Los Angeles Times: A modified moniker is often part of a new image

Here’s a news flash: The Rock is no more. It’s not even Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson but merely Dwayne Johnson, plain vanilla, regular guy, would-be action-hero for the text-message set.

For us mere mortals, it’s always slightly mystifying to watch celebrities and their names mutate. Madonna Ciccone to Madonna. Fabio Lanzoni to Fabio. Prince Rogers Nelson to Prince to The Artist formerly known as Prince to the unruly acronym TAFKAP. (more…)

The Crew of Get Smart had an interview with Movieweb and gave some tips on how to be a spy!

Steve Carell and company offer some intelligent insight into their latest action comedy

In 1965, Mel Brooks and Buck Henry joined forces to forge one of the greatest sitcoms of its time with Get Smart! The show revolved around Maxwell Smart, aka Control Agent 86, as he and his partner, the beautiful and dangerous Agent 99, worked to battle the evil forces of KAOS and save the world time after time. Now, more than thirty years later, director Peter Segel has resurrected the show in the form of a big screen outing, which stars Steve Carell as Max and Anne Hathaway as Agent 99. Rounding out the cast are Dwayne Johnson, Alan Arkin, and the great Terrance Stamp.

This fine ensemble recently gathered in Los Angeles to recount their time spent on the set and to regale us with intellectual bon mots, all in a means to help us Get Smart. Here is that wonderful conversation:

Did you guys watch the original TV show before diving head first into this endeavor?

Steve Carell: I steered clear of it. I didn’t want to do an impression of Don Adams. I figured there was no way to improve upon what he had done. I thought the more I watched him, the more I would be inclined to do an impersonation. He was so good and so definitive in that role. I sort of backed away from it.

Alan Arkin: I made the choice thirty years ago not to watch the show. For me, it was easy. I had no problem making this character my own.

Anne Hathaway: I actually grew up watching the show on “Nick at Nite”. I used to love it, so it was really fun to revisit that. I was one of the last people cast, so I missed the whole collaboration of it. The: “This is the movie we’re making” part of it. I wanted to make sure that I understood what tone we were trying to achieve. I think we’ve managed to have that silly, sweet, yet sophisticated feel that the original series had.

Dwayne Johnson: I watched the show when I was a kid. I was a big fan of the show. I would have loved to have met Mel Brooks and Buck Henry. I was a big fan of the original, but I didn’t get a chance to meet those guys. When they first approached me with the idea, I thought, “Uh-oh, here we go. They’re messing with something that’s great.” You’ve got to be careful. But the material was great. All the elements came (more…)

The Rock Talks Shazam, Get Smart and more!

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was in Sin City Sunday for a special Cinevegas charity premiere of Get Smart to benefit The Rock Foundation children’s charity.

Cinevegas 10th AnniversaryReelzChannel.com spoke with The Rock about the Vegas premiere, The Rock Foundation and his exciting upcoming project Billy Batson and the Legend of Shazam, in which he will be playing villainous Black Adam. (more…)

Dwayne Johnson (AKA “The Rock”) has been working hard to leave his tough wrestling persona behind as he pursues a big-screen career. He took a giant step last year when he put on a tutu for the surprise hit comedy The Game Plan.

Now, he’s doing schtick in the big screen version of the TV series Get Smart, co-starring with Steve Carell. When he isn’t acting, Johnson’s first priority is his six-year-old daughter Alexandra.

You got to kiss Steve Carell. Was that a memorable moment?

“It was great. How many men can say they had a nice big lip-lock with Steve Carell? It shows the lengths I go to be a committed actor. Jake Gyllenhaal did it. Will Smith did it. I thought it was my turn to kiss a man.” (more…)

Variety gave the 1st official Get Smart review from the viewing at the Mann Chinese Theater in LA:

It seemed like a natural: Redo “Get Smart,” the landmark ’60s TV spy spoof, with Steve Carell. Who better to update Maxwell Smart — the idiot-savantish secret agent originated by Don Adams — than “The Office’s” master of disassociative, self-effacing humor? But in the end, a bigscreen version of television’s “Get Smart” had issues to address — the hero was too one-dimensional, the female lead too adoring, the Cold War too over. So helmer Peter Segal’s formulaic takeoff is neither fish nor fowl, not quite faithful to the show, but not quite bringing it into the 21st century either. It may ride Carell’s star to major B.O., at least initially. But it’s nothing you want to take off your shoe and call home about. (more…)