entirety of movie simply.., reeks.., of amateur hour effort ; many of the principal cast do exceptionally well to stay true to the characters,

Having the thinnest of plots, here actually helps the production make several leaps of story logic, as progress crawls along.

Adorable, Masi Ori again takes the role of Bruce., (hip name when certain better heroics needed), joined at hip tech engineer with Lloyd, played with (O. M. G), modesty by Nate Torrence. Here they seek to retrieve a super mcguffin piece of new tech that they had stolen from underneath their women~wooing partying night before.

Frankly, the story needs no more embelishment than a good spritz of a certain pheremone to garner genuine applause, as the script developed was either the weak ramblings of a prior draft from originating 'Get Smart' movie or envisioned from a nasty LSD trip, what saves.., I mean, retains a measure of dignity for all concerned surely are the Wardrobe, Set construction and Soundtrack, as it makes great use of everything already purchased in the 'Steve Carrell' vehicle.

Ultimately an entertainment-Lite option for viewer's who need their comedy 'Hammered', to their hairlines., (yes I was inspired to save the best quip for last), Hymie!!